huge contact list to be converted to address list

[wfbtr]

Hello-
I have an executive user with a contact list of about 1000 people that I need to convert to an address list that everyone can use. All the contacts are external users. I know I can create an OU for the external contacts and modify their SMTP address, but I'm wondering if there is an easier way to do this, as I don't feel like spending time creating 1000 new users and modifying properties. And I don't want to share the contact list, because I need everyone to be able to select it as an address list to be able to send to multiple recipients, and to send to the list from within a document.
Is there a way to copy the contact list and dump it into an address list that I create? Or am I stuck?
thanks

 

[Robroy2003]

you can copy it to the public folders from the client. Then all users can connect to it.

Mark Spencer

 

[wfbtr]

thanks Robroy-
i'm using that as a temporary option right now. the only problem is the users are in some complex documents and need to send it by email and it doesn't show up as an address book. maybe i'm doing it wrong, but it only shows up on my client on the drop down address books, since i created the public folder. that's the option i really need for the other users.
thanks.

 

[wfbtr]

Solved my problem.
i just created a public folder with contacts as the contents, with the right permissions, then on each client I right clicked the folder--> properties --> outlook address book, then checked the box "show this folder as an outlook address book"