Business Line

May 6, 2007
 
Do you remember the time you spent sleepless nights after losing your mobile and wondering which mobile to buy? And when you bought one, you spent sleepless nights again wondering what to do with the contact list (some 300?) you had so assiduously built up?

Or when you, by mistake, deleted all your contact information. And spent more sleepless nights manually keying in the contact information in the new mobile.

But with the omnipresent Web 2.0 Internet around, such anxiety-filled days could be a thing of the past. With just a click of a button (or a tap of the screen) you can store and synchronise contacts with ease. Here are a few Web sites that make your life easier, and for free, at that!

https://zyb.com/

www.mobical.net

www.o-sync.com

www.scheduleworld.com

To use these services you must have the Internet service leveraging on the SyncML standard protocol in your mobile. You must have Internet access via your mobile operator before you can start OTA synchronisation.

What is SyncML?

SyncML (Synchronisation Markup Language) is an open international standard, which allows the user to transmit data wirelessly at high speeds. Most mobiles now have the synchronisation option. Synchronisation can work with virtually any mobile device that has the SyncML option.

The `how to' part

Remember, only contacts stored in phone memory can be synchronised. If you have stored your contacts in the sim card, you will have to transfer them to your mobile storage before synchronising. To use this service (which is free) you must have the Internet service activated in your mobile.

After you register at the site (for convenience we have taken the user-friendly zyb as example), you will have to fill the site's server details at the synchronisation option in the mobile. The server details are available at the Web site. Once you do this, all you have to do is to click the sync button. All your contacts and calendar info are stored in zyb's server.

Next time you lose your mobile or buy a new one, it is enough if you lose sleep over which mobile to buy. To get back your contacts and other info, you have to register your new mobile at the zyb site. Then enter the server details in the sync option in the mobile, just as you had done with your previous mobile. Now click the sync button. All your contacts calendar info is downloaded into the new mobile!

Most of the sites also offer the option of syncing your google calendar with their respective calendars, which can, in turn, be synchronised with your mobile. One more advantage of services such as zyb and mobical is that you have the option of keying in your contacts and updating your calendar in the Web site and then synchronising it with your mobile. By doing this, you can avoid the painful process of using your mobile keypad for storing info.

Zyb and mobical have the option of storing your SMS. Mobical also has the option of importing contacts in your computer in vCard format, which can then be synchronised with your mobile. Though Mobical offers more features such as syncing your tasks and bookmarks, zyb scores over all the sites because of its user-friendly design, which makes it easier to navigate. Zyb also offers the option of synchronising several mobiles. You have to just add the new mobile to your account and synchronise. But zyb is likely to make synchronising multiple mobiles a fee-based service.

Both zyb and Mobical have the option of making the contacts update their information themselves. You have to click on the option in the Web site. Mobical calls it 'Update Friend'. In Zyb, you can use the `Send SMS to your friends' option.

An SMS will be sent to their mobile asking them to update their info. Zyb also has the option of `auto update contacts'. Using this you can either send an SMS or e-mail asking them to update their information. Once they do it, the updated information is stored in zyb. The updated information gets loaded into your mobile next time you synchronise it with zyb.

www.goosync.com

Goosync is just about synchronising your google calendar with your mobile. If you are not particular about synchronising your contacts, but fond of your google calendar, and want to sync it with your mobile, this is the service you will want to use. But if you use zyb or scheduleworld, there is an option to sync the calendars there with google calendar.

Hutch subscribers

If you are a Hutch subscriber in India, you have the option of using its mobile backup services. The details can be found at http://hutch.in/services/phone_backup.asp. But remember, using the service entails a monthly subsciption.

Another option

Most mid and high-end mobiles come with their own software that can synchronise your mobile Outlook using Bluetooth, infrared or the USB cable that comes with the mobile.

Just connect your mobile to the PC or laptop, run the software and synchronise. That's it! Your calendar and contact info are updated.