Lotus Notes/Domino is one of the most important groupware applications in business environments. Windows Mobile devices can not connect with this groupware server without the help of applications to connect to the Lotus Domino server. There are many options available, ranging from desktop conduits to complete Lotus Notes clients. The solutions range from applications that can synchronize through your desktop, but also directly to the server.

Synchronizing through your desktop

Synchronize with the Lotus Notes client

Companionlink

Companionlink ($49.95)

Intellisync

Intellisync provides a direct wayof synchronizing your Inbox, Contacts, Appointments with your Windows Mobile device. It costs about $69.95.

Pro's of Intellisync are:

• It allows the filtering of synchronization objecte
• Detection and removal of duplicate entries

Lotus EasySync pro

Lotus EasySync Pro ($64.27)

mNotes

Commontime mNotes ($78.50)

PDASync

Laplink PDASync is a commercial application ($49.95)

Pylon Conduit

Pylon Conduit ($58.95)

XTNDConnect PC

XTNDConnect PC is a commercial solution ($59.95) to synchronize your Lotus Notes client on your desktop with your Windows Mobile device.

XNotes

XNotes is a dedicated commercial application ($22,-) that specifically will synchronize your contacts directly with the Lotus Notes database without the intervention of Outlook.

Synchronize with Outlook (using a client-side connector)

THis means that you start using Microsoft Outlook as a Lotus Domino client and that Outlook "synchronizes" with your Lotus Domino client on your laptop/desktop. 

Microsoft Outlook Connector

Microsoft Outlook Connector is a freeware solution provided by Microsoft. It requires a Lotus Notes client to be installed. Installation certainly is not trivial: many experienced ICT people have failed in getting a working connection to the Lotus Nots server.

Synchronize with Outlook (using a server side connector)

This means that the Lotus Domino server simulates being an exchange server.

IBM DAMO

IBM Damo (a freeware solution) is a successor of IBM iNotes.  It is a server extension allowing Microsoft Outlook to connect to a Lotus Notes server through a special MAPI provider. This MAPI provider connects outlook directly to the DAMO/iNotes server component on the Lotus Notes server. Benefit of this solution is that it does not require Lotus Notes to be installed on the desktop/laptop (which a client side connector does require).

Synchronizing your Mobile device directly to the Domino server

Using a Lotus Domino client on your device

Pylon Pro

Pylon Pro is a commercial application allowing you to synchronize directly to the server.

Using specialized server middleware (SyncML)

SyncML is a specialized middleware for synchronizing datasources with mobile devices, backed by Lotus, IBM, Motorola and Nokia. Benefit of this solution is the support for multiple platforms. In fact, Symbian devices (i.e. the Nokia and SonyEricsson high-end smartphones) come with a SyncML client on board. Better clients support push e-mail.

Funambol

Funambol provides a open source solution, where the server is commercially sold.  

mSuite

OneBridge

Onebridge provides a comercial solution

Summary and conclusion

Summarized, the results are:

* Requires additional licence 

Best solution in our opinion is IBM DAMO. It is easiest to install, has the least overhead and provides a fully functional version of Outlook which can be synchronized to outlook.

References

• Dan Valesco's "Synchronize your handheld with Lotus Notes"