Syncing Windows 7 Phone

[topcat2006]

Hi,

I am doing a bit of research for work.

We have been proposed an upgrade from our current 02 XDA's to win 7 phones. We all want to use them to sync our outlook contacts, calendar, notes, tasks etc but from the outside it looks as though you have to have a hotmail/windows live account to do this?

Does anyone have experience of doing this and is it true you need the hotmail account?

Work will not allow us to have a hotmail account due to the network security but on the other side of the coin we do not want to have a phone which will not sync with our contacts etc.

Thanks

Tom

 

[Muppet]

Got one a few weeks ago for the other half. Easy to set up to sync with her Outlook email account, which is a Pop 3/SMTP type setup, hosted by her webmaster. However, in the same way as Android phones require you to have a Googlemail account to be able to update them and get Apps, the Windows phone does require you to sign up to WindowsLive to be able to update it - or something similar, can't quite remember now and can't get to her phone.

Personally I was disappointed with the phone, it's not as easy overall to use as an Android and you can't get into the nitty gritty of it for settings etc, it's really a bit dumbed down. Perfect for her then. I prefer my HTC Desire S on android, which can also be synced to outlook type email, especially if you have a web based server.

 

[Muppet]

Just to add, you don't seem to be able to get the full outlook programme, certainly not contacts or tasks and calendar, which I was expecting you could. It's not really as good as android in that respect, IMHO.

 

[topcat2006]

So from what you're saying even with it set to sync correctly we won't get contacts, calendar etc?

 

[Muppet]

Don't think so, but to be fair I haven't spent a lot of time with it trying to set it up. I naively thought it would be a doddle to set up and have outlook on the phone as she has on her laptop, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Might be ok if you have a server for outlook and use push mail etc, but please don;t take my word for it, check with the experts first.

 

[topcat2006]

Ok thanks. I know we have exchange 2010 but have been told by my boss about the MSN bit.

Tom

 

[jumperboy]

Hello

I've been testing a Windows 7 Phone with exchange 2007 and 2010, all fine so far, no tasks sync (same story on the iphone and android), standard active sync setup, requires a proper certificate for SSL (not self signed)

I've just started playing with the sharepoint integration, fiddly but OK.

Cheers

John

 

[topcat2006]

Thanks John, thats encouraging.

Tom

 

[jumperboy]

For what its worth (phones are a very personal thing) I rate the Windows 7 phone...easy to use and a good interface....just needs some more apps.