3.1. Introduction
Synchronization makes it possible to work with several devices. Information is updated simultaneously in all of them.
Nowadays, most people use, in their professional and personal lives, several devices (PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.). Information must be up to date in all them, irrespective of the device they use it from. In other words, they need to keep their devices synchronized.
The synchronization process between devices is based on the following: whenever information is added, modified or removed from a device, the update is immediately transferred to the rest of devices in sync. Therefore, the synchronization process makes it possible for all information to be simultaneously updated in several locations or devices.
Even though manual synchronization is possible, there are many software solutions nowadays (some of which are free) that allow users to synchronize files and folders between several locations in a much faster and reliable manner. Several of these applications are listed in the “Tools” section.
Besides, we should also take into account the growing importance of cloud services and applications, such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. When using them, a user account may be easily synchronized between the different devices used, which gives the user access to all the information that was stored from any of the existing locations. In this case, when synchronizing, let’s say, a calendar application (such as Google Calendar) among different devices, the events that were previously planned using a PC will be seen when using a tablet or a smartphone.