Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Make Note of It: Commontime's Cadenza mNotes 3.02 Reviewed
Posted by Doug Raeburn in "SOFTWARE" @ 08:00 AM
Synchronization of data with your desktop PIM is one of the most important capabilities provided by a Pocket PC. Microsoft's desktop PIM, Outlook, is well integrated into the Pocket PC right out of the box. But, if your organization uses the other leading enterprise PIM, Lotus Notes, where does that leave you? With Cadenza mNotes 3.02 from Commontime, you can take Lotus Notes with you everywhere you go.
Synchronization of data with your desktop PIM is one of the most important capabilities provided by a Pocket PC. Microsoft's desktop PIM, Outlook, is well integrated into the Pocket PC right out of the box. But if your organization uses the "other" leading enterprise PIM, Lotus Notes, where does that leave you? With Cadenza mNotes 3.02 from Commontime, you can take Lotus Notes with you everywhere you go.
Synchronization Challenges
Contrary to what many people believe, there are some categories of basic office software in which Microsoft still has strong competition. The most prominent of these categories is the Personal Information Manager, or PIM. In many large corporations, IBM has a major presence with their PIM product, Lotus Notes. Notes has become very popular over the past few years, mostly by virtue of its groupware and application development capabilities. However, in corporations that use Notes, the most visible component is its PIM desktop client, which has much of the same functionality as Outlook.
So, if Lotus Notes is your PIM and you have a Pocket PC, what are your choices for synchronization? Several companies market general purpose synchronization software that handles a number of PIM and/or email products not supported by ActiveSync, such as Outlook Express, ACT!, Lotus Organizer and Novell GroupWise, as well as Lotus Notes. These products include IntelliSync by Pumatech and XTNDConnect PC from Extended Systems. IBM (the parent company of Lotus) markets its own solution, EasySync Pro, which is a privately branded version of XTNDConnect PC.
A Dedicated Solution
In contrast to these general purpose programs, Cadenza mNotes v3.02 is dedicated to Lotus Notes. It has been developed using the same APIs (application programming interfaces) used for Lotus Notes to optimize its ability to leverage a wide variety of the special capabilities of Notes.
So what does that mean in a practical sense? Here's a list of capabilities of mNotes that the general purpose products lack:
If your organization uses Notes to its full extent, the capabilities listed above enhance the interaction between Notes and your Pocket PC to a tremendous degree. In my mind, mNotes is the solution of choice if you need to access Lotus Notes with your Pocket PC.
What's New?
mNotes version 3.0 is a major new release with many enhancements. The UI on the Pocket PC side has been completely redesigned for greater ease of use. Replication is now managed through ActiveSync rather than being a separate process. And best of all, replication speed has increased dramatically.
Installation
Installation is a two phase process. First, the desktop-based server is installed, followed by the software on the Pocket PC. Both of these installations are simple and straightforward.
Figure 1: The Cadenza Services dialog on the PC
The server portion is controlled though the dialog box above. mNotes reads the configuration information in your Lotus Notes desktop client and sets itself up to synchronize with it.
Replication
Figure 2: We are rockin' and rollin'... and replicatin'
Aside from the server dialog above, nearly everything else is controlled from the Pocket PC. The Replication screen shows the items that you’ve chosen to replicate, as well as the date and time they were last replicated. Progress is also shown while replication is being performed. mNotes can be set to replicate on connection, and then it will replicate at a specified time interval or on demand. A variety of functions are available from the Tools menu, including contacts import/export and categorizing. Categories can be applied to contacts, tasks and calendar entries, and mNotes uses the standard Pocket PC categories.
Figure 3: Setting the date range for Calendar replication
Additional options are available for certain types of replicated items. For calendar items, you can set the date range of items to be replicated. This will establish the ongoing range, and the number of days that the date range represents will continue to be replicated going forward.
Figure 4: Mail Folders dialog
Attachments can be automatically downloaded, and you can set a size limit so that very large attachments won’t be downloaded. Again, you can select attachments to be downloaded during the next replication. mNotes automatically uses the conversion settings in ActiveSync to process attachments. In other words, if you set Word documents to be converted to Pocket Word, mNotes will convert Word attachments to Pocket Word when it downloads them. More receive options include a setting to download only read messages, only unread messages or both, and to restrict the number of days for which messages will be retrieved.
Calendar
Appointments and events can be entered on either the Pocket PC or through the Lotus Notes client on the desktop, and the replication process will keep them in synch in both environments. Special calendars for project teams or other groups can be created through Notes, and mNotes provides the capability of supporting up to three of these additional calendars. Since Pocket Outlook has only a single calendar database, mNotes uses categories to keep the entries for a specific calendar distinct from entries for other calendars.
