Google Fixes App Sync Plug-In

Google App Sync for Microsoft Outlook has been fixed so that it no longer interferes with Windows Desktop Search.

Thomas Claburn, Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

June 30, 2009

2 Min Read
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Google has repaired Google App Sync for Microsoft Outlook so that it plays politely with Microsoft's Windows Desktop Search.

Google released the plug-in software in early June to allow Outlook users to connect to Google Apps for e-mail, contacts, and calendar data.

A week later, Microsoft was warning people that the Google App Sync plug-in disabled Outlook's ability to search for Outlook data using Windows Desktop Search.

As the month comes to a close, Google has tamed its software.

"We worked closely with Microsoft to address two issues that we shared recently, and we appreciate their help," said Google Apps senior product manager Chris Vander Mey in a blog post. "The Windows Desktop Search feature now works, so you can choose between the native Outlook search, which has been available since launch, and Windows Desktop Search to find information in Outlook."

Two years ago, the shoe was on the other foot: Google at the time complained to the Department of Justice that Vista's desktop search was anti-competitive because it was difficult to disable and because it slowed Google Desktop Search by operating simultaneously in the background.

In addition to its newfound respect for Windows Desktop Search, Google App Sync now includes support for accessing Windows Live Hotmail through the Microsoft Office Outlook Connector plug-in. The software also includes new synchronization and installation options.

Google hopes that Google App Sync will help make it easier for Microsoft Exchange users to try its hosted applications. And for those considering a switch, there's now a Google Apps resource site specifically to address the questions potential converts might pose.

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About the Author

Thomas Claburn

Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

Thomas Claburn has been writing about business and technology since 1996, for publications such as New Architect, PC Computing, InformationWeek, Salon, Wired, and Ziff Davis Smart Business. Before that, he worked in film and television, having earned a not particularly useful master's degree in film production. He wrote the original treatment for 3DO's Killing Time, a short story that appeared in On Spec, and the screenplay for an independent film called The Hanged Man, which he would later direct. He's the author of a science fiction novel, Reflecting Fires, and a sadly neglected blog, Lot 49. His iPhone game, Blocfall, is available through the iTunes App Store. His wife is a talented jazz singer; he does not sing, which is for the best.

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