Using VMware Zimbra Fling - with Gmail • Technodrone

A while ago VMware released their VMware Zimbra for Android (VZA).

The developers Chitong Chung and Ben Kolin described the fling as follows:

VMware Zimbra for Android (VZA) is a native Android collaboration application that allows you to access your email, calendar, contacts, tasks and files from any Android device, specifically smartphones and tablets. VZA supports any Microsoft ActiveSync compliant email server and also supports the VMware Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS). With ZCS as the backend, VZA offers several additional ZCS-only features such as Briefcase, Saved Searches, etc. that are not available in any of the Android email applications in the market today. VZA was tested with Microsoft Exchange 2003, 2007 and 2010 and Zimbra Collaboration Suite 6.x and 7.x. It supports Android 2.x and 3.x. Check out the video to get an overview of some of the features but more than anything else, download and give it a spin. We welcome your feedback.

I decided to actually try and connect this to a Google account. A short while ago I configured my first iPhone to connect to Gmail. The configuration there was struck me at the time as quite strange at the time. Here is the official Google how-to. They suggest that you configure the Google account as an Exchange ActiveSync account.

The VZA connects ActiveSync Compliant email servers.. Hmmm..

It also connects to Gmail. Here’s How.

Choose Manual Setup
In the Server Address field, enter m.google.com.
Leave the Domain field blank.
In the Email Address field, enter your full Google Account email address.
Enter your full Google Account email address as the User Name.
Enter your Google Account password as the Password.
Check both boxes regarding the SSL certificates.

And here you go.

Of course there is no GAL - but both Calendar and Contacts Sync. Calendar is both ways, Contacts I am not sure.