Can I force syncing a file on the network for several PDA owners?

[peter_964rs]

Here's my question

I work on a disaster recoevry team for a biggish company. Recent issues - power outages, virus attacks, etc - have highlighted the need for key information, such as call trees with home and mobile phone numbers - to be printed out and available in "grab bags".

So my supposition is it would be far easier to equip key management with suitable PDAs and dump a phone list to an Excel spreadsheet or CSV file nightly onto a shared network directory and set up the PDA sync software so that it uploads the latest file every time someone sync's their PDA. Voila - instant and up to date phone list.

We have other documents in Word or Excel form that we'd love to sync onto PDAs as well.

Only I'm not clear if this is something you can force - set up a generic file copy every time the sync s/w is installed onto a PDA user's PC - so that the users don't have to remember to "go get" the file, but it's just "there" for them whenever they sync with their calendar and email, etc. Whenever disaster strikes, they just whip out the PDA and there's the latest info all ready and waiting!

Assuming this might be possible with some PDAs and not others, I'd need a recommendation for a suitable PDA as well.......

Thanks

[Steven Cedrone]

You can use something like this: ForceGuest/Activesync Keys (http://www.cewindows.net/applications/undocumentedactivesync.htm). The download is at the bottom of the page...

It will allow you to make all users walk up to a single machine, sync (as guest - without having to answer any questions), and it can run a command on sync start and sync stop (Such as: open a window in windows explorer with instructions and the file to download)...

Hope this helps...

Steve

Only problem: either use IR or make sure you have a cradle for all of the different types of Pocket PC's you have...

[peter_964rs]

Hmm

that a great start, and thanks for the feedback, but I worry that, if I don't make the PDA part of their daily life i.e. a normal personal calendar and email client, then they simply won't remember or won't be bothered to come over to a specific PC periodically and download the relevant data.

Surely there must be a way of configuring the client s/w so that certain files are uploaded by default on every sync, and that the files concerned happen to sit on a network drive? So they need do nothing special apart from feel good about the fact that the relevant data is always available.

regards

[Steven Cedrone]

Oh, O.K. - Misunderstood...

I was under the impression we were talking about a disaster scenario where employees could come to a specific off site PC to download emergency data...

Let me look some more...

Steve

[Sven Johannsen]

You might check out MagicSync at http://www.aimproductions.be/ppc_catalogue_title.asp?product_id=92
(note the company does some adult titles, so if that offends you, be careful where you browse)