ZideOne is working on solutions which integrate contact, event and todo list servers with Microsoft Outlook™.

The core is a MAPI Message Store Provider which maintains a write-through offline cache on a remote HTTP server.

Unlike plain PST synchronization scripts our connectors directly write changes to the server in realtime, hence report server feedback immediatly. If the 'save' operation in Outlook returned successfully, you can be sure the data got accepted by the server.

Our core connectors synchronize Outlook data using the WebDAV, GroupDAV, CalDAV and CardDAV protocols. They utilize the vCard and iCalendar data formats to represent the data.

Frequently asked questions. If you have any questions, let us know.

When will it be available for sale?

We don't know yet for sure. When its ready. Looks like beginning of October 2008, but could be later.

Can we try it in advance?

We did a release a first tech preview release to some interested parties. Note that preview releases Are intended for developers, not for end users. The preview releases and discussions on it can be found in this ZideOne Google Group, feel free to request admission.

Do you only support ScalableOGo and Apple iCal Server?

No, we support arbitrary GroupDAV and CalDAV servers. Bedework, RSCDS, etc should work just fine. However, for the first release we focus our testing on those two servers, plus Apache mod_dav.
Notably the ZideOne mapping engine is very tolerant with servers. It is designed to work well with rewriting servers (which do not store vCards/iCals as-is but dynamically map to a different representation).

Is the connector developed from scratch?

No. It is a rewrite based on the ZideLook connector for OpenGroupware.org, which is sold since ~2002. Yes, writing a working MAPI message store provider does take that much time!

Does the connector implement E-Mail?

No. You need to configure an email provider in addition, could be Exchange or IMAP4. We consider adding email facilities in 2009. At this time the connector does contacts, events, tasks and journals over WebDAV.

Does it work in parallel with Exchange?

Yes, no problem. You can use other providers alongside the ZideOne connector. You can even use multiple ZideOne accounts in a single profile to connect to multiple WebDAV servers.

Does it work with Google Calendar?

Yes! Google Calendar now supports CalDAV! There are still a few open ends, but this will improve over time. We also plan to support GData directly.

Can you use the connector to create folders?

Yes, the 1.0 release will support the creation of new collections. Using the MKCOL and MKCALENDAR WebDAV methods - if the server supports those operations.

What Outlook functions are NOT possible through the connector?

Difficult to answer. Towards Outlook the ZideOne connector looks like a regular PST file. How it interacts with the server depends on the server and plenty of other variables. Please ask more specific questions! :-)

What is the user interface of the connector?

The connector has very little UI, its a storage provider DLL. There is the login panel which is raised for server authentication plus a small Outlook Addin which can be used to configure online/offline mode.

What Outlook versions are supported?

We test and support Outlook 2003 and up. Technically the connector works with 2000 and up. The connector is implemented as two small C++ DLLs which contain everything. It does not require additional runtime support (like .NET or Java subsystems).

Can I use the connector as a 'Primary Provider'?

Yes. You can use the provider standalone (like a PST file), though most users are going to configure the IMAP4 provider in addition.

Who are you?

We are two senior developers working together on the technology since about six years. Its Nat! of Codeon and Helge. Nat! is the mastermind who started to fight the Outlook core and managed to win, while Helge is the cache wrangler and groupware protocol expert. ZideOne will get incorporated as a company when the connector is ready for sale.