Microsoft confirms shutting off Google Apps' calendar sync in Windows 8

Users of devices running Microsoft's Windows 8 and Google Apps may want to think twice before upgrading their Calendar app for now.

 

Microsoft has confirmed the upgraded Windows 8 Calendar app will prevent Windows 8 users from synchronizing their schedule with Google Apps' calendar, PC World reported.

 

"Google’s paying customers and those with business accounts will not be able to sync their calendars in the (Calendar) app update," PC World quoted a Microsoft spokeswoman as saying Monday.

 

PC World said the upgrade effectively shuts off synchronization between Windows 8 Calendar and the calendar in Google Apps for Business, Academic or Government.

 

"The only option Windows 8 and Windows RT users now have to maintain synchronization with Google Calendar is to ignore the Modern-style Calendar app update currently in the Windows Store," it said.

 

Calendar is one of the modern UI apps Microsoft recently upgraded for Windows 8 and Windows RT.

 

PC World also noted Microsoft had partially put the blame on Google for the mess, saying it is due to "Google changing the way it supports EAS (Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync)."

 

According to PC World, Google had said it would no longer support EAS for new consumer customers as of Jan. 30, 2013, but said it will continue to sync free accounts and all paying Google Apps Business, Google Apps Academic and Google Apps Government customers.

 

PC World said one analyst, Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy, blamed both sides for the snafu.

 

“It’s disappointing that both Google and Microsoft chose their own interests over end users. This rift impacts both consumers and businesses negatively and needs to be addressed immediately. Impacted users won’t change calendar services [just] to work with Windows 8, so it’s up to Microsoft to do the right thing and implement CalDAV. [But] Google deserves ridicule for stopping EAS support, too,” he said. — TJD, GMA News