We believe in magic.

Posted by Hong Bui, CEO & Founder @ Memeo

Pop quiz!  What do e-mail and iTunes have in common?  Beside the fact that they are wildly popular and we rely on them daily, what else?  Need another minute…?  The answer is: Sync.

Sync is the magical underlying technology that keeps files and data updated, identical, and available.  If done right, it should also be invisible.  Users don’t have to think about it.  Plug in your iPod or iPhone and your favorite songs, videos, and playlists are kept up-to-date by iTunes.  E-mails are magically kept in sync across multiple devices without anyone ever thinking about it.  In short, sync is that ‘zen magic’ that keeps your digital life simplified.

This magic is something we at Memeo believe in.  Many of us here at Memeo have had experience dealing with sync technology for a very long time (over 30 years). We’ve worked in the mobile, cloud and desktop space for companies such as Apple, Amazon.com, Nokia (Intellisync), Palm, and Visto (as founders).  We have learned – sometimes the hard way – in order for sync to be successful, companies should adhere to these key tenets:

1.  Sync is simply the underlying technology that powers these useful applications.  There is the core capability of sync (i.e. the technology)…and more importantly, there is how the technology is used. The true test of a successful application is in how it solves everyday problems, especially if it can also greatly enhance the user experience.  When users add songs, rate them or add them to their iPod or iTunes playlist on a PC, those changes are transparently replicated to your devices.  Sync is simply the technology inside iTunes that makes this happens.

2.  Sync is invisible. It’s magic. It just works. When you use iTunes, would you describe what you’re doing as “file and content synchronization”?  No, of course not.  Same for e-mails. Sync needs to happen very quietly behind the scenes.  If a user is made too aware of a sync process, then it’s already implemented poorly.  Don’t ever confuse the technology with the application (see point #1).

3.  A rich client completes the experience. As consumers, we have come to expect that our data is available on our computers, devices, and in the cloud. Strictly having your data only available online or on your desktop is no longer sufficient. This is why an e-mail client such as Outlook completes and extends the use of e-mail. And iTunes provides a much richer consumer experience for the iPod.  So we can be productive,  in-touch, and entertained anywhere and at anytime.

Adhering to these views, we are excited to team up with Google on integrating Google Docs to the desktop and extending the use of Google Docs even when offline.

Google introduced some key enhancements last week that make its Google Docs service even more enterprise-ready; namely, the ability to store any file type and collaboratively share folders for all of its Premier Edition customers.

Knowledge workers today demand the ability to work on all types of documents whenever and wherever they are, even when disconnected from their network.  Together with the Google Docs team, we believe we have delivered on that promise of the ideal sync solution.  The perfect union of ubiquitous web access, the convenience and power of local file availability in native formats including office is the killer app.

You can think of Memeo Connect as the Outlook for your Google Docs, providing the rich local client experience coupled (i.e. synced!) seamlessly with Google’s world-class services.  Memeo believes that the vital drivers for the next generation of office workers are 1) The continued deployment of web and mobile services supporting key business processes and 2) The sync technologies and tools that enable users to work richly disconnected while maintaining the levels of productivity that businesses require.  The days where businesses accept downtime or lesser production due to their users switching back and forth between the online and desktop environments are over.  Expect more.

First there was Outlook + e-mail…then iTune + iPod…, and now Memeo Connect + Google Docs.  Always in sync, always available, always up-to-date to simplify your life. Sound too good to be true? Check it out for yourself. More details and free trials are available at www.memeoconnect.com.

Hong