foSync
The PDA Synchronization Tool
foSync is easy to use sync software, for connecting your field staff to enterprise servers. foSync is a simple, reliable synchronization infrastructure, providing the benefits of an enterprise-wide hotsync server without the high costs. foSync can be used as a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Using foSync, your staff will dial a 1-800 number from a PDA device or connect wirelessly to a Windows server, optionally hosted by our ISP partners. Or you can connect to a server hosted within your organization instead.
Once connected, users can send and receive emails and update centralized calendar entries. They can send and receive any physical files structure supported by PalmOS, Pocket PC 2002+ or Symbian Series 60.
This also means that you can use foSync to update your staff's PDA applications when they are in the field -- without running a full remote hotsync to do so.
But, most importantly, foSync allows you to sync data between a PDA and an enterprise (ODBC-supporting) datasource, over IP -- again, without running a full remote hotsync to do so.
foSync infrastructure
A variety of security levels are in place to control access to the backend server, ranging from WindowsNT challenge/response to our own encryption layer.
A company can create their own secured "Tunnel", to pass email, data files or application specific synchronization, across a internal VPN network. Note: You can even cross the web dialing a local ISP using the foSync secured VPN, because the data is packetized and encrypt/decrypt the data during the transmission.
foSync exposes the exchange-sync process via an API set. Application developers can create conduits that function across the tunnel -- allowing a user to transmit pieces of data up to entire files back (and forth) to the server.
Advantages
The major advantage to all of this is cost and that foSync can be run as a private VPN.
The Palm™ Hotsync Server has a per server charge as well as run time user licensing/pricing. foSync sells for 1/2 or less of alternative solutions.
Our solution is WinNT/2000-based and the server-based modem manager is an extensible COM C++ object. SQL Server is used to provide an additional level of User/Role security.
The focus of foSync is on ease of use.