Invitations
Figure 5: Responding to an invitation
Just as with the desktop Notes client, invitations are received in mNotes via email. When you open an invitation in Inbox, mNotes displays an icon in the bottom toolbar that you can use to select your response. If you accept, mNotes will respond to the chair indicating that you’ve accepted, and a meeting will be set up in your calendar. You can add comments to your response if you’d like.
Figure 6: Proposing an alternative for an invitation
You can also propose an alternative, if the time on the invitation isn’t good for you. The dialog for this allows you to select a date, a time and a room. Finally, you can delegate the meeting to another person by entering his or her name in the Delegate To: field. mNotes will automatically forward the invitation to the person you specify. To-Do entries have similar options to Invitations when they’re assigned to someone.
Contacts
Lotus Notes supports a huge variety of Address Books and mNotes can support them as well. The Pocket PC has only a single Contacts database, so mNotes uses categories to distinguish between different lists if you use them. No additional commands are necessary for Contacts, so the standard Contacts interface isn’t changed.
Mail
Figure 7: Remote Forward command in Inbox
Notes supports the standard set of email commands, such as reply and forward, commands which are already covered in Inbox on the Pocket PC. The only additional command provided by mNotes is the Remote Forward command. This provides forwarding of large messages and attachments that you have downloaded to the Pocket PC without having to transmit the message back to Lotus Notes. With large attachments this can be a significant timesaver.
Support
Commontime’s home office is located in the UK, so US customers may wonder about the responsiveness of support given time zone differences. In my experience, support from Commontime has been nothing less than outstanding. In many cases, if I submit a support request through email first thing in the morning (US CST), I’ll get a response that same day. I’ve never gone longer than one business day without a response. And the responses come from support people who know the product very well, so most inquiries are resolved with a single response.
Gotchas
mNotes can be downloaded from the Commontime site. A single license sells for $75, and volume pricing is available.
Specifications
mNotes server software requires Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000 or XP. Lotus Notes 4.5 or greater is also required. On the portable device side, mNotes supports Pocket PC, Pocket PC 2002, Palm-size PC, HPC and HPC Pro. Storage space is approximately 600KB. A version is also available for Palm devices.
Conclusion
I’ve tried several of the available solutions for synching Lotus Notes to the Pocket PC, and mNotes is the one that I recommend most highly by far. It supports the most comprehensive set of Lotus Notes features of any product offered for the Pocket PC. Performance is fast and rock solid. And Commontime’s support is second to none. Finally, the "wow" factor with your co-workers is great fun... they find it fascinating that I can look up anyone's phone number or create a meeting right on the spot. There’s really no reason to consider anything else.
Synchronization of data with your desktop PIM is one of the most important capabilities provided by a Pocket PC. Microsoft's desktop PIM, Outlook, is well integrated into the Pocket PC right out of the box. But if your organization uses the "other" leading enterprise PIM, Lotus Notes, where does that leave you? With Cadenza mNotes 3.02 from Commontime, you can take Lotus Notes with you everywhere you go.
Synchronization Challenges
Contrary to what many people believe, there are some categories of basic office software in which Microsoft still has strong competition. The most prominent of these categories is the Personal Information Manager, or PIM. In many large corporations, IBM has a major presence with their PIM product, Lotus Notes. Notes has become very popular over the past few years, mostly by virtue of its groupware and application development capabilities. However, in corporations that use Notes, the most visible component is its PIM desktop client, which has much of the same functionality as Outlook.
So, if Lotus Notes is your PIM and you have a Pocket PC, what are your choices for synchronization? Several companies market general purpose synchronization software that handles a number of PIM and/or email products not supported by ActiveSync, such as Outlook Express, ACT!, Lotus Organizer and Novell GroupWise, as well as Lotus Notes. These products include IntelliSync by Pumatech and XTNDConnect PC from Extended Systems. IBM (the parent company of Lotus) markets its own solution, EasySync Pro, which is a privately branded version of XTNDConnect PC.
A Dedicated Solution
In contrast to these general purpose programs, Cadenza mNotes v3.02 is dedicated to Lotus Notes. It has been developed using the same APIs (application programming interfaces) used for Lotus Notes to optimize its ability to leverage a wide variety of the special capabilities of Notes.
So what does that mean in a practical sense? Here's a list of capabilities of mNotes that the general purpose products lack:
- Create/accept/decline/counter/delegate invitations
- Correctly update or delete an appointment created through an invitation
- Reserve rooms and resources
- Check free time for others
- Synchronize with multiple Notes address books, calendars and mail files
- Correctly handle recurring appointments in Notes
- Remotely forward email
- Full email folder support
If your organization uses Notes to its full extent, the capabilities listed above enhance the interaction between Notes and your Pocket PC to a tremendous degree. In my mind, mNotes is the solution of choice if you need to access Lotus Notes with your Pocket PC.
What's New?
mNotes version 3.0 is a major new release with many enhancements. The UI on the Pocket PC side has been completely redesigned for greater ease of use. Replication is now managed through ActiveSync rather than being a separate process. And best of all, replication speed has increased dramatically.
