Hello I have a network with about 15 users, with a mixture of Outlook 2003 and 2007. We do not use Exchange. We get email from our website hosting company using POP3. What we would like to do is to have a Company Calendar where all users will be able to view its contents and some users will be able to add/edit/ delete events. I was thinking about using Google Calendar for this purpose...is this a good idea? The Calendar should be able to sync with outlook calendar, not with the main outlook calendar but an additional calendar in Outlook so that users' main calendar will not get synced up with goggle's calendar..is this possible? or are there any other solutions that I could use to have a company shared calendar? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Outlook 2003/2007 and Calendar Sharing 1
- Thread starter Newb2IT
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- #2
Well, Google Calendar would certainly work. Also, there's MS's calendar that may allow such, but I don't recall - look under their "live" products.
Another option MIGHT be - never tried, but I'd be interested in trying it just to see, if I had the time... What about creating a separate Outlook (PST) file on a Network shared drive, then have all machines point to that file as one of their pst files.... then use the calendar ONLY from within that file...
That may not be possible, I have no idea. The only thing I can think of as an issue is whether MS will allow more than one person to actively connect to the same calendar or not.
Otherwise, if the company can afford it, you might want to look into an Exchange server. There are advantages, I'm sure, to keeping things all internal.
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
Another option MIGHT be - never tried, but I'd be interested in trying it just to see, if I had the time... What about creating a separate Outlook (PST) file on a Network shared drive, then have all machines point to that file as one of their pst files.... then use the calendar ONLY from within that file...
That may not be possible, I have no idea. The only thing I can think of as an issue is whether MS will allow more than one person to actively connect to the same calendar or not.
Otherwise, if the company can afford it, you might want to look into an Exchange server. There are advantages, I'm sure, to keeping things all internal.
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks for the reply. Exchange is out of the question, we are trying to save money and are looking for a simple free solution. I will look under live products to see if I can find what you are referring too. The pst file sounds like an interesting idea however it will not allow for access via a web browser for a remote user...with google calendar any user should be able to access that calendar from anywhere with out any special settings or re-configuration, it would also be fast. I am trying to find a way to add an additional calendar in Outlook and have that calendar sync with the google calendar.
Well, here ya go. If you want to use Google Calendar, and sync it with Outlook as well:
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks for the response however I am nit sure if Google will work. As I said in my original post "The Calendar should be able to sync with outlook calendar, not with the main outlook calendar but an additional calendar in Outlook so that users' main calendar will not get synced up with goggle's calendar"....according to Google will ONLY sync with Outlooks "Default Microsoft Outlook Calendar"....this is
a problem because I do not want the users' events in their Calendar to be Synced up with Google Calendar because that would mean that all users that have access to Googles' calendar will see each others Outlook Calendar events since all of them will have their Outlook synced up with Google Calendar....and if I only do 1 way sync then if a user adds an even in their Calendar in Outlook then that even will NOT show up in google's calendar....or am i missing something?
a problem because I do not want the users' events in their Calendar to be Synced up with Google Calendar because that would mean that all users that have access to Googles' calendar will see each others Outlook Calendar events since all of them will have their Outlook synced up with Google Calendar....and if I only do 1 way sync then if a user adds an even in their Calendar in Outlook then that even will NOT show up in google's calendar....or am i missing something?
Well, if that ends up being your best or only option, you may have to just do a work around.
You're already talking about creating additional calendars... What about using Google Calendar with the default calendar, but create a new calendar, and use the new calendar for the users' personal calendar and events... I would think there is a way of specifying where you want your events and reminders to show - which calendar. I've not tried, but it seems logical (not that Outlook is always logical![[wink]](/data/assets/smilies/wink.gif "[wink] [wink]")
)
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
You're already talking about creating additional calendars... What about using Google Calendar with the default calendar, but create a new calendar, and use the new calendar for the users' personal calendar and events... I would think there is a way of specifying where you want your events and reminders to show - which calendar. I've not tried, but it seems logical (not that Outlook is always logical
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
Of course, the other possibility would be to have all employees keep Google Calendar open at all times, and just use it for their tasks, rather than using Outlook at all.
I mean, from the sounds of your needs/wants, I don't see any reason not to.
With an Exchange server, you have more network benefits to stick with Outlook, but without Exchange, those benefits leave pretty quickly.
Each person could have 2 calendars (at least) in Google Calendar - one personal, one business. The business would be shared between everyone, and you'd have one or two "admin" persons who could change permissions of users.
