I invite desktop community members to test a new Microsoft Exchange and Salesforce integration we released in October. Riva delivers server-side, transparent synchronisation, integration and interoperability between Salesforce and Exchange - NO Outlook plug-ins required!  Riva provides transparent synchronization of address books, appointments and tasks with direct access to opportunities, quotes, etc. from your Outlook, Outlook WebAccess, BlackBerry, etc. clients.  Riva even allows you to SmartConvert emails into opportunities and assign emails to opportunities, cases, quotes, etc. directly from Outlook.

 

http://www.omni-ts.com/newsroom/exchange-crm-integration.html

 

I would look forward to receiving feedback from community members.

 

Best regards,

 

Aldo Zanoni

CEO, Managing Director

Omni Technology Solutions, Inc.

http://www.omni-ts.com

I know that there is a plugin (Connect for Microsoft Outlook) to synchronize SalesForce.com with Outlook.

In our case, people don't have Outlook on their desktop. They are mainly using OWA.
Therefore I think I need something
to synchronize SalesForce.com with their account in Microsoft Exchange.

Is it something possible with the current version ?

 

Thanks

 

Gaston

I want my native address book and native calendar to do bi-directional sync with Salesforce.  If I were on a PC, I'd have it for free.  Since I'm on a Mac, I have to do a 2400% price upgrade.

Well, that's not entirely true.  If I wanted to take a huge step *backwards*, I could install Entourage, and my Mac, but who wants a PC-compatible Mac?  That's laughable, and the reason I left my PC. But if I did take that giant step backwards, I could get Mac bi-sync for native address book and calendar just like the PC folks do.

But Macs have such nice integration to their own address book and calendar that I didn't want to break that integration just to get a better SF integration, so I went searching around on the net.

And I found Riva Integration Server.  It comes in two flavors: server software for the big (or old school) folks who want to buy/install/maintain/own their own software, and SaaS for the little (or new school) for folks who just want to use it as a service.

Hallelujah.  I've seen the promised land.  I'll drink the SF cool-aid.  I've got religion.  I've heard that cloud computing is the wave of the future!  So I signed up for the service.  Yeah.  

Aside: Riva Integration Servier even has a compelling technical architecture.  It is *not* an integration to my applications (iCal and Mail.app), so I don't even need to install anything (i.e. infect my computer).  It integrates via a protocol over the network.  A very common protocol: Exchange Server.  Yes.  Macs now have Exchange Server (as of 10.6, Snow Leopard).  That means that I can use a native Mac program (iCal or Mail) tto access any Exchange Server application.  In general, that's likely to be a corporate mail server, but (drum roll please) in the case of Riva Integration Server (wait for it. wait for it.  big crecendo), it *looks* like it's a mail server, but it *acts* like (big bass drum crash here) a bridge to Salesforce.  Brilliant!  By integrating at the protocol layer instead of the application layer (anyone remember their ISO stacks), they've pulled a major coup d' etat!  The Riva product can work for any Exchange Server product, including old-fashioned MSFT stuff, or new-fashioned Mac stuff.  They can host it in the cloud.  I can subscribe to the service and be a happy bi-directional syncing camper.

But... hold onto your seats.

I found that SF blocks my Riva access because I'm just a little guy, and even though they like little guys to bi-sync their MSFT address and calendar, they don't allow little guys to bi-sync their Mac address and calendar.  Full disclosure: I'm blurring the technical facts and stating the end effect.  I'l get back to the technology in a while, but let's jump to the economics.

Here's what I wanted:
  Salesforce Contact Manger: $5/month
  Riva Live Integration Server: $10/month

Here's what I have to do to get bi-sync integration:
  Salesforce Enterprise: $125/month
  Riva Live Integration Server: $10/month

Yup.  In order to integrate to native Mac address and calendar, I have to upgrade by 3 levels, skipping Group and Professional, and going directly to Enterprise, one level shy of Unlimited.  That's an insideous Mac integration surcharge for something that comes (albeit not so elegantly) for free with PCs!

So I called Salesforce, and heard (in effect):  "We can't let you use the Riva integration to bi-sync your address book and calendar because that would be giving away the whole API".

