Access Softek's EMail Experience

Access Softek has been one of the leading developers of Outlook related software since its earliest days. We have created applications for the original Outlook release, working closely with Microsoft, first developing the Rules Wizard for Outlook 97, and later working with the Outlook team to fold the extension into the core product. Since the release of Outlook, Access Softek has both consulted on and developed Outlook extensions for clients such as Hewlitt Packard, Visto, Diversinet, Omron, Franklin Covey, Omnisky, Sproqit, Critical Path, and Cemaphore Systems. Access Softek has deep understanding of the Outlook product, of using either Extended MAPI or the Outlook object model, and also related email protocols such as., SMTP, POP3, and S/MIME. Access Softek has copies of all the significant versions of Exchange, going back to version 5.5, running in our development lab.

Projects

• The Rules Wizard. Access Softek was one of the first to build an extension for Outlook. This feature required extensive Extended MAPI development, and also integrated with Exchange Server to handle the inbox rules. It featured the distinctive Rules Wizard UI with embedded hyperlinks to ease configuration and natural language representation of email related conditions. It also supported both Internet and Exchange based Outlook profiles. We also handled a couple of special projects for Microsoft to handle sample custom action implementations, and integration with the NetFolders extension.
• Hewlitt Packard. Access Softek consulted on the interface changes needed to bring HP's OpenMail offering. This depended on Access Softek's unique knowledge of the Exchange server MAPI interfaces for manipulating server rules.
• Omron MailJail. Access Softek consulted on the interface changes needed to bring HP's OpenMail offering. This depended on Access Softek's unique knowledge of the Exchange server MAPI interfaces for manipulating server rules.
• Microsoft/Symbol Event Check-in. This project was a showcase for Microsoft’s new Pocket PC 2003 platform, and involved coding in C# within the new Compact .NET framework. (When the project began, the framework was still in Beta release.) The product was a barcode scanning system for registering conference attendees, who could register online in advance, and then print out barcodes that would be scanned at the conference site by Symbol devices equipped with barcode scanners, significantly streamlining the registration process. The software running on the devices read the scanned information, then printed out badges and other documents for each attendee to onsite printers over Wi-Fi connections.
• Diversinet encrypted email support. Access Softek developed a custom client extension for this Canadian company to showcase their encryption libraries in an email setting. It required not only extended MAPI coding and integration with security protocols, but also sophisticated handling of attachments.
• Franklin Covey Plan Plus. Access Softek worked closely with the Franklin Covey project team to design an Outlook extension that captured the Seven Habits philosophy. It showcased extended MAPI development, Outlook custom forms, innovative graphics, and also used the Outlook object model for some of the hooks into the HTML dashboard and custom controls.
• Omnisky. Access Softek developed a three key email related pieces for Omnisky, and also consulted on email handling at their server. First, we added an email address import feature to the installer for their Palm and PocketPC users. Second, we built an Outlook extension that redirected email to the Omnisky servers for consumption by wireless handheld devices. Third, we developed a prototype http mail client to forward Hotmail to the Omnisky server.
• Sproqit. Access Softek developed a static library that exposed key interfaces for handling contacts and sending messages and appointments. This required some reverse engineering of the MAPI properties that Outlook used for handling meeting requests. It provided a robust and scalable solution for handling email and circumvented problems that Sproqit had with Outlook security patches.
• Critical Path. Did basic research on developing a MAPI message store object to implement Outlook connectivity to their email server. Developed a proof of concept to show basic connectivity with foreign LDAP and SMTP servers.

Technologies

• C++/.NET/C#. Although the bulk of our CE development has been done in C++, we also have significant experience coding under the Compact .NET framework in C#, with our first Compact .NET project beginning while the framework was still in Beta release.
• Active Sync. Writing a Windows CE Active Sync provider can be difficult when the data to be synchronized is at all complex. Access Softek has implemented providers in two very difficult cases:
  1. Microsoft Money's copious relational data.
  2. The double synchronization required by Franklin Covey’s PlanPlus: between the Pocket Outlook tasks database and the Franklin Covey extensions, and then between the PDA based software and its desktop counterpart.
• POOM (Pocket Outlook Object Model). Access Softek used this Microsoft Pocket PC library to access the Pocket Outlook task and calendar databases for the Franklin Covey Planner and PlanPlus projects, and the contact database for OmniSky. In some cases, we had to combine use of POOM with direct access to the databases, since neither POOM nor direct database access was sufficient to create every type of record that could be created through the Pocket Outlook PIM apps. (The Pocket Outlook PIM apps do not use POOM, and store some data in proprietary binary formats.)
• Pocket Internet Explorer. Access Softek has expertise in creating Javascript and ActiveX controls that run within Pocket Internet Explorer, in one case creating an ActiveX control that interacted with both pIE content and the device’s Contacts and Calendar databases.
• CE Mail Transports. We have experience with both the older mail transport mechanism used by the first Pocket PC devices and the simplified system that replaced it.
• Pocket Outlook "New" and Context Menu extensions, and Today Screen plug-ins. We have experience in all these areas that involve extending the Pocket PC UI, having written a Today Screen plug-in for the Franklin Covey products and created modules implementing custom entries to the global “New” menu and the Pocket Outlook context and Tools menus for various clients.

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