Sync Microsoft Outlook with Google Calendar (and vice versa)

With Outlook* not supporting iCal (definition) the only way to get calendar entries into Outlook is either type them in by hand or export/import.

Of course I use a web calendar (happens to be Google Calendar) that supports iCal and therefore I can subscribe to as many calendars as I want (wellingtonista, weather, NZ holidays, Super 14 ...) and they overlay onto my personal one.

I can also publish my calendar

And so there I am - subscribing to calendars, publishing calendars all in one place (viewable in one place, not actually stored in one place).

EXCEPT my day-to-day work diary because my clients generally use Exchange/Outlook which don't understand iCal.

Google know this and have therefore released Google Calendar Sync (read their announcement):

Google Calendar Sync allows you to sync events between Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar. You'll be able to determine the direction of information flow, as well as the sync frequency. Staying on top of your Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar events has never been easier!

Keep in mind that it's not possible to sync events on secondary calendars at this time. Google Calendar Sync will only sync events from your primary Google Calendar and your default Microsoft Outlook calendar.

Also check out Michael Sampson's Response to Ian Morrish on "Are SharePoint Calendars Useless?" and my 'iCal' comment

* Outlook version 2003 and earlier have no iCal support. Seems to work with 2007+ (Microsoft Help)
And if you do a Google search for 'microsoft exchange ical' it seems all you get is about security issues and the like, *sheesh*