Improving Your Outlook

Microsoft Exchange Server enables you to configure a variety of sharing options to allow other users to access your Outlook folders. One of the typical scenarios for sharing Outlook folders involves a boss and an assistant. If you have an assistant and want that assistant to be able to help you organize your day, sharing folders through Exchange Server can be very helpful. Consider the following situation: Jack, the CEO, keeps his entire calendar in Outlook. He's very busy, going to at least ten meetings a week. He's rarely at his desk, but carries a PDA everywhere. Luke, his assistant, on the other hand, spends most of his day managing the office from his desk. He takes messages for Jack and leaves him notes or emails about changes in meeting schedules or new meetings, tasks, or appointments.

Before Exchange Server, Jack would have to come back to his desk between meetings and synchronize his PDA with Outlook. He would then go through the notes and emails Luke left for him and make all the required changes in his calendar before he ran off to the next meeting. After the company got Exchange Server, Jack gave Luke access to his Calendar and Tasks folders. Now when Luke gets information about a change in Jack's schedule, he can update Jack's calendar directly. When Jack gets back to his desk, all he has to do is synchronize his PDA and he has all the updated meeting items, tasks, and appointments. Using Exchange Server and Outlook 2003, Jack makes sure that the only meetings he misses are the ones he wants to miss.