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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 website 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 set up your device for use with Google. |
It is important to make sure the calendar time zone settings in Google match the settings in Spectra. Your Google time zone settings can be selected when setting up the account or under Settings after the account has been established.
When traveling, DO NOT change your Google calendar time zone. Doing so will result in a shift of your appointments back in Spectra.
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 > 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 the Google Sync options for each user that wants to sync their Spectra calendar/contacts with their Google calendar/contacts.
Log in to Spectra as the appropriate user.
Go to Maintenance
> Preferences > User Preferences and open the Google tab.
Enable Google Sync - Check the box to enable your Google sync 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 Spectra with Google, check one or both of the Populate checkboxes. If you want to have everything on your Spectra calendar sent to Google, choose the first checkbox to Populate Google. If you would like everything on your Google calendar to be copied into Spectra, choose the second option to Populate Spectra. The populate process will sync all of your future calendar items and a couple of months back. Note: If you have calendar items going back years and years, those will not be synced during the populate process.
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ATTENTION!
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 regularly sync back from Google into Spectra. By enabling the Google sync (step c in this section), you've already set up Spectra to send items one way out to Google. By selecting one or both of the Send checkboxes, the sync process will also send changes made in Google back to Spectra. Note: There is an additional checkbox option to include tentative, non-confirmed Google appointments. These are not included by default.
Clients to sync - Choose the client group you created in client group maintenance in the step 1 above. Note: You will need to put clients in the group for them to sync to Google. Any contacts added in Google will be created in that group back in Spectra (if you have checked the option to send back contacts.) For more information syncing your clients, read the "Gmail Contacts" topic.
Email sync messages - Finally, you can have Spectra email warning messages 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.
Click OK to save your user settings.
Enable the Google Sync Processor job in the Spectra Control Center. This job controls the syncing process for all users that have set up the Google Sync option in their User Preferences, even when they are not logged in to Spectra.
Go to Utilities > Control Center.
Select the Google
Sync Processor job and click
Modify Job Settings.
Enable the job by checking Job Enabled.
Choose the sync Schedule for your studio as well as the Computer that should run the job.
Click OK
to save your job settings.
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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. Those appointments can be linked to a client and converted to a session. Sessions can be modified and the changes will sync back to the Spectra session. |
See also: Gmail Contacts
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 Spectra Tools > Resolve Scheduling Conflicts.