Installation
Installation is a two phase process. First, the desktop-based server is installed, followed by the software on the Pocket PC. Both of these installations are simple and straightforward.
Figure 1: The Cadenza Services dialog on the PC
The server portion is controlled though the dialog box above. mNotes reads the configuration information in your Lotus Notes desktop client and sets itself up to synchronize with it.
Replication
Figure 2: We are rockin' and rollin'... and replicatin'
Aside from the server dialog above, nearly everything else is controlled from the Pocket PC. The Replication screen shows the items that you’ve chosen to replicate, as well as the date and time they were last replicated. Progress is also shown while replication is being performed. mNotes can be set to replicate on connection, and then it will replicate at a specified time interval or on demand. A variety of functions are available from the Tools menu, including contacts import/export and categorizing. Categories can be applied to contacts, tasks and calendar entries, and mNotes uses the standard Pocket PC categories.
Figure 3: Setting the date range for Calendar replication
Additional options are available for certain types of replicated items. For calendar items, you can set the date range of items to be replicated. This will establish the ongoing range, and the number of days that the date range represents will continue to be replicated going forward.
Figure 4: Mail Folders dialog
Attachments can be automatically downloaded, and you can set a size limit so that very large attachments won’t be downloaded. Again, you can select attachments to be downloaded during the next replication. mNotes automatically uses the conversion settings in ActiveSync to process attachments. In other words, if you set Word documents to be converted to Pocket Word, mNotes will convert Word attachments to Pocket Word when it downloads them. More receive options include a setting to download only read messages, only unread messages or both, and to restrict the number of days for which messages will be retrieved.
Calendar
Appointments and events can be entered on either the Pocket PC or through the Lotus Notes client on the desktop, and the replication process will keep them in synch in both environments. Special calendars for project teams or other groups can be created through Notes, and mNotes provides the capability of supporting up to three of these additional calendars. Since Pocket Outlook has only a single calendar database, mNotes uses categories to keep the entries for a specific calendar distinct from entries for other calendars.
Invitations
Figure 5: Responding to an invitation
Just as with the desktop Notes client, invitations are received in mNotes via email. When you open an invitation in Inbox, mNotes displays an icon in the bottom toolbar that you can use to select your response. If you accept, mNotes will respond to the chair indicating that you’ve accepted, and a meeting will be set up in your calendar. You can add comments to your response if you’d like.
Figure 6: Proposing an alternative for an invitation
You can also propose an alternative, if the time on the invitation isn’t good for you. The dialog for this allows you to select a date, a time and a room. Finally, you can delegate the meeting to another person by entering his or her name in the Delegate To: field. mNotes will automatically forward the invitation to the person you specify. To-Do entries have similar options to Invitations when they’re assigned to someone.
Contacts
Lotus Notes supports a huge variety of Address Books and mNotes can support them as well. The Pocket PC has only a single Contacts database, so mNotes uses categories to distinguish between different lists if you use them. No additional commands are necessary for Contacts, so the standard Contacts interface isn’t changed.
Figure 7: Remote Forward command in Inbox
Notes supports the standard set of email commands, such as reply and forward, commands which are already covered in Inbox on the Pocket PC. The only additional command provided by mNotes is the Remote Forward command. This provides forwarding of large messages and attachments that you have downloaded to the Pocket PC without having to transmit the message back to Lotus Notes. With large attachments this can be a significant timesaver.
Support
Commontime’s home office is located in the UK, so US customers may wonder about the responsiveness of support given time zone differences. In my experience, support from Commontime has been nothing less than outstanding. In many cases, if I submit a support request through email first thing in the morning (US CST), I’ll get a response that same day. I’ve never gone longer than one business day without a response. And the responses come from support people who know the product very well, so most inquiries are resolved with a single response.
Gotchas
- Although replication is initiated by ActiveSync, it often continues after ActiveSync synchronization is complete. Make sure that replication is complete before disconnecting.
- Delegate option for invitations needs a Contacts lookup function.
- As with most products of this type, it’s a bit pricey.
mNotes can be downloaded from the Commontime site. A single license sells for $75, and volume pricing is available.
Specifications
mNotes server software requires Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000 or XP. Lotus Notes 4.5 or greater is also required. On the portable device side, mNotes supports Pocket PC, Pocket PC 2002, Palm-size PC, HPC and HPC Pro. Storage space is approximately 600KB. A version is also available for Palm devices.
Conclusion
I’ve tried several of the available solutions for synching Lotus Notes to the Pocket PC, and mNotes is the one that I recommend most highly by far. It supports the most comprehensive set of Lotus Notes features of any product offered for the Pocket PC. Performance is fast and rock solid. And Commontime’s support is second to none. Finally, the "wow" factor with your co-workers is great fun... they find it fascinating that I can look up anyone's phone number or create a meeting right on the spot. There’s really no reason to consider anything else.
