Two computer systems in a network each have a local store that contains a
copy of a data item that is to be synchronized. One of the computer
systems may be, for example, a mobile device while the other may be a
synchronization server. In order to determine whether to synchronize a
data item, and what synchronization mechanism to use, one of the computer
systems references a flexible set of rules that may be influenced by
instructions from a network administrator or a mobile device user. The
flexible set of rules takes into consideration the value of the data, the
cost associated with synchronization, the security of the synchronization
mechanisms, the security of the mobile device, as well as the location of
the mobile user in dictating whether and how to synchronize.