The major benefit of using a BlackBerry smart phone lies in its integration power with email servers. BlackBerry devices can sync with popular email programs like Microsoft Office Outlook in a number of ways, allowing users to keep two copies of emails, tasks, contacts and calendar items up-to-date at all times. Fortunately, this synchronization functionality is easy to work with and comes in several different flavors.

Cable Sync

The simplest and most direct method of keeping a BlackBerry in sync with Microsoft Outlook is through a direct cable sync. Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry devices, offers a free software package called BlackBerry Desktop Manager (BDM) that includes reconciliation software. Run BDM and then plug the BlackBerry into one of your computer's USB ports using the cable supplied with the device. BDM will run through its software setup and then provide options for reconciling messages, tasks, contacts and appointments.

BlackBerry Internet Service

BlackBerry offers a BlackBerry Internet Service that, depending on your cell provider, allows for up to eight mailboxes to be monitored by Research in Motion. RIM will push new messages to your BlackBerry device every few minutes. For people who use certain kinds of email servers---specifically, ones with the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), which leave messages on the server instead of being downloaded to a home computer---this allows email to be wirelessly synchronized between the BlackBerry and email accounts accessed with Outlook.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server

The most robust wireless reconciliation service is the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). BES is usually deployed in corporate settings; it provides for instantaneous sync of email, calendars, tasks, memos and contacts between an Exchange mailbox and the BlackBerry device. BES typically requires a special subscription and is rarely used for personal email accounts. Only one BES profile can be active on a device at a time.

Third-Party Tools

Synchronizing tasks and contacts wirelessly without BES requires a third-party application. For example, Google Sync runs on a computer and a BlackBerry; it allows contacts and appointments to be kept in sync between the computer and the BlackBerry by hosting the data in the user's Google account. To-do lists managed in Remember the Milk! may be accessed on a BlackBerry and integrated into some versions of Microsoft Outlook.

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Blackberry Desktop Manager

Blackberry Smartphone Setup

Google Sync