AstraSync is a really slick implementation of ActiveSync for BlackBerry. It allows you to connect to a Microsoft Exchange server without paying for a BES hosting plan saving you up to $25 a month for a BES plan and enterprise BlackBerry service. The only downside of the app is that it does not integrate into the native BlackBerry inbox. Instead they have their own icon that looks identical to the BlackBerry inbox. At DevCon I learned that this was because RIM has a clause in their JDE license that forbids developers from creating an alternative email client and threatened to sue MailSite. So they just made it a regular J2ME application to avoid a lawsuit. (From what I heard)
Still it is pretty cool what you can do with AstraSync. Not only can you connect to Exchange but also MailSite Fusion, Google Sync and Gmail, Kerio, CommuniGate Pro, OpenXchange and FirstClass.
The new version adds some key features like
- full HTML email support
- hotlinks in messages for telephone numbers, email addresses and website addresses
- support for accepting or declining Meeting Requests
- support for message Flags, message Priority
- improved support for attachments with the ability to attach local files
- Select multiple messages for actions e.g. Delete
- Performance improvements
- Improved graphics
- User selectable message alert tone
- And more…
Check out AstraSync at www.astrasync.com with a free trial and licenses per user at $49/year.
Dan Not Registered
Posted: December 3, 2009 at 10:35 AM EST
does it still sync the native calendar, memo, and task programs though?
Ronen Halevy ( View Profile) Senior admin - Posts: 5297
Posted: December 3, 2009 at 10:46 AM EST
As far as I know it still does
Thom Not Registered
Posted: December 3, 2009 at 1:49 PM EST
Does this support more than one Exchange email address or email accounts?
AstraSync Not Registered
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 5:31 AM EST
Thom,
AstraSync will only sync with one account at a time.