How do I link Outlook Contacts with Business Contacts?

[Guest]

How can I link the two together? I don't want to have to keep separate
contact databases.

 

[Raul]

Merging datastores of BCM and Outook in not possible bcoz they used
different storage formats BCM use MSDE(Microsoft SQL desktop engine) to
store data whereas your Outlook uses a PST (Personal folder file)

However these is only one suggestion that i can offer Try creating all your
contacts as Business Contacts rather than saving them as Outlook contacts

 

[Guest]

WOW. I'm surprised that they can't synch. It seems like such a basic
feature. The reason I can't put everyone as Business Contacts is b/c my
BlackBerry will only synch with Outlook Contacts and not Business Contacts.

Does this mean that as I update and add contact, I have to update in 2
places??

 

[Oliver Vukovics]

Hi Raul,

maybe there are some 3rd party synchronization solutions that support this
function:
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm

--
Oliver Vukovics
Share Outlook without Exchange: Public ShareFolder
Share your contacts, calendars or e-mails
http://www.publicshareware.com

 

[Susan]

I did this today, but please test this on a test BCM db before trying it on
hundreds of real contacts.
So yes, the Outlook Contact db fields are different. I got around this by
the following procedure:

In a test DB, from Folder View:
grab a Contact from Outlook Contact folder and drag it to the BCM Contact
folder. You will see this existing Outlook contact in the BCM Contact form,
missing the fields and data that was in the original. Go and check the
Contact folder and you will probably find that the Contact is missing. Drag
the (now) BCM Contact back to the Outlook Contact folder, and you will have
two Contacts, one in Outlook, one in BCM, both conforming to each DB
convention.

Reports seem to work, history is there, etc. But this is only a preliminary
test.
Susan

 

[Raul]

Thanks a lot for your inputs (Oliver and Susan)

 

[Boe]

I've been trying to get this for the longest time through MS not having to
buy any third party tools. If they would allow for the basic data to sync
that is only the fields available in the outlook standard fields, I could
get my team to see all the critical data in OWA as well as sync them with
their WM5 devices.