Viira Vs. The Viira Outlook Suite: What Are The Differences?

[UPDATED September 09, 2012]

We receive a fair amount of questions on how Viira and the Viira Outlook Suite compare with each other, especially in terms of set up and installation. In this article I will try to address some of the most common questions on the differences between the two.

Separate Download Required

The first (and most important) difference is that Viira and the Viira Outlook Suite require a separate download: in order to sync with Outlook you need to download and install the Viira Outlook Suite BlackBerry client. The BlackBerry client is a separate software application from Viira and can be downloaded from the Viira Outlook Suite download page or by pointing your BlackBerry to the Viira Outlook Suite mobile site www.kartamobile.com/bb/outlook.

The important thing to keep in mind is that downloading Viira (currently in version 4.0) will NOT provide sync with the Outlook plugin whereas downloading the Viira Outlook Suite BlackBerry client will.

Identical Feature Sets

At the time of this writing, the feature sets of both Viira and the Viira Outlook Suite BlackBerry client are identical to the point where it is nearly impossible to tell them apart. What you can do with one you can do with the other and vice versa. The only telling sign between the two is that the launch icon of the Viira Outlook Suite BlackBerry client is yellow and displays “Viira Outlook Suite” whereas Viira’s is green and shows “Viira 4″.

Of course, the one major difference between the two is Outlok sync: you need the BlackBerry client in order to sync with the Outlook plugin.

We will continue to keep the two feature sets as close as possible and as we introduce new productivity-enhancing features and GTD techniques you will see them appear in both product lines. On occasion we may introduce a feature first in one before making it available in the next update to the other.

Side-By-Side On the Same BlackBerry

Viira and the Viira Outlook Suite have been designed to work without a problem when both are installed on the same BlackBerry. You don’t need to uninstall Viira in order to install the Viira Outlook Suite BlackBerry client and vice versa. We designed it this way in order to make it easier for you to decide which one of our two products works best for you and the way you apply Getting Things Done in your day-to-day life.

If you install both on your BlackBerry you will see each appear with a differently colored launch icon with Viira’s icon displaying the text “Viira 4″ while the BlackBerry client showing “Viira Outlook Suite”.

Viira 4 Data Import from the Viira Outlook Suite

The Viira Outlook Suite provides the ability to do a one-time import of all your GTD data from Viira. If at any point you decide to upgrade to the Viira Outlook Suite you can have your Viira 4 data seemlessly transitioned over to the Viira Outlook Suite. Viira data import requires activation of the full version.

As always, if you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask it in the comments section of this post or email our technical support at support _at_ kartamobile dot com.