ExchangeWise today announced the release of MX-Sync, an innovative Outlook synchronization utility designed to synchronize data bi-directionally between standard Outlook or Exchange folders (both private and public) and a Microsoft SQL Server database. MX-Sync turns Outlook into a great information management tool through database connectivity. The product allows synchronization of data between:
-a user’s personal folders in Outlook or Exchange Server (Inbox, Sent Items, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, etc.) and a set of SQL Server tables from any SQL off-the-shelf or custom-developed system.
-a set of Exchange Server Public Folders and an equivalent set of SQL Server tables.
-a user’s personal folders in Exchange Server (Inbox, Sent Items, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, etc.) and a set of Exchange Server Public Folders, that is typically used as a common shared contact management system or other application.
-multiple Outlook or Exchange Server mailbox folders, where for example sharing of personal contacts amongst users is required.
Thus MX-Sync can be used if:
-You want to share contacts in your Outlook Personal Contacts folders with other users.
-You want your customer base in a SQL CRM or accounting system synchronized to Outlook so that your client contact details would be available in Outlook Cached Mode (i.e. offline), and/or automatically synchronized to your Windows Mobile, Blackberry or other smart phone/PDA device.
-You are updating Outlook Public Folder information which must be constantly synchronized back to a SQL database or want to use standard Outlook Personal folders (Contacts, Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, etc.) to interact with data that is stored in a SQL Server back-end ERP, accounting or web database system.
-You have a web site SQL database where customers are registering, logging on, etc. that needs to be kept in sync with an Outlook/Exchange Contacts folder that is used for profiling these customers in more detail and e-mailing them information relating to requests logged on the web site.
-You want to keep Outlook Companies and Contacts folders synchronized with a SQL Server-based ERP or accounting system such as Great Plains, so that again the sales and marketing personnel can be made aware of accounting information about their customers directly from within Outlook as well as easily interact with these customers using standard Outlook functionality.
MX-Sync can also become the foundation for a complete Contact Management or CRM system (Customer Relationship Management system) using Outlook without any additional client software or add-in. Brian Drury, Managing Director of ExchangeWise comments as follows: “MX-Sync is a revolutionary approach to Customer Management, because staff members or sales personnel can continue to use standard Outlook functionality to manage their customer base while enabling contact- and information sharing amongst all users without installing any additional software on the client machines”. This greatly reduces the time and costs associated with implementing and supporting a CRM system simply because there is actually no new system to install or learn – all that is usually required is a little deeper knowledge of Outlook. Users continue to manage their contacts, calendar, e-mail and to-do list in Outlook the same way they always have, and MX-Sync seamlessly updates the corporate database via th!
e back-end so that the rest of the company is aware of these customer interactions.
Drury goes on to state that MX-Sync can also create a “self-sustaining CRM system”. One of the challenges of any CRM system is getting users to keep the system updated, i.e. enter their contacts and activities indicating who they are dealing with. Given that MX-Sync can synchronize and ‘process’ e-mails and appointments on the server side according to a set of ‘rules’ and flags (even creating contacts and companies automatically from e-mails), MX-Sync can create a self-populating and self-sustaining, well-structured CRM system, comprising contacts, companies, e-mails, documents and journals, which just needs to be updated as resources allow. Once users become aware of such a system’s value, they will allocate the necessary time to update it more fully and get even more benefits.
MX-Sync runs under Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 2003/2008 Server. For more information on MX-Sync please visit www.mxsync.com.
About ExchangeWise
ExchangeWise (Pty) Ltd is dedicated to helping its customers maximise the return on their investment in Outlook and Exchange Server. The company’s mission is to assist users in building on Outlook/Exchange as a solid foundation for messaging, collaboration, customer relationship management (CRM) and knowledge management. For more information please visit the company’s website at www.exchangewsie.com
