Shared Contacts Info

[Bobby Mir]

Hi there,

We just recently stopped using Exchange 5.5 Server, thus resulting in
removing Exchange accounts on all our client machines. We were experiencing
a problem with Exchange confusing external emails with internal email
addresses (Exchange resolving incorrectly). That is not the point of my
post. We will be replacing the Exchange server with Windows Server 2003 and
Exchange 2003. We've already decided on that move, however in the mean time
temporarily I was looking for a short term solution to allow shared contact
information or some sort of shared database. Our client machines all have
Office 2003 SBE and a mixture of Windows XP/Windows 2000 clients while our
network is run on two Windows 2000 Advanced Servers (one was the Exchange
server). I thought the Business Contact Manager would help with what I am
trying to accomplish, that turned out to be pretty useless. The temporary
solution I am looking for can be server based or web based (although I would
prefer web based so that employees working off site can access as well).
Now what I mean by a shared contact list or database, it refers to a list of
people that are our external field employees. Then what we want to do is
modify their information (much like a shared workbook on the network, except
having it web shareable if you will...I know that's not the best example but
that describes the scenario I am kind of looking for). So one person can be
editing Joe Smith's phone number, and I could be editing his address. With
Exchange we could just go in to the Public directory and update the contact
info there (such as the last time the person was called, last time they
confirmed dates of receipt, whether they received a christmas card last year
or not, the year before...so on, etc.).

I would appreciate any suggestions, insight, workarounds, anything at all
really.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Bobby

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

Hi there,

We just recently stopped using Exchange 5.5 Server, thus resulting in
removing Exchange accounts on all our client machines. We were
experiencing a problem with Exchange confusing external emails with
internal email addresses (Exchange resolving incorrectly). That is
not the point of my post. We will be replacing the Exchange server
with Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003. We've already decided on
that move, however in the mean time temporarily I was looking for a
short term solution to allow shared contact information or some sort
of shared database.

PST files cannot be shared, natively. Search for 'sharing' at
www.slipstick.com - or just have whomever is setting up the SBS box hurry up
and do it, so you can start using Exchange (and only Exchange) in your mail
profiles, and be good to go. Exchange should be configured to handle your
Internet mail as well as internal mail; that's the best setup. Don't mix 'n
match account types in Outlook.