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If you use a mobile device to keep track of appointments and clients, you can synchronize your mobile device with Spectra though Google.
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HERE'S A FLASH FOR YOU!
Previous versions of Spectra synced with Palm handheld devices and Microsoft Outlook for use with a PocketPC or other Outlook compatible device. To make Spectra compatible with a wider range of devices and provide online access to your Spectra calendar, we now use Google as a bridge to other applications. Most likely, any device that supported Outlook can access Google. Google has a couple of apps to sync your Google items to Outlook. Look for articles on the Google web site for more information. |
GMail account (not a Google App account)
Mobile device with application that is compatible with Google calendar and GMail contacts
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ATTENTION!
You must be successfully syncing your mobile device with Google online calendar and contacts. Consult your mobile device documentation for how to setup your device for use with Google. |
Create a new client group by going into Client Group Maintenance. Name it "Google Sync" or something that you will remember as the group that you sync to your mobile.
Go to Maintenance > List Maintenance > Client > Client Groups.
Click Add and the type in the name you would like to use for your Google sync group.
Leave the Inactive box unchecked and Click Ok to save the new group.
Set up your Google Sync in Spectra by going to Maintenance > Preferences > User Preferences.
User Preferences - Google screen
Enable Google Sync - Check the box to enable and fill in your Google User Name (usually your GMail address) and password.
Populate settings - If this is the first time you'll be syncing with Spectra, then check the Populate checkboxes. If you want to have everything in your Spectra sent to the mobile, choose the first checkbox to populate Google. If you would like everything in your Google account to be copied into Spectra, choose the second to populate Spectra. The populate will sync all of your future calendar items and a couple of months back. If you have calendar items going back years and years, those will not be synced using the populate.
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ATTENTION!
You should only use the populate choices for a first time sync. The boxes will automatically uncheck after a successful sync. Using these choices at other times may result in duplication of synced items. |
Syncing back to Spectra - Choose which types of items you'd like to sync back from Google into Spectra. By turning on the sync itself, you are sending items one way out to Google. By selecting one or more of the two checkboxes to Send new, modified and deleted records back from Google, it will then also send changes to the items in Google back to Spectra. There is a checkbox option to have the sync include tentative, non-confirmed Google appointments.
Clients to sync - Choose the client group that you created in client group maintenance in the first step above. You will need to put clients in the group for them to sync to Google. Any clients added to Google will be created in that group back in Spectra (if you have the option to sync back client records).
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HERE'S A FLASH FOR YOU!
Because the handheld calendar does not having the same scheduling capabilities as Spectra, all calendar entries created in Google will sync back to Spectra as unlinked appointments. Sessions can be modified and the changes will sync back to the Spectra session. |
Email sync messages - Finally, you can have Spectra email messages with warnings about sync problems. You can also choose to get more detailed syncing report emailed to you for help in debugging an issue. Fill in the email address where you want these messages sent.
Syncing begins - Once you click OK to save all of your user settings, the first sync should begin shortly. Then, about every 15 minutes while Spectra is running, it will automatically sync with Google as long as you have internet access. The sync will run for any user that has Google syncing setup in their User Preferences even if that user is not logged in to Spectra.
See also: Google Syncing
Because a remote mobile device does not have any direct connection to Spectra, appointments entered on the Google calendar may end up being at the same time as an appointment or session scheduled in Spectra since the last sync. At the end of a successful sync, you may be prompted to Resolve Schedule Conflicts. For more information, please see Application Tools > Resolve Scheduling Conflicts.
