DataViz Bringing Its Office Suite, Exchange Sync Software to Android

[Ed Hardy]

Some of the features notably absent from Google Android platform are a full-featured Office suite and Exchange synchronization. DataViz, however, is going to step in to fill this gap.

Documents To Go for Android

The announcement on the company's blog is very light on details, but it does include a screenshot of the Android version of SheetToGo, the portion of this software suite for working with Microsoft Excel files. In addition, this suite will contain apps that will allow users to create and edit Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files.

All versions of DocsToGo employ DataViz's InTact Technology, which maintains all a documents' original formatting.

RoadSync, Too

DataViz has also announced that RoadSync, its Exchange ActiveSync client, will be available for Android.

Based on the ActiveSync protocol licensed from Microsoft, this application will provide secure, wireless, and direct push synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Server. It will support email and personal information management data, such as calendar and contacts.

DataViz says these two application are expected to debut next year, but didn't get any more specific than that.

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[Girt]

For the suits and power users, that suddenly makes Android even more attractive.

[Hook]

I notice on Dataviz's site they list BOTH Android and iPhone as "coming soon." This is as compared to Road Sync that only says "Under development" for Android. Is there anything out there to indicate they are actually that close on the iPhone/iTouch version of DTG?

[headcronie]

The iPhone and iTouch are game consoles. Who wants to do anything productive on a toy?

[headcronie]

The reason RoadSync probably isn't under dev - That would require a background process on the iToy. That's nothing that Apple will let you do. You get to run one 3rd party app at a time. You certainly can't have a program poll exchange while playing a video game. No, we won't allow that nonsense!

[questionfear]

The reason RoadSync probably isn't under dev - That would require a background process on the iToy. That's nothing that Apple will let you do. You get to run one 3rd party app at a time. You certainly can't have a program poll exchange while playing a video game. No, we won't allow that nonsense!

Well, what is the difference between RoadSync and regular activesync? The iPhone supports exchange activesync out of the box with the 2.0+ software.

As for Docs To Go, I think I read somewhere the issue is figuring out how to sync, since they can't have a conduit or SD card and there is no way to save docs in mail.

Honestly, I am starting to wonder how many of the companies who jumped up and announced products last year will actually get them to market. Sling, TomTom, WebIS, Dataviz are all MIA in the App Store. Just saying.

[headcronie]

That is the difference right there. Use what Apple gives you, or nothing at all. No competition, due to locked out background processing. Wonderful world of the locked down dictatorship.

[Hook]

Sorry I started things with a momentary tangent. This thread is about Android abd Dataviz, not the iPhone.

[headcronie]

Good catch Hook. I'm done.

[mmaestro]

I'd probably use what Google has already given you - sync office files through Google Docs. I don't know how much Google changes the formatting before you start editing, so there's a question mark over how feasible that could be, though (Google Docs has made a real mess of some word documents I've tried to edit on there, and real simple stuff). Or you could upload via Gmail (I appreciate neither of these solutions are useful for corporate types, though, but they'd suit me), or I guess offer their own online solution? We also don't know how much power Android gives you over the USB port, it might be possible to run Docs to Go, plug it in, and have Docs do the syncning.