As of this date, this app will not sync your Outlook Calendar items with your Google Calendar

So, what are my options to sync my android (or apple) smartphone calendar to my Outlook calendar on my desktop (laptop)

It was announced in the beginning of 2013 that Google would no longer be supporting Google Calendar Sync, but the app would continue to function for those that were already using app. About a month ago, Google announced on August 1st, 2014, that the sync app will no longer sync calendar events between your Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar.

Google, like Adobe and Microsoft, is migrating towards subscriptions services. If you want to continue syncing your Outlook calendar (along with contacts and notes) with Google Calendar (like on your smartphone) you will need to purchase a subscription for “Google Apps for Business” for $5 per month.

I have used Google Calendar Sync for about 5 years (since I have had a smartphone). It just worked and I knew I could add a calendar item in either my smartphone or on my laptop’s Outlook calendar and the event would simply show up on both.

Seems that this app is seeing the same demise that is surrounding Google’s Picasa (which will eventually be replaced with Google+) and the actual demise of iGoogle back in November of 2013. Google has a knack of creating great products (or apps), only to get many users aligned, and then at a whim, pulling the carpet out from underneath these user by simply discontinuing the products. Although I understand Google’s decision to monetize their technology, I am disappointed that I now need to immediately find an alternative way to sync my calendars.

In the next post, I review some alternatives to purchasing a subscription to Google Apps for Business.