Update/Replacement of an old Area Code in a number of contacts

[Guest]

I have more then 700 contacts with about three to four telephone numbers
each. Because I synchronize Outlook with my mobile phone, all of them are
saved with a Plus and the Country and Area Code.

About a third of my contacts are in Moscow. From January 1st Moscow is
changing the Area Code from (095) to (495). It means that it will be
necessary to dial +7 (495) 123 4567 instead +7 (495) 123 4567.

Is there any possibility to replace the code more or less automatically? For
instance as it is possible in Excel through Find & Replace: +7 (095) with +7
(495).

A solution could be to export all contacts to Excel, to change the Area Code
and to import them from Excel back. However, I am afraid that following the
problems may occur:
- All contacts could be duplicated.
- The dates of birthday could be unusable.
- Attachment to the specific contacts can be unusable.
- Will the mobile phone recognize these contacts as new ones, or as amended
old ones?

Any experience with similar Excel Odysseys?
Any idea about a pure Outlook solution?
(Except to change all phone numbers one by one.)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

The page at http://www.slipstick.com/addins/contacts.htm has some solutions for this common issue.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers