Are Global Contact/Distribution Lists Possible?

Y

yoshi.mitsou

We are using Outlook 2007 on Windowx XP and Vista

Is there a way to create distribution lists that are:

.. maintained by designated/authorized people
.. accessible by everyone in the organization

I want to be able to have one list for each team in our organization
and have that list be the definitive list that everyone usesto invite
designated people to team-related meetings.

I know that we can use team/group calendars but that's not going to
work for all of our teams across the organization.

At our organization, we use mailman to maintain centrally maintained e-
mail aliases. One person maintains the list (making sure to add/delete
members to the alias as necessary). Then, everyone else uses those
mailman aliases to send email with confidence that their email is
going to the correct individuals.

I want to do the equivalent with Outlook's distribution lists so that
when anyone uses the list to invite teams to meetings, they have have
absolute confidence that the invitation reached everyone on that
team's centrally maintained list.

I know that I can create a distribution list and send it to people in
my organization. However, that approach will work reliably only until
there is an update to be made to that list. I know that I can update
my distribution list and send it to everyone in the organization and
ask them to use the updated lists in their own contacts. But obviously
there are problems with that--not everyone will update their lists or
do so in a timely manner and ultimately, what will happen is that key
people will not be involved in meeting invitations because outdated or
unsynchronized lists will be in circulation.

I've talked with IT people but they don't know of a way to create
global distribution lists. I'm thinking that there HAS to be such a
feature somewhere in Outlook otherwise, how do large organizations
handle meeting invitations (besides using team or group calendars)?
 
D

Diane Poremsky [MVP]

Since you use Mailman, your options are limited to what it might support. Do
you have an LDAP server? Use Windows AD based network?

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
 
Y

yoshi.mitsou

Since you use Mailman, your options are limited to what it might support. Do
you have an LDAP server? Use Windows AD based network?

I actually have no idea. Sorry! I'm just a user in our organization
who is trying to solve this problem even if just for the 70ish people
in my division of the organization.

I don't mind maintaining the mailman list separately from a global
address/distribution list in Outlook. I don't necessarily need to hook
up the two applications (Outlooks distribution/addressing to mailman).
I'm just investigating whether it's possible to have central lists
like what I describe. Then I can point our IT people to that resource--
right now, I think they think that we just all have to maintain and
distribute (and synch) personal distribution lists or use group
calendars.
 
D

Diane Poremsky [MVP]

Unfortunately, IT might be right in the situation. The options for a shared
group list is very limited when you don't use Exchange server (or Notes and
other corporate mail systems).

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
 
Y

yoshi.mitsou

If we are using Microsoft's Exchange server, would it then be possible
to create some sort of a global contact/distribution list?

Thanks for your help.


Unfortunately, IT might be right in the situation. The options for a shared
group list is very limited when you don't use Exchange server (or Notes and
other corporate mail systems).

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips:http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center:http://www.slipstick.com

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visitinghttp://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspxor point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


I actually have no idea. Sorry! I'm just a user in our organization
who is trying to solve this problem even if just for the 70ish people
in my division of the organization.
I don't mind maintaining the mailman list separately from a global
address/distribution list in Outlook. I don't necessarily need to hook
up the two applications (Outlooks distribution/addressing to mailman).
I'm just investigating whether it's possible to have central lists
like what I describe. Then I can point our IT people to that resource--
right now, I think they think that we just all have to maintain and
distribute (and synch) personal distribution lists or use group
calendars.
 
D

Diane Poremsky [MVP]

Yes.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


yoshi.mitsou said:
If we are using Microsoft's Exchange server, would it then be possible
to create some sort of a global contact/distribution list?

Thanks for your help.


Unfortunately, IT might be right in the situation. The options for a
shared
group list is very limited when you don't use Exchange server (or Notes
and
other corporate mail systems).

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips:http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center:http://www.slipstick.com

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by
visitinghttp://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspxor
point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


Since you use Mailman, your options are limited to what it might
support.
Do
you have an LDAP server? Use Windows AD based network?
I actually have no idea. Sorry! I'm just a user in our organization
who is trying to solve this problem even if just for the 70ish people
in my division of the organization.
I don't mind maintaining the mailman list separately from a global
address/distribution list in Outlook. I don't necessarily need to hook
up the two applications (Outlooks distribution/addressing to mailman).
I'm just investigating whether it's possible to have central lists
like what I describe. Then I can point our IT people to that resource--
right now, I think they think that we just all have to maintain and
distribute (and synch) personal distribution lists or use group
calendars.
 
Y

yoshi.mitsou

Okay, so at least I can point our IT people to this and let them know
what to look for. If you know of a definitive guide for this stuff,
please let me know so that I let them know. Thanks so much for your
help!



Yes.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips:http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center:http://www.slipstick.com

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visitinghttp://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspxor point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


If we are using Microsoft's Exchange server, would it then be possible
to create some sort of a global contact/distribution list?
Thanks for your help.
Unfortunately, IT might be right in the situation. The options for a
shared
group list is very limited when you don't use Exchange server (or Notes
and
other corporate mail systems).
--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips:http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center:http://www.slipstick.com
Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)
EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)
You can access this newsgroup by
visitinghttp://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspxor
point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Since you use Mailman, your options are limited to what it might
support.
Do
you have an LDAP server? Use Windows AD based network?
I actually have no idea. Sorry! I'm just a user in our organization
who is trying to solve this problem even if just for the 70ish people
in my division of the organization.
I don't mind maintaining the mailman list separately from a global
address/distribution list in Outlook. I don't necessarily need to hook
up the two applications (Outlooks distribution/addressing to mailman).
I'm just investigating whether it's possible to have central lists
like what I describe. Then I can point our IT people to that resource--
right now, I think they think that we just all have to maintain and
distribute (and synch) personal distribution lists or use group
calendars.
 

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