I have recently goins back to using a mobile web server on my primary device. Unfortunately, I have also started using several more mobile devices (a few to own a few more to review). One of the challenges that I keep running into is this idea of keeping data synchronized between devices.

Usually, I like what’s possible with the Symbian devices I have. There is an application on it called Phone Switch which can sync browser bookmarks, contacts, calendar entries, and a few other system files. Generally speaking, this works out very well. The problem comes when I am looking to move to another platform, for example, the use of three Google Android devices currently.

With these devices, I have to take a different outlook. Since I do not sync into a PC, I would need to leverage my Google Account and sync information to those devices with them. Now, I could go the route of syncing all of the info from my Symbian devices with Google, but I have not at this point. What I do sync with these devices is email and a few specific contacts.

This is good, but I often end up with situations where I don’t have the rig data or content that I need, and even my business card which sits on my mobile web server, because I’m not necessarily using these devices and serves to the best of their abilities to date.

Therefore, I am increasingly looking at certain types of cloud services which can handle my jumping between various devices, and I’m starting to notice something pretty neat – there’s a lot of energy around not just cloud serves, but how we best want to use them.

I think back to the time at Uplinq and a conversation with a representative from  Funambol , and her question about how services such as Funambol can work alongside personal and organizational sets of data. Much like how I am taking one core set of info and using across several devices, services such as Funambol look to the cloud (the internet and different network services) and these devices to present something that delivers consistent information when you need it.

Microsoft Exchange is another type of service which is able to take information from mobile and PC devices, and then serve it to what devices you need. Like Funamobl, this is a paid service, but is more likely to be used and managed in a larger enterprise setting. I used to use this a lot, but information policies and guidelines (some of which I participated in developing) had me adopt it to a deeper level.

The challenge is finding services and content which works everywhere, but that also respects your privacy and enables enough of an ability to connect that you never feel limited. Google has a great handle on this, and to some degree Facebook, Yahoo, and MSN. There are still a few too many hoops for me to jump thru. Maybe not for some who manage fewer devices and types of content.

It is really interesting though to see the push for mobile devices to be much better supported. Content and access are much less in a silo with mobile. And cost of data access (time, as well as economics) is going to be a question to those in sparsely populated areas, or those who travel often internationally.

Funambol has a really neat solution for individuals and smaller organizations in respect to these. MS Exchange is better for larger groups. And Google seems to do well in filling in the blanks. I need to figure out something, so that I can better boot into using the information that I need in the most efficient manner.