Jeyo Mobile Extender 2.0

Within Outlook itself, Jeyo Mobile Extender adds a toolbar to your Outlook display as well as a SMS group in your Outlook folders.  The folders give you a quick and organized way to find your SMS messages while in Outlook.  The toolbar function is identically to right-clicking the icon in the System Tray when it comes to creating new SMS messages or sending and receiving them, only adding the convenience of SMS being one click away when you have Outlook open already.  In addition to this, the toolbar gives you the ability to send an email from Outlook as a SMS message or a SMS message as an email.  So, for example, if you have an email message that you would like to forward to a SMS contact, highlight the email in Outlook and the "Forward to SMS" button becomes available.  Click the button, enter a contact number to send the SMS message to and click send.  That's it!  Keep in mind that when forwarding an email to SMS, the length of the message may cause your SMS message to be in multiple parts.  This is important if your data plan with your cellular provider has a per-message fee for sending or receiving SMS messages.

From the SMS menu on the Mobile Extender toolbar, you have a wide range of features a click away including clearing your device of all of its SMS messages, remote managing your device as well as setting up more advanced options.  Some of these advanced options are selecting the folders to synchronize with your desktop PC, a signature that can be added to each SMS message and requesting and SMS status report from your device each time you synchronize.

Finally, a benefit of Jeyo Mobile Extender is the automatic backup that is done on your SMS messages.  With the application installed, Outlook essentially becomes a "server" for your SMS messages.  What this means is when you connect your Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone or Smartphone to your desktop PC, all of the SMS messages that you sent while your device was mobile with you are copied to the SMS folder in Outlook.  Once synchronization is done, messages can be deleted from your device but will still be in Outlook - just in the Deleted Items folder in your SMS Folder.

Overall, Jeyo Mobile Extender is a great application.  It performs exceptionally well and is an Outlook add-on that anyone serious about SMS messaging should consider. For those who are new to SMS, this application is a great way to learn and will make it easy to send messages while at work or at home.  The easy-to-use interface, sending and receiving of SMS messages and tight integration to Outlook show that Jeyo had the end user in mind when developing the application.  

As for improvements, it would be nice to see the toolbar be available in all Microsoft Office applications in future releases.  It would be nice to be able to send a quick SMS while working in Excel for example would save a few clicks of the mouse.

Jeyo Mobile Extender is available from the Jeyo website at http://www.jeyo.com for $14.95 (US).  The online store is hosted by Handango so if you have an account with Handango, purchasing is made that much easier.  Additionally a 15-day trial is available directly from the Jeyo website.  Support for Mobile Extender is provided via online user forums and email support.  

Clinton Fitch ~ MVP-Mobile Devices
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