On handheld we can synchronise:

• E-Mail
• Contacts
• Calendaring
• Files: Music, Ring tones, etc
• Photo of person calling

I want to synchronise with my Linux desktop.

Buzzword compliant technologies:

• XML
• AJAX - not web based
• Java - never works properly
• Gopher??
• Enterprise in the name
• Phone has Atomic transactions - Java DB

Read only devices, e.g. ipod, simple to implement.

Windows Mobile phone works best; Windows Mobile 6 is Windows Mobile 5 with some updates. Windows Mobile is custom version of Windows CE customized for phone.

Fumamble

• Not Client/server architecture via 3rd party website. This is bad.
• Client/server architecture via installable daemon.
• Limited documentation. Interface to server: Java GUI Application via X forwarding.
• upgrade instructions; reinstall from scratch; devices will copy data to server again.
• open source
• not CPU intensive
• Outlook plugin also exists
• Backups of phone easy

Synchronisation:

1. synchronise phone with server
2. sync-evolution to synchronise evolution with server
3. synchronise phone with server

Conclusion

It does work with bugs; not flawless but close.

Run daemon as its one user; probably has numerous security issues.

Alternatives:

• Open Exchange
• Zimbra
• Microsoft Exchange

Microsoft products really good until marketing find out.