BCM 2007 Q's

[BorisS]

Okay, I'd asked this before 2007 was out and did not get anything that helped
me along, so will ask now, half a year later...

My main goal/challenge with BCM is that I would like to use the feature set,
but am having trouble figuring out how I can us it on a hosted exchange
solution which the company has, and which hosted exchange solution then feeds
my windows mobile 5.0 phone. So if I can have BCM somehow synch with that,
or my OL locally (which then synchs with Exchange), I am happy to use BCM.
Otherwise, it seems I have to maintain contacts which synch to the Exchange
server, and then also maintain contacts that are in BCM. Am I
misunderstanding how it fundamentally works?

Can I have something like the following:

-main contact details, which currently synch with Exchange (and thus phone)
continue to do so
-BCM fields which are same as these fields also are somehow linked to this
synched version of contacts (so that I don't have to make changes in bot the
synched and BCM
-fields specific to BCM for opportunity tracking and such are held locally,
and then synched via briefcase function between my computers (I use briefcase
to synch PST files, so that each computer is always using same file and I'm
not losing saved emails).

Is there any combination of the above possible? Does what I'm describing
make sense as a requirement?

Thx.

 

[Mukesh Agarwal [MSFT]]

The BCM data resides in SQL Express database that gets installed as part of
BCM installation. Unfortunately, there is no out-of-the-box way to create a
shadow copy of Business Contacts in Exchange store and maintain data sync
btwn two copies.

To your second question on syncing data among multiple computers, it is
possible. BCM 2007 database can be shared across multiple computers
connected in LAN environment. This is similar to BCM 2003. However, in 2007
version we have added Offline feature that will create an offline copy of
the data on the client computer and facilitate sync with master copy.

Hope it helps.

 

[Lon Orenstein]

And, check out CompanionLink or Pocket Mirror (not released yet for BCM
2007) that will synch to your handheld...

Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104
www.pinpointtools.com

The BCM data resides in SQL Express database that gets installed as part
of BCM installation. Unfortunately, there is no out-of-the-box way to
create a shadow copy of Business Contacts in Exchange store and maintain
data sync btwn two copies.

To your second question on syncing data among multiple computers, it is
possible. BCM 2007 database can be shared across multiple computers
connected in LAN environment. This is similar to BCM 2003. However, in
2007 version we have added Offline feature that will create an offline
copy of the data on the client computer and facilitate sync with master
copy.

Hope it helps.

--
Mukesh Agarwal [MSFT]
Visit team blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/bcm

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

Okay, I'd asked this before 2007 was out and did not get anything that
helped
me along, so will ask now, half a year later...

My main goal/challenge with BCM is that I would like to use the feature
set,
but am having trouble figuring out how I can us it on a hosted exchange
solution which the company has, and which hosted exchange solution then
feeds
my windows mobile 5.0 phone. So if I can have BCM somehow synch with
that,
or my OL locally (which then synchs with Exchange), I am happy to use
BCM.
Otherwise, it seems I have to maintain contacts which synch to the
Exchange
server, and then also maintain contacts that are in BCM. Am I
misunderstanding how it fundamentally works?

Can I have something like the following:

-main contact details, which currently synch with Exchange (and thus
phone)
continue to do so
-BCM fields which are same as these fields also are somehow linked to
this
synched version of contacts (so that I don't have to make changes in bot
the
synched and BCM
-fields specific to BCM for opportunity tracking and such are held
locally,
and then synched via briefcase function between my computers (I use
briefcase
to synch PST files, so that each computer is always using same file and
I'm
not losing saved emails).

Is there any combination of the above possible? Does what I'm describing
make sense as a requirement?

Thx.

 

[BorisS]

Mukesh, thanks so much for the expert insight. Just a few follow-ups:

I used to use briefcases to keep all my computers in check with each other
(always synching before I launched anything like OL, on which I used PST
files which were synched). I now have '07 Ultimate, which has Groove, and
that seems to offer synching as well.

Is the BCM offline file something which I can place where I'd like it, and
then point to it from the program, so that I can effectively have the BCM
file stay synched across computers that way (either continuing via bcase, or
Groove)?

Thx again.
--
Boris

The BCM data resides in SQL Express database that gets installed as part of
BCM installation. Unfortunately, there is no out-of-the-box way to create a
shadow copy of Business Contacts in Exchange store and maintain data sync
btwn two copies.

