Users can synchronize their Entourage data with other computers and devices by using different synchronization methods, including Sync Services, Live Sync, or automatic synchronization features in Microsoft Exchange Server. For example, by using Sync Services, users can synchronize their Entourage address book, calendar, tasks, and notes with MobileMe, iCal, the Macintosh Address Book, or with a handheld device such as a mobile phone or PDA.
The following list shows the different synchronization methods users can use to synchronize their Entourage data with other applications and devices.
 | Sync Services |
Sync Services is a central database on the user's computer that keeps track of all the applications and devices that share information. Users can use Sync Services to synchronize Entourage calendar events, tasks, notes, and address book contacts with other applications, such as the Macintosh Address Book, iCal, and MobileMe.
After users synchronize their Entourage contacts with the Macintosh Address Book and their Entourage events and tasks with iCal, users can use iSync, an application that is included with Mac OS X, to synchronize all of these items with an iSync-compatible mobile phone or PDA, or use iTunes to synchronize them with iPod.
With a MobileMe account, users can use Sync Services to share Entourage items with others or with Entourage on another computer.
Notes
To use Sync Services, users must have Mac OS X version 10.4.3 or later.
Only one Entourage identity can use Sync Services at a time.
Entourage can synchronize only one calendar and one address book at a time.
Fields that exist in other applications but not in Entourage are not synchronized.
Users can use Sync Services to synchronize the following Entourage items with the following applications:
Entourage item | Other application |
|---|---|
Events | iCal and MobileMe |
Tasks | iCal and MobileMe |
Notes | Entourage through MobileMe |
Contacts | Macintosh Address Book and MobileMe |
| Microsoft Exchange Server |
When they are using a Microsoft Exchange accountAn account managed by Microsoft Exchange Server. Microsoft Exchange accounts are used by organizations with many users. They make it possible to syncronize e‑mail, calendars, and contacts between multiple computers. in Entourage, users' e-mail messages, contacts, calendar items, and other Microsoft Exchange folders are synchronized automatically. User information is always up to date in Entourage and on the server running Microsoft Exchange Server. However, there are other Entourage items that are not automatically synchronized. The following sections list Entourage items that synchronize and do not synchronize with the Exchange server.
Entourage items that synchronize with the Exchange server
Entourage item | Exchange server |
|---|---|
Messages | All Microsoft Exchange mail folders, including subfolders, can be accessed by using Entourage and are continually synchronized with the Exchange server automatically. Depending on the network, new messages either display automatically as they arrive or display after Entourage completes a check for new messages on the server once every minute. |
Address Book contacts | All Microsoft Exchange account address books and their contacts in Entourage are continually synchronized with the Exchange server automatically. |
Calendar events | All Microsoft Exchange account calendars and their events in Entourage are continually synchronized with the Exchange server automatically. Note Entourage 2008 does not support Microsoft Office Outlook counter-proposal invitations. If an Entourage user sends a meeting request to an Outlook user and the invitee makes a counter proposal, the counter proposal appears as text in the Entourage message body. The Entourage user must make any meeting time adjustments manually. |
To Do flags | Messages and contacts that have been flagged as To Do Items are synchronized with the Exchange server, along with due dates, start dates, reminder dates, and completed dates. |
Entourage items that do not synchronize with the Exchange server
Entourage item | Exchange server |
|---|---|
Rules | Although rules stored on the Exchange server will run, users cannot change or create new Exchange server-based rules by using Entourage. |
Notes | Entourage notes are not synchronized with the Exchange server. |
Tasks | Entourage tasks are not synchronized with the Exchange server. |
Categories | Category information that users set in Entourage is not synchronized with the Exchange server. |
User information is also available to any other applications that they use to connect to the Exchange server, such as Microsoft Outlook on a Windows-based computer. If users are using both Outlook and Entourage to access the same Microsoft Exchange account, they should be aware of some differences in how the two applications display information:
Type of information | Difference between Outlook and Entourage |
|---|---|
Contacts' e-mail addresses | In Entourage, users can store up to 13 e-mail addresses in a single contact. In Outlook on a Windows-based computer, users can store up to three e-mail addresses. When contacts are synchronized, Entourage synchronizes the default e-mail address with the E-mail field in Outlook. The next two addresses listed in the Entourage contact are synchronized with the E-mail 2 and E-mail 3 fields in Outlook. |
Contacts' mailing addresses | A contact created in Outlook can have a mailing address labeled "other." This label is unavailable in Entourage. When contacts are synchronized, Entourage displays an address labeled as "other" as the "work" address. If users edit this address in Entourage, then the next time contacts are synchronized, the address label in Outlook changes to "business." |
Contacts' children's names | In Entourage, users can store up to 10 children's names for each contact. If a user has an Outlook contact with more than 10 children listed, you should advise them against editing this contact in Entourage or all but the first 10 names will be deleted when Entourage synchronizes the contact with the Exchange server. |
Travel time in calendar items | The travel time in a calendar item created in Entourage does not appear in Outlook. For example, if a user schedules an item for 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. with a travel time of 15 minutes, the Outlook Calendar blocks out only the one-hour scheduled time and does not include the travel time. |
| IMAP |
With IMAPAn acronym for Internet Message Access Protocol, a common type of Internet-based mail account such as AOL Mail and many others. Messages from these accounts appear in folders in the Entourage folder list, under the name of the account. Messages remain on the mail server, so that you can read them from any location. accounts, there are two synchronizationWhen Entourage compares its information with the corresponding information in another location, such as in a different application, on a mobile device, or on a server and then updates both locations with the most recent information. options: using Live Sync and creating schedules for subscribed folders. Users can use Live Sync to maintain the connection to the IMAP server and apply changes they make to the read, unread, or flagged status of messages on the server, but they can maintain the connection to only one folder at a time. Users can also create schedules that synchronize their subscribed folders in Entourage with the IMAP mail server.
Users can use Live Sync and schedules to perform the following actions:
Use | To |
|---|---|
Live Sync | Maintain connection to the IMAP server for one folder. |
Live Sync | Apply changes to the read, unread, and flagged message status of messages on the IMAP server. |
Schedules | Receive new mail messages or news from the server at a set time. |
Schedules | Send all messages at a set time. |
Schedules | Delete mail messages from the Deleted Items folder or another folder at a set time when the messages are older than a set number of days. |
Schedules | Delete junk e-mail at a set time. |
| POP |
With a POPA common type of Internet-based mail account. Examples are Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail. After you add a POP account to Entourage, messages from the account appear in the folder list under On My Computer. account, users can use schedules to set when they want Entourage to synchronize with the POP mail server by sending or receiving mail messages.
Users can also set a POP account's server options to leave a copy of each message on the server, delete messages after a set number of days, or delete messages after they are deleted from Entourage.
Users can use schedules or server options to perform the following actions:
Use | To |
|---|---|
Schedules | Receive new mail messages at a time that the user sets. |
Schedules | Send all messages at a time that the user sets. |
Server options | Leave a copy of each message on the server. |
Server options | Delete messages from the server after they are deleted in Entourage. |
Schedules and server options | Delete mail messages that are older than a set number of days. |