BUT..... I don't want the whole API.  I just want to bi-sync integration for my address and calendar, like the Microsofties do.  I just want a little, itty-bitty, tinsy-winsy hole through it to sync my address and calendar.  So I asked my Account Executive if she could flip the API bit, not for the full-blown API, but just for Riva Live Integration Server.

No dice.  No way.  No can do.  No way around it.  Pony up 25X (or at least 5X) your monthly investment, and you can have it for free.  :-0  

So.... I'm bummed.

$5 (or $25) Salesforce is the right size for me
$10 Riva Live bridge is the right size for me

It "feels" like there should be a way to make that work.

But.... SF can't (or won't) support this.

So.... If you're on a Mac, and you want native support for address book and calendar apps, there is still no solution.

THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO INTEGRATE NATIVE MAC ADDRESS BOOK AND CALENDAR APPLICATIONS WITH SALESFORCE!!!
THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO INTEGRATE NATIVE MAC ADDRESS BOOK AND CALENDAR APPLICATIONS WITH SALESFORCE!!!
THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO INTEGRATE NATIVE MAC ADDRESS BOOK AND CALENDAR APPLICATIONS WITH SALESFORCE!!!

Gee, it sure would be nice to have it as good as the MSFT folks have it.  ;-)

Salesforce product managers?  Anyone listening?  You don't need to develop this bi-sync integration:  Omni Technology has already done it for you.  You just need to live-and-let-live, and let SF and Mac live in harmony.  

Please?!

I am considering to start using salesforce for work, but I am a MAC user and I can't figure out how to sync my emails w/salesforce.  I have installed the suggested mail drop, but it appears I would have to add each email that comes in to salesforce?  Can someone help?

I'd like to sync my iCal with the SalesForce calendar. 

SFCubed is downloaded...and the SFCubed status messages says complete/calendars are updated.  However, when I view my SalesForce calendar the information is not transfered from iCal.

Is there another step that I need to follow?

I am using an imac and SalesForce Professional.

 

Is there a way to map custom fields in outlook to SFDC events, and deploy the mapping to other users without them needing to install anything and can this be done remotely?  

we are a sfdc partner and we have a client with mac users.

they would like to sync contacts and appts between mac and sfdc

we are considering recommending sf3 but we want to understand user experiences because we may be responsible for helping them troubleshoot if we run into problems.

they are using Kerio Connect as a mail/contacts/calendar server

 

 

I will be buying a new iMac.  I hope to successfully sync my SFDC contacts and calendar to iCal & Mobile Me.  From there I want to sync to my iPhone and the soon to be released ipad.  Is there a way to simplify this?  Why can't Salesforces cloud sync directly to my mobile device?  Apples cloud seems to be able to do this.  I'm not a programer just an end user but wouldn't some kind of API solve this?  I have Salesforce mobile and don't really use it much as I don't get caller ID or recent calls on the iPhone.  And the Salesforce mobile is PAINFULLY slow.  You would think Salesforce would have a better integration with the Mac.  Someone help me understand a simpler solution.    

I use Salesforce and when I set an appointment in SF, I have the option to "Add to Outlook" (basically sending a .vcs file to my download folder). Once opened, iCal properly asks if I want to add the event to the correct calendar (the only one I have, the Exchange calendar). It seems to import fine, as it shows up in the right time slot, but then won't sync back to the Exchange Server (2007).

I then tried to drag the event in iCal to a different time slot just to test it and the following language appears:

iCal can’t save the event “Test” to the Exchange server.

The account "IRM" (my iCal and Mail account name) currently can’t be modified. To discard your changes and continue using the version of your calendars that’s on the server, click Revert to Server. To save your changes on your computer until the problem is resolved, click Go Offline.

Again, it seems to import fine, but no syncing with Exchange! Apple tech support had no idea how to fix! Any thoughts out there? I'm running the very latest software all around. I would also appreciate any thoughts on better integration between SF and iCal if you have them.  Thanks so much! 

