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Outlook 2003 expands the collaborative tools of previous versions and includes some new features as well. This section covers some of the collaborative features included in Outlook 2003. Viewing Shared Calendars in Multiple PanesOutlook 2003 now allows a user to view an additional Calendar in a shared pane. In previous versions, if an additional Calendar was opened, it was opened in a new window. Now a user can open multiple Calendars that they have permissions to view and can line them up side by side and view or compare them. To open more Calendars, do the following:
TIP Viewing shared Calendars can also be accessed from the Calendar area by clicking on the Open a Shared Calendar hyperlink in the Folder List pane. Enter the name and click OK. This automatically shows both the mailbox owner's Calendar and the new Calendar(s). Enabling Calendar SharingFor security reasons, Calendars are not shared by default. The end user must specify users with whom to share a Calendar. To enable the mailbox owner's Calendar to be shared, follow these steps:
Sharing Other Personal InformationOutlook also enables an end user to share other personal information, such as the Inbox, contacts, and tasks. This is all done through the same method listed previously (except that the user must be in the Contacts or Tasks areas to access the proper hyperlink to share that component of Outlook). The exception is enabling mail sharing, which doesn't provide a hyperlink. To enable mail sharing, follow these steps:
Delegating Rights to Send Email "On Behalf Of"To enable a user to send email on someone's behalf, follow these steps:
TIP The Delegates tab under Tools, Options is also an easy place where the end user can assign permissions to view Outlook components from one place rather than having to configure the option individually. However, the permissions provided are less numerous and customizable than if done through the methods listed in the previous two sections. Sharing Information with Users Outside the CompanyThroughout the different Outlook versions, collaborative functionality has constantly increased with each version. Outlook 2003 provides some additional collaborative features, as well as some of the old tried-and-true features that have been around for many versions. Configuring Free/Busy Time to Be Viewed via the InternetEnd users can publish their free/busy information outside of the company, if desired, by either using a company-provided Web site for publishing the information or using a free service provided by Microsoft called the Microsoft Office Internet Free/Busy Service (both users must have a Microsoft Passport account to use the Microsoft Service). Via either method, users outside of the company can view another's free/busy information via the Web from a shared location and can use the Web site to schedule meetings with each other. This is available for users of Outlook 2002 or later. To configure free/busy time to be displayed on the Internet, follow these steps:
To configure which service will publish the free/busy information, follow these steps:
Viewing Free/Busy Time via the InternetIf permitted by the end user of the free/busy information, another end user can view that information from the Web site. The user can send meeting requests , add the user to a group schedule, and see free/busy time. To do this, the end user must access the free/busy time Web site, click on View Free/Busy Times on the Web, and enter the email address of the user whose free/busy time is to be viewed. Using iCalendar and vCalendariCalendar and vCalendar are RFC-compliant features of the Outlook 2003 Calendar that support communication between different Calendar clients . This allows a Calendar event created in one technology to be imported into another Calendar technology. vCalendar is the older version of the two Calendar features. It is widely supported by many different mail programs; when in doubt, it is best to use the vCalendar feature. However, recurring appointments cannot be saved in the vCalendar format. The iCalendar is built on the vCalendar technology, but it provides added journal entries and additional free/busy information. However, because it's built on the vCalendar technology, mail services set up to support iCalendar support vCalendar as well. iCalendar also supports recurring appointments. To send an iCalendar or vCalendar meeting request, first create the Calendar event. Then save it in the proper format and add it as an attachment to an email message; send it to the recipient, who can then import the iCalendar or vCalendar attachment. To create an iCalendar entry, follow these steps:
To create a vCalendar entry, follow these steps:
Outlook 2003 can be also configured to always use the iCalendar format when meeting requests are sent directly over the Internet. To enable the iCalendar functionality, follow these steps:
Now the end user can send a meeting request as he would normally, but it will function across the Internet. To turn off iCalendar, clear the check box mentioned in step 4. Sending Contact Information to OthersAnother collaborative feature that isn't new to Outlook 2003 but that is very useful is the Virtual Business Cards, or vCards. These enable the user to send Outlook contact information to others outside the company, to be imported into the contact list program. vCards can be emailed as attachments, can be included in auto signatures, can be saved to a file elsewhere, and can be imported and saved as contacts when received. To email a vCard, follow these steps:
When the user receives the card, he can open it and Save and Close into his own contacts area. To include a vCard in an auto signature, follow these steps:
Using Public Folders to Share InformationAlthough using public folders to work collaboratively is not a concept new to Outlook 2003, it's worth mentioning its usefulness in collaborative work. Public folders can be shared between different groups of users, across sites and servers. Folders can be replicated across servers for fast receipt of information or can be downloaded locally to users' workstations for easy access while offline. The folders can be repositories for email, documents of all types, group contact lists, or shared Calendars. They can be monitored so that posting is okayed through a folder monitor before it happens, and they can be mail-enabled as well. They are very useful for collaborative working. Using Group SchedulesGroup Schedules are a new feature to Outlook 2003. These enable the user to create groups of users and to quickly view their Calendars. The Group Schedules features also allows a user to send all the members of the Group Schedule an email or to schedule a meeting request. Configuring Group SchedulesBefore anything can be done with a group schedule, one must be created by the end user. To create a new group schedule, follow these steps:
After the Group Schedule has been created, to view it and work with it, follow these steps:
Sending Email or Meeting Requests to Group SchedulesAfter a group schedule is created, it is possible to send emails and meeting requests to the group from within the Group Schedule view. To schedule a meeting, follow these steps:
To send an email, follow these steps:
Using Synchronized Home Page ViewsThrough Group Policy or the Custom Installation Wizard, Outlook can be configured to point to specific Web pages when the end user clicks on any of the root folders in Outlook (Inbox, Calendar, Notes, and so on). These Web pages can be used to share information in a collaborative way. To configure shared Web home page views, do the following:
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