[Kolab-devel] Kolab and PDA synchronization

[guillaume leclerc]

Hi everybody, I currently work at AtolC&D on Kolab2 and more precisely 
on a solution for synchronizing PDAs.

Indeed, regards to the multiple pocket devices (Pocket PC, Palm,
phone cell,...), it seems to be interesting to implement to Kolab2 a 
solution, that will allow a synchronization between Kolab2 and such devices.

It already exists such a thing based on Windows system with Outlook, but 
nothing based on Windows or Linux systems with client such as Kontact, 
Aethera...

Purpose is then to implement a solution on Kolab for synchronizing 
multi-device on different platforms (above all Windows, Linux), and not 
only for Outlook. The informations to transmit will be contacts, 
calendar events, notes, and task lists.

I had already a look on existing pilots and projects, that permit this :
- kpilot (http://www.slac.com/pilone/kpilot_home/hardware.php 
<https://intranet.atolcd.com/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slac.com%2Fpilone%2Fkpilot_home%2Fhardware.php>) 
seems to be quite mature, but based essentially on KDE and Kontact, for 
Palm devices, Sony Clié, Treo and Samsung
- jpilot (http://www.jpilot.org/ 
<https://intranet.atolcd.com/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpilot.org%2F>) 
is only available for PALM pilot on Linux
systems
- the project sync4j (http://www.sync4j.org/ 
<https://intranet.atolcd.com/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sync4j.org%2F>) 
for Kolab looks very good, supporting Windows Mobile PocketPC, 
BlackBerry, and Palm, running both in Windows and Linux. But it works 
only with the first version of Kolab.
- Multisync (http://multisync.sourceforge.net/news.php 
<https://intranet.atolcd.com/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmultisync.sourceforge.net%2Fnews.php>) 
supports mobile devices, PDAs and cell phones (Sony Ericsson, Siemens, 
Pocket PC, Opie, Zaurus, Palm) but seems to work only on a gnome platform.

To my mind, the synchronization will be done via the protocol SyncML, 
which offers a common language for communications between devices, 
applications and networks. (except if patents issues exists).

To implement the solution, I think about a server solution (more than a 
client), with a common base and some specifics implementations depending 
on the device we use (but nothing is put in stone).

Now I'm here. If you have any suggestions or ideas, don't hesitate. I 
need your remarks and comments.


G. Leclerc