Hello all.
I have an interesting situation with a client of mine. She wants to sync her laptop Outlook address book to her BB address book (day-to-day contacts, ~250 records), which is no problem with the built-in software and Intellisync.

In addition, she wants to sync an Act address book (much larger master contact list, ~1000 records) on her laptop to her BB, but wants it separate from her day-to-day contact list.

I figure this could be accomplished by using a separate 3rd party address book app. on the BB device, so as not to mix data with the BB's built-in address book.

1) Does such software exist?
2) Can the software be synced with Act (address book only, no need to sync tasks, calendar etc)?

I am not a BB user myself, so am not familiar with all the options out there.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Unfortunately as far as I know, not at this time. It might be possible that there`s a cellphone addressbook application designed for J2ME cellphones that could theoretically run independently of the BlackBerry addressbook. (You can install Nokia, Motrola, SonyEriccson, Siemens, etc. Java phone midlets on a BlackBerry ... so you might want to search for such a midlet before giving up)

Technically, it is possible. One could be developed -- if you were willing to pay for a contract to some BlackBerry J2ME computer programmer. If you are willing to finance such a project, try posting something in the BlackBerry Development area.

Another method is to use Categories on BlackBerry, and filter the separate addressbook categories. If she is willing to integrate the Act! addressbook as a sub-category of the Outlook addressbook, there may be third party synchronization software solutions available for that.

to all her personal contacts, synched one way to her device, and then synched one way from the larger contacts, would the second synch append to or wipe out the first synch?

that is one of the unique things that extended systems products were able to do w wm03 devices and earlier bb's. heck, could even do two way synchs of private and public contacts folders to one aggregated contacs folder on the pda. never saw any other synch product capable of that. not compatible w recent bb's.

This is one of a few solutions...

This one looks like a desktop sync...

http://www.companionlink.com/clx4actblackberry.htm


I have tried the wirless Act Sync here:

http://www.handheldcontact.com/hhc/tour.htm

Slow and costly but effective ....and it will do exactly what she wants.