 

 

What is the easiest way to import a dozen or so contacts each week into SF from my Mac's Microsoft Entourage? I downloaded SFCubed but don't want to synch the whole address book just a select few that i have categorized. Thanks 

Gentleman,

I'm have deployed outlook sync in our desktops and works fine. However I was approached by a user who created in outlook calendar a multi-day appoinment (the start and end date cross days)

well. that appointment will not sync trowing a generic invalid record error. All other single-day calendar entries sync fine.

 

Can anyone help in this regard?

 

Thanks in advance

 

F. Bello

Hi,

 

SF3 is excellent and does exactly what I want for ical

in that it puts all the items in a new group called

'salesforce.com'.

 

Is it possible to get it to do the same for Addressbook?

I have many personal contacts in my addressbook

that I don't want sync'ed to salesforce but I can't

work out how to keep them separate.

 

Thanks,
Adrian.

I did a search on this issue and couldn't find and solid results, but is their a way to get the "Salesforce" calendar to somehow sync over-the-air via Exchange? (just downloaded SF3 and am testing SF Enterprise Edition, but desperately want to SF3 to work with our iPhones!)  I will hit the Exchange/iCal forum, but I thought someone here might have run into this issue.

 

Thanks for any assistance!

I am a novice user to Salesforce but I have noticed that most of the programs are designed for PC's and not Mac's.  I just opened something and it said that Salesforce doesn't support Safari...  Huh?  I also am not a huge fan of the mail drop program as it's an extra step that seems to be clunky...

 

All of these experiences make me use Salesforce less than I should, but it's too frustrating to keep having to adapt to something that should already be there...

 

Am I just venting or are there answers to this?

 

Patrick 

I appreciate that this must have been asked countless times, so any reponses will be very gratefully received.

I understand that maildrop allows entourage and salesforce to sync, but I need to know exactly how seamlessly this works, as it seems Salesforce themselves have minimal knowledge of this application (having caled their support line).

Ensuring that the consultants at my company use the database is key to it's success. A fundamental part of getting this buy-in from them is that all contacts and emails can be uploaded from Entourage very easily (ie they upload automatically or at the touch of a button), as no one will bother to use salesforce if they have to manually enter all contacts to both Entourage and the database.

So, my question is, does maildrop allow all contact details and emails that are in Entourage to sync with Saledforce and vice versa?

Further to this, I assume that any updates that flow from Salesforce to Entourage will then update the consultants' Blackberrys as usual?

Any help/thoughts?


Message Edited by TG on 09-01-2008 03:09 AM

what are the options to sync iCal to SF? which do you recommend and why?
what are the options to sync entourage mail to SF? which do you recommend and why?is there a email program that is better to use for sync to SF?

we are a 60+ user services firm with heavy dependancy on networked calendar entries and email use.

Hi There,

Does anyone know of any desktop integration what integrates salesforce with Mac Mail on MAC OSX 10.5.2??

Thanks

we just got macs for our management team and I'm trying to figure out a way to get entourage as my teams defalt mail/calander app. iCal and apples Mail are not very good in a production/sales aspect. I know that SfCubed syncs with iCal and that Entourage can sync with iCal was well, But each on must sync with a different folder (SfCubed to a salesforce calander in iCal and entourage to a Entourage folder in iCal). I realize you must know this already. My questions is... do you think this feature might be added soon, and if not is there a way i can help with this. Im good with applescript and web languages, and am currently learning cocoa with Xcode.

I have tried other options to sync iCal and entourage (e2Sync and Sync Entourage-iCal) but with no luck.
- 'Sync Entourage-iCal' has problems with understand which is the latest event from the different systems, because it works with out using apples iSync.
-'e2Sync' seems to work great at first but then there are time-zone issues. At least i think it is a time-zone issue. Events created in salesforce get synced to iCal with the correct time (When iCal pref 'Turn on time zone support' is turned off) but when synced to entourage the times get all messed up. And when the iCal pref 'Turn on time zone support' is turned on the time gets all messed up in iCal.

Any ideas on ether on these would be great. Thanks for your help.
Mike

Message Edited by Mike @ Partners on 09-05-2007 01:35 PM

Message Edited by EN on 03-03-2006 01:47 PM

Message Edited by EN on 03-03-2006 01:49 PM