To your second question on syncing data among multiple computers, it is
possible. BCM 2007 database can be shared across multiple computers
connected in LAN environment. This is similar to BCM 2003. However, in 2007
version we have added Offline feature that will create an offline copy of
the data on the client computer and facilitate sync with master copy.

Hope it helps.

--
Mukesh Agarwal [MSFT]
Visit team blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/bcm

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

Okay, I'd asked this before 2007 was out and did not get anything that
helped
me along, so will ask now, half a year later...

My main goal/challenge with BCM is that I would like to use the feature
set,
but am having trouble figuring out how I can us it on a hosted exchange
solution which the company has, and which hosted exchange solution then
feeds
my windows mobile 5.0 phone. So if I can have BCM somehow synch with
that,
or my OL locally (which then synchs with Exchange), I am happy to use BCM.
Otherwise, it seems I have to maintain contacts which synch to the
Exchange
server, and then also maintain contacts that are in BCM. Am I
misunderstanding how it fundamentally works?

Can I have something like the following:

-main contact details, which currently synch with Exchange (and thus
phone)
continue to do so
-BCM fields which are same as these fields also are somehow linked to this
synched version of contacts (so that I don't have to make changes in bot
the
synched and BCM
-fields specific to BCM for opportunity tracking and such are held
locally,
and then synched via briefcase function between my computers (I use
briefcase
to synch PST files, so that each computer is always using same file and
I'm
not losing saved emails).

Is there any combination of the above possible? Does what I'm describing
make sense as a requirement?

Thx.

 

[Mukesh Agarwal [MSFT]]

BorisS,

BCM data store is not simple as file system. It uses SQL database. So you
can't sync through groove like you can sync simple files. (PST are simple
file)

Under the hood, SQL database is stored in files but they are attached to SQL
server as a database. Furthermore, when SQL server is running, it might put
locks and stuff on the files. So it is not recommended to sync these files
directly.



--
Mukesh Agarwal [MSFT]
Visit team blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/bcm

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

Mukesh, thanks so much for the expert insight. Just a few follow-ups:

I used to use briefcases to keep all my computers in check with each other
(always synching before I launched anything like OL, on which I used PST
files which were synched). I now have '07 Ultimate, which has Groove, and
that seems to offer synching as well.

Is the BCM offline file something which I can place where I'd like it, and
then point to it from the program, so that I can effectively have the BCM
file stay synched across computers that way (either continuing via bcase,
or
Groove)?

Thx again.
--
Boris

The BCM data resides in SQL Express database that gets installed as part
of
BCM installation. Unfortunately, there is no out-of-the-box way to create
a
shadow copy of Business Contacts in Exchange store and maintain data sync
btwn two copies.

To your second question on syncing data among multiple computers, it is
possible. BCM 2007 database can be shared across multiple computers
connected in LAN environment. This is similar to BCM 2003. However, in
2007
version we have added Offline feature that will create an offline copy of
the data on the client computer and facilitate sync with master copy.

Hope it helps.

--
Mukesh Agarwal [MSFT]
Visit team blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/bcm

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Okay, I'd asked this before 2007 was out and did not get anything that
helped
me along, so will ask now, half a year later...

My main goal/challenge with BCM is that I would like to use the feature
set,
but am having trouble figuring out how I can us it on a hosted exchange
solution which the company has, and which hosted exchange solution then
feeds
my windows mobile 5.0 phone. So if I can have BCM somehow synch with
that,
or my OL locally (which then synchs with Exchange), I am happy to use
BCM.
Otherwise, it seems I have to maintain contacts which synch to the
Exchange
server, and then also maintain contacts that are in BCM. Am I
misunderstanding how it fundamentally works?

Can I have something like the following:

-main contact details, which currently synch with Exchange (and thus
phone)
continue to do so
-BCM fields which are same as these fields also are somehow linked to
this
synched version of contacts (so that I don't have to make changes in
bot
the
synched and BCM
-fields specific to BCM for opportunity tracking and such are held
locally,
and then synched via briefcase function between my computers (I use
briefcase
to synch PST files, so that each computer is always using same file and
I'm
not losing saved emails).

Is there any combination of the above possible? Does what I'm
describing
make sense as a requirement?

Thx.