External contacts in a contact list 2

[komando]

Hello All,

I have just configured my first live exchange server and it is working smoothly so far. I have one issue that I am not sure how to address. My company has a shared contact list of about 1800 people which is being shared through MS Outlook right now. We are using a third party program server for these contacts and it is integrated into Outlook 2003 clients. I want to import all these contacts into an exchange contact list and then permission the staff accordingly to view or edit these contacts so that we can get rid of this program. How can I accomplish this? I dont want to make all these 1800 contacts a part of my active directory unit.

Thanks in advacne

 

[ShackDaddy]

I would create a new Public Folder for contacts and put them all in it. Users will be able to configure their Outlook clients to use that as their default Contacts database. The downside will be that users who use mobile phones won't be able to sync that data without a 3rd party application like OnSchedule.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[komando]

Hello ShackDaddy,

Thanks for your reply. But my problem is that all our senior comapny officers use PDAs. So there is no other way I can create my own custom address list of NON Active Directory users in exchange??

:-(

 

[ShackDaddy]

Your earlier request was ambiguous, you made it sound like you just didn't want to store them in AD. You can create another AD OU for the external contacts and create them all there as Contacts. I believe they will still be part of the GAL....

But you also said that you want to allow users to edit or add to them and that's much more difficult the way I just described.

Another option is to create a new user called "Roladex" and put all the contacts in that users personal contacts folder and share it out to everyone that needs it. The users will be able to open it from their Outlook clients just like they probably currently do. Again, the downside will be that it may be difficult to create a good syncing solution for the PDA crowd.

Lets focus on that last requirement. The only things that can be synced down to a users PDA normally are what are in their own folders. You can't sync a public folder or someone elses folder without 3rd party software. Some 3d party software is built to routinely sync a public folder down to a local mailbox contacts folder, which allows PDA users to sync the folder and still allows a general userbase to make additions and edits.

Look through the solutions at Slipstick.com; you'll see a dozen applications that are built do perform some variation on this little dance.

http://www.slipstick.com/addins/contacts.htm

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[komando]

Hello ShackDaddy,

I greatly appreciate your replies. I just have one last question? If I create another user and share his contacts, will those contacts be available in OWA as well to my company officers? If not then does that limit the contacts availability to only in office and not on road??

Thanks again.

 

[Zelandakh]

No, they won't be shared like you want.

 

[ShackDaddy]

If you create another user and share out contacts, you won't have that available in OWA. You can access it with a 3rd party tool for syncing. If you use a Public Folder, you will have full access to it internally and with OWA, but will still need a 3rd party app to sync to a PDA.

Your officers may want to start using Outlook over HTTPS from home or their laptops. Their experience with that (as far as available resources) would be identical to their LAN experience.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[Zelandakh]

You can sync from the public folder using Public2Private from diditbetter.com but using a separate user would be just as good.

 

[ShackDaddy]

Zel -- except that they won't have access to it from OWA... or do you know a way?

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[Zelandakh]

Good call SD.

In you want OWA support and PDA support, either a pile of AD contacts made with GALMod or sync the contacts from the Contacts account to their contacts folders using a similar product from the same place.

Which PDAs are in use?

 

[komando]

Thanks for your replies guys. I guess the best option is to go Outlook over HTTPS route with a user shared contacts. I will scope it out and test it and implement it. Hope it goes well. I will update you guys once I am done.

Thanks a lot again.

 

[komando]

Hello friends,

Just one more question. I know I am going to contradict my own initial statement but is there any way I can import all these 1800 contacts into an OU in active directory named CustomContacts and then create an address list from that? If this is doable, then I think that will be the best way to do it. Also if I am able to do so, depending onthe permissions will the users be able to add new contacts into that address list?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ShackDaddy]

Here's a great resource for you. Also check out some of the articles linked to it, since this writer is covering exactly the topic you are asking about in other articles.

http://www.msexchange.org/articles/...tribution-Lists-Outlook-Active-Directory.html

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[komando]

Thanks a lot for your valuable help guys. I think this should help me in solving my problem. Thanks for all the avluable information ShackDaddy. I will implement your last suggestion and see how it goes. I will update you guys with the results. Right now I am trying to figure out how to run those scripts because once I save them as VBscripts and substitute with values, do I call them from a command prompt on the exchange server box?

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yes, you should save the script as a .vbs file and call it from the commandline. The script's internal documentation should tell you whether you need to supply any arguments.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting