My 4 partner medical practice uses SBS 2008 to permit docs to communicate securely, using Outlook Anywhere and Outlook Web Access. We've also created a shared Public Folder Calendar that is maintained by our practice administrator. Apparently, I set this up incorrectly, because a Public Folder Calendar cannot be synchronized by Exchange ActiveSync (2 partners use Android devices, two have iPhones, and now that Verizon will sell iPhones the two on Droids will likely have iPhones soon. I've searched and searched books, the MS forums, on Google, and anywhere I can think of for guidance on how we should approach this incredibly common business problem: e.g., how can small businesses create and share a common calendar, subscribed to by all but edited only by one, that calendar updated in real time by push synchronization. My sense is that I've concentrated too much on the tool (MS Exchange) and not enough on the problem (keeping the information correct not just on in-office computers, but also on laptops that come on and off Active Directory and on Mobile Devices. I think we'd be perfectly happy to abandon Exchange as the way we do our calendaring and move to Google Calendar or Apple's MobileMe or to any other solution that works. Can anyone offer any suggestions? Does SBS 2011 with Exchange 2010 offer any advances on this front? Has anyone used "DiditBetter.com's" Add2Exchange for this purpose?

Nothing has changed in later versions of Exchange. While you may think it is a common problem, in the grand scale, it is not. I work with many clients using Exchange and this is not a common request. There are many other things that Exchange lacks that are more common requests. You also have to consider the limitations of ActiveSync, it doesn't even sync everything in your own mailbox. Add2Exchange is about the only option available for you, although I haven't used it for calendars. It works well for Contacts. Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP Blog | Exchange Resources | In the UK? Hire Me.

While you may think it is a common problem, in the grand scale, it is not. I work with many clients using Exchange and this is not a common request. There are many other things that Exchange lacks that are more common requests. You also have to consider the limitations of ActiveSync, it doesn't even sync everything in your own mailbox. Add2Exchange is about the only option available for you, although I haven't used it for calendars. It works well for Contacts. Simon. Simon Butler, Exchange MVP Blog | Exchange Resources | In the UK? Hire Me . Are you really stating that you don't think it's fairly common for people who work together and share responsibilities not to want to know who's doing what, when, and why? Maybe not in the universe of giant enterprises using Exchange servers where more common gripes may be forced archival of messages because of the size of message stores, etc.; that's why I'm hoping someone won't respond just with "you can't do that with Exchange," but rather "here's the tool we use to implement that." I'm sure you know the aphorism "when the only tool in your box is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." I'm open to any solution. Add2Exchange gets pretty pricey for small (really small) businesses pretty quickly. Thanks for clarifying that this isn't really being addressed by Exchange 2010. I've not done much reading about SharePoint, but it seems it's more for document sharing than for calendaring. I only ask about it as a potential tool because I've read that Microsoft is hoping to lead people away from Public Folders in Exchange to SharePoint, but it doesn't look to me as though it would be an easily leveraged way to accomplish my goal. Jim Robertson

In case you haven't noticed, Exchange is heavily geared towards what large enterprises want. What smaller companies require is usually ignored. The classic example of this is the ability to send as multiple domains. Unheard of in my major site clients, but something lots of smaller companies wanted. Until Outlook 2010 came along, it was a pig to do. You also have to remember that Microsoft also has a large number of third parties who produce tools and plugins for their products and if the feature is integrated in to the main product, that goes away. Your biggest problem is the desire to want it on the handhelds. That is still an area that is lacking even in the third party arena. Lose that requirement from your list and there are lots of options. Outlook will allow you to display multiple calendars, and something like Look from Symprex also springs to mind. The biggest problem with mobile users in particular is keeping the information up to date. The more people are updating the information the bigger that problem becomes. Microsoft have been trying to force Sharepoint as the replacement for Public Folders for some time. Saying that, one of the main demo sites for Sharepoint is a team calendar, so that is something to look at as a potential for the fix - and may also be why nothing is in Exchange. You would need to look at the tools for connecting Outlook to Sharepoint and then how to get that information in to the team calendar. However again your problem is getting that information on to the handhelds. You would probably have to use a web interface, and that will mean either a VPN or separate login. Blackberry (with a BES/BESx) is about the only device that allow you to browse internal sites while mobile. Another option would be to use a CRM. Many of them have Outlook plugins and can then display that data in a central manner. Again and again though, the problem is the handhelds. That is going to be the weak point. Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP Blog | Exchange Resources | In the UK? Hire Me.

There is a solution for your problem. There is a program that allows to implement advanced syncing options for Exchange Folders. It is called CodeTwo Exchange Sync. Using it you are able to sync Exchange public folders to private mailboxes and then replicate this data to mobile devices (using Active Sync). This article explains this issue in details: Synchronize public folders with mobile devices Hope it helps, Kazik.

You also have to remember that Microsoft also has a large number of third parties who produce tools and plugins for their products and if the feature is integrated in to the main product, that goes away. Your biggest problem is the desire to want it on the handhelds. That is still an area that is lacking even in the third party arena. Lose that requirement from your list and there are lots of options. Outlook will allow you to display multiple calendars, and something like Look from Symprex also springs to mind. The biggest problem with mobile users in particular is keeping the information up to date. The more people are updating the information the bigger that problem becomes. Microsoft have been trying to force Sharepoint as the replacement for Public Folders for some time. Saying that, one of the main demo sites for Sharepoint is a team calendar, so that is something to look at as a potential for the fix - and may also be why nothing is in Exchange. You would need to look at the tools for connecting Outlook to Sharepoint and then how to get that information in to the team calendar. However again your problem is getting that information on to the handhelds. You would probably have to use a web interface, and that will mean either a VPN or separate login. Blackberry (with a BES/BESx) is about the only device that allow you to browse internal sites while mobile. ... Again and again though, the problem is the handhelds. That is going to be the weak point. Simon. Simon Butler, Exchange MVP Blog | Exchange Resources | In the UK? Hire Me . Thanks for your response. It's never been my sense before that Microsoft would not implement some feature in its software just to be kind to developers who make 3rd party add-ons (for example, Microsoft Security Essentials, now usable with small networks, or integrated backup with SBS Server 2011). There are 3rd party tools that will push information from a Public Calendar to a mobile device (by synchronizing to the individual user's private calendar first). Add2Exchange is one, but the pricing can quickly exceed that of the Server OS and Exchange Server itself. Kazmierz, in his response, informs me of another, Code Two Exchange Sync.

There is a solution for your problem. There is a program that allows to implement advanced syncing options for Exchange Folders. It is called CodeTwo Exchange Sync. Using it you are able to sync Exchange public folders to private mailboxes and then replicate this data to mobile devices (using Active Sync). This article explains this issue in details: Synchronize public folders with mobile devices Hope it helps, Kazik. Thanks for the pointer. Looks to be less expensive than Add2Exchange.