Disappointed w/Business Contact Manager; it does NOT "share"

[Guest]

I am extremely disappointed with Business Contact Manager. I was seeking a
Contact database that could be shared and accessed within our office network.
Now that I’ve purchased it – I’ve discovered that “Share†has different
meanings. I am not happy!

Your promotional materials are very misleading! “New! Share customer data
and communication history across your business - Sharing contacts, accounts,
and opportunities gives you and your colleagues a rich view of all
communications your company has had with each customer. Business Contact
Manager for Outlook gives everyone the shared customer history data they need
to respond faster and serve customers better.â€

What recourse do you propose?
--
BrainerdCMA

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...-e7ab09dad7d4&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.bcm

 

[Guest]

Which version of Business Contact Manager are you referring to? You can tell
this by looking from within Outlook (Help --> About Business Contact.... ).
Please reply with the version number shown to you.

 

[Guest]

Brainerd, I assume you are using Business Contact Manager Update? Is that
correct?

BCM Update *does* share data across multiple computers. Please include
specifically what you expect from BCM as far as sharing goes, and what you
think BCM is doing that is different.

Thank you,
Chris

 

[Guest]

Hello Chris and Bret - Sorry for the lag in conversation - just got through
my busy season.
We have now downloaded the update (we're attempting to us Office 2003's
Business Contact Manger and to share the same data on two computers in a
networked office). Can't quite get the second user added to the list of
users with access to this computer --- it still seems to only want users
already on the first computer?????!!!!

 

[Luther]

Hello Chris and Bret - Sorry for the lag in conversation - just got through
my busy season.
We have now downloaded the update (we're attempting to us Office 2003's
Business Contact Manger and to share the same data on two computers in a
networked office). Can't quite get the second user added to the list of
users with access to this computer --- it still seems to only want users
already on the first computer?????!!!!
--
BrainerdCMA








- Show quoted text -

There are two ways to configure networks in the Windows world, a
workgroup and a domain. With a domain, the network has a machine, the
domain controller, that manages users and machines. The machines on
domain network rely on the domain controller to manage the users,
printers, etc. Typically, setting up a domain network requires someone
with specialized IT know how, and thus rare in small businesses.

A workgroup network is more of an ad-hoc affair. A machine in a
workgroup may be configured to share its printer or folders with
anyone who asks--that anyone is usually referred to as a "guest". To
have any kind of security on a workgroup network (e.g. to restrict
access on a folder or printer to only certain users) the user must
exist (have a login) on the machine with the shared folder or printer,
and have the same name (login) and password on the machine from which
they are making the request. Access to databases has the same
requirement. Home version of Windows tend to configure everything to
work for guests by default, whereas business (Professional) versions
of Windows make managing users and assigning permissions more
explicit.

BCM works on domain networks.

BCM will not work with the default--for guest users--workgroup network
configuration. BCM will work on a workgroup network, but it requires
that all users of a database have user names and passwords. On
workgroup networks, that means that all the users of the database must
be users (have logins) on the database's computer. In order to access
the BCM database from another machine, they must have the same user
name and password on the second machine.

 

[Guest]

There are two ways to configure networks in the Windows world, a
workgroup and a domain. With a domain, the network has a machine, the
domain controller, that manages users and machines. The machines on
domain network rely on the domain controller to manage the users,
printers, etc. Typically, setting up a domain network requires someone
with specialized IT know how, and thus rare in small businesses.

A workgroup network is more of an ad-hoc affair. A machine in a
workgroup may be configured to share its printer or folders with
anyone who asks--that anyone is usually referred to as a "guest". To
have any kind of security on a workgroup network (e.g. to restrict
access on a folder or printer to only certain users) the user must
exist (have a login) on the machine with the shared folder or printer,
and have the same name (login) and password on the machine from which
they are making the request. Access to databases has the same
requirement. Home version of Windows tend to configure everything to
work for guests by default, whereas business (Professional) versions
of Windows make managing users and assigning permissions more
explicit.

BCM works on domain networks.

BCM will not work with the default--for guest users--workgroup network
configuration. BCM will work on a workgroup network, but it requires
that all users of a database have user names and passwords. On
workgroup networks, that means that all the users of the database must
be users (have logins) on the database's computer. In order to access
the BCM database from another machine, they must have the same user
name and password on the second machine.

To be perhaps a little more clear -- Workgroup networks work fine with BCM.
The database machine must be a XP pro machine (or Vista) to host the
database. User names and passwords are required to access the database.

Example: Computer X and User 1 are on one computer. This computer hosts
the database and shares it out to User 2. User 2 has his own computer with a
private login. In order for User 2 to access the database on Computer X,
User 1 must make user 2 an account on Computer X. This may or may not be one
with a full login. (this means that he may only have access from another
machine, and not direct access from Computer X directly, i.e. able to sit at
the keyboard of Computer X's keyboard and actually be able to logon. See
help for further details on that.)

Now User 2's logon crededentials on Computer X (remember, the computer where
BCM sits and not his own) must match the ones on User 2's own computer - but
no other person need know user 2's logon credentials on either computer. it
is still a private logon / password, unknown to the owner of Computer X.
Temp passwords are used to make sure that the logon credentials are kept
private later on. See the help text for further details.

Bret

 

[Guest]

Are you folks serious? MicroSoft is requiring too much technical knowledge
but marketing it as 'easy to use'.
Why is this product even offered to the general public?
Where can I ask for a refund? And, what about the weeks of frustration?