As you mentioned cost, Google calendar is 100% free. You could still use Outlook for email, but then just use Google for the calendar - event reminders, etc.
I personally have created 2 separate calendars on Google calendar - one mostly just to see, and the other for my church. Using more than one calendar in Google Calendar is really easy. They are color coded, and it's just a quick click to switch between them or choose to show both or just one..
That's my thought anyway, from all you've said. It just seems to me like you (or someone who is directing you) is trying to force the use of Outlook Calendar without an Exchange server into a role in which it wasn't developed. Google Calendar was developed specifically for the purpose of sharing. Outlook (without Exchange) is not built for sharing, just like any other standard desktop mail application.
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
I mean, from the sounds of your needs/wants, I don't see any reason not to.
With an Exchange server, you have more network benefits to stick with Outlook, but without Exchange, those benefits leave pretty quickly.
Each person could have 2 calendars (at least) in Google Calendar - one personal, one business. The business would be shared between everyone, and you'd have one or two "admin" persons who could change permissions of users.
As you mentioned cost, Google calendar is 100% free. You could still use Outlook for email, but then just use Google for the calendar - event reminders, etc.
I personally have created 2 separate calendars on Google calendar - one mostly just to see, and the other for my church. Using more than one calendar in Google Calendar is really easy. They are color coded, and it's just a quick click to switch between them or choose to show both or just one..
That's my thought anyway, from all you've said. It just seems to me like you (or someone who is directing you) is trying to force the use of Outlook Calendar without an Exchange server into a role in which it wasn't developed. Google Calendar was developed specifically for the purpose of sharing. Outlook (without Exchange) is not built for sharing, just like any other standard desktop mail application.
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
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- #8
kjv611,
Thanks a lot for your comments, I think you gave a great solution when you said: "What about using Google Calendar with the default calendar, but create a new calendar, and use the new calendar for the users' personal calendar and event".
I think that's what I will do, I jsut hope there is an easy way to migrate events that are already in Outlook calendar to the new calendar that I will create in Outlook. I will then make the new calendar the default Outlook calendar (i hope there is way to select which of ther 2 calendars is the default in Outlook, as you said "Outlook is not always logical".
As far as keeping Google's calendar open at all time, I do not think that will work (at least for my users...trust me I know my users lol). I know they are not gonna go to Google calendar everyday and have it open all day, on the other hand they already have Outlook open everyday all day so that is why I want to use it.
Thanks a lot for your comments, I think you gave a great solution when you said: "What about using Google Calendar with the default calendar, but create a new calendar, and use the new calendar for the users' personal calendar and event".
I think that's what I will do, I jsut hope there is an easy way to migrate events that are already in Outlook calendar to the new calendar that I will create in Outlook. I will then make the new calendar the default Outlook calendar (i hope there is way to select which of ther 2 calendars is the default in Outlook, as you said "Outlook is not always logical".
As far as keeping Google's calendar open at all time, I do not think that will work (at least for my users...trust me I know my users lol). I know they are not gonna go to Google calendar everyday and have it open all day, on the other hand they already have Outlook open everyday all day so that is why I want to use it.
- Thread starter
- #9
What I was thinking was more along the lines of leaving the one set as "default" for naming, but then seeing if you could force events entered in Oulook to default to a different calendar.
Of course, there could be reasons for MS not wanting it to be able to be done either way. I can think of a few:
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Because then they can say, buy Exchange Server.
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
Of course, there could be reasons for MS not wanting it to be able to be done either way. I can think of a few:
$
$
$
and
$
Because then they can say, buy Exchange Server.
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"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
- Thread starter
- #11
Yes I think that is the best solution, to use the default calendar for syncing with google and add an additional personal calendar for personal things.
Also a great thing would be to add an "internet calendar" that would point to googles calendar...this is a great feature because there is no need for syncing, it updates automatically...of course for someone to add an even they would have to login to google to do it. I guess I will go that way since I will only have 2 or 3 users with access to edit events. Everyone else will only have view rights and they can view event in outlooks internet calendar
Also a great thing would be to add an "internet calendar" that would point to googles calendar...this is a great feature because there is no need for syncing, it updates automatically...of course for someone to add an even they would have to login to google to do it. I guess I will go that way since I will only have 2 or 3 users with access to edit events. Everyone else will only have view rights and they can view event in outlooks internet calendar
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