Sync tool can backup and merge Outlook files

German software developer IT-Services Thomas Holz has claimed that its latest synchronisation tool for Microsoft Outlook can not only sync an Outlook database from one PC to another, it has also gained the ability to merge individual diary data into a shared calendar and can create Outlook backups.

The eponymous company's CEO said that Easy2Sync for Outlook v2.0 can synchronise data unidirectionally or bidirectionally, either to another PC or an Exchange server. It runs on PCs only - not mobile devices - over any network connection, and economises on bandwidth by just transferring the changes or differences, not the whole PST file.

Thomas Holz added that users can label entries, so that when calendars are merged into a shared diary, it will ignore those hidden or marked as private. The new version also runs seven times faster than its predecessor, he claimed - the original version of the tool was criticised by users for its lack of speed.

"If there are multiple computers in the office, you can make a company calendar be available for everyone," he said. "It'll help your colleagues to be tuned. You can also create a central contact database consisting of all contact information needed for your employees."

The paid-for version of Easy2Sync costs $79 (£40) for business use, and can handle notes, tasks, journal entries and email, as well as contacts and calendar. It can also be set to do timed syncs, or to synchronise at startup or shutdown. There is also a free version with more limited sync capability.

The main caveat is that the destination Outlook PST file must not be open: Holz suggested that anyone needing to sync two PCs which must both have Outlook running all the time could use a third machine as a bridge, and sync the two live PCs to that instead of to each other.