Implementation Guide. SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange

Transcription

1 Implementation Guide SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange

2 Revised: Copyright 2016, Ebix CRM All Rights Reserved. No part of this documentation may be copied, reproduced or translated in any form without the prior written consent of Ebix CRM. All product names are trademarks of their respective manufacturers or organizations. 251 S. Lake Ave., Suite 200 Pasadena, CA Online: Web LinkedIn Telephone: (626) Fax: (626) U.S. toll-free fax: (800)

3 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Benefits of Exchange Sync... 1 Feature Comparison: Exchange vs. Outlook... 2 Architecture... 4 Overview... 4 Design... 4 Exchange Server... 5 Microsoft Azure... 5 SmartXchange... 6 Middleware Process Sequence... 6 Implementation Requirements and Decisions... 7 Exchange Server Connectivity... 7 Web Services... 7 Virtual Private Networks... 8 SmartXchange vs. Direct Server Connection... 8 SmartXchange... 8 Direct Connection... 9 Hosting... 9 Exchange Impersonation... 9 SmartOffice Configuration Overview System Office Setup Enabling the Office License Configuring the Server User Setup Creating a Sync Setup Deleting a Sync Setup Contact/Calendar Sync Usage Post-Setup Steps Initial Confirmation Connection Success/Failure Notification... 19

4 Preview Sync Full Sync Contact/Calendar Sync Issues and Troubleshooting Synchronized Fields Contacts Calendar Activities and Tasks Posting Usage Posting Folders Configuring Rules Posting to Linked Records Office Security Considerations Creating Calendar Activities Using Posting Posting Issues and Troubleshooting... 28

5 Introduction This guide provides SmartOffice enterprise customers with information to help them implement SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange, a solution for synchronizing Microsoft Exchange contact and calendar data and for posting to SmartOffice. With this solution, SmartOffice can be configured to synchronize contact and calendar data directly with an Exchange server. Users can create or modify data on any device that can access Exchange and/or SmartOffice, and those changes will be reflected on all other devices. This feature eliminates the need for Exchange users to sync contact and calendar data through Microsoft Outlook using the Microsoft Plug-in for SmartOffice. The posting feature allows messages sent through Exchange-compatible e- mail clients to be posted automatically to the SmartPad of the appropriate contact in SmartOffice. This method of posting offers a compelling alternative to the Outlookbased method provided by the Microsoft Plug-in for SmartOffice. Benefits of Exchange Sync Many SmartOffