Meeting requests - multiple dates

[Clare]

Until now I have been typing out meeting requests in an email, and using excel to track availability, but I've just discovered the outlook meeting request function. I always have to suggest about 5 dates as people are generally very busy. I work in a university and most people still use just a paper diary and so I think it would annoy them to have their inbox filled with 5 emails for one meeting.

Everyone is in the global address book, so does this mean that if they do use the outlook calendar I can add an attendee and then that will show if they are free or not without sending them an email?

I would like other people to be able to check my availability, under free/busy options it asks for a url where the info should be published. I'm on a network so where would I look to find that or do I have to ask our network people?

Sorry for the long winded questions, I've only just realised the full potential of outlook and think it could save me a fair bit of time.

 

[Robert Crayk]

When you create a New Meeting Request select the Schedule Tab and as you add
the attendees it "should" show their availability, depending on the version
of Outlook the recipients will also have a "propose alternate time" when
they receive the request.

Until now I have been typing out meeting requests in an email, and using

excel to track availability, but I've just discovered the outlook meeting
request function. I always have to suggest about 5 dates as people are
generally very busy. I work in a university and most people still use just
a paper diary and so I think it would annoy them to have their inbox filled
with 5 emails for one meeting.

Everyone is in the global address book, so does this mean that if they do

use the outlook calendar I can add an attendee and then that will show if
they are free or not without sending them an email?

I would like other people to be able to check my availability, under

free/busy options it asks for a url where the info should be published. I'm
on a network so where would I look to find that or do I have to ask our
network people?

Sorry for the long winded questions, I've only just realised the full

potential of outlook and think it could save me a fair bit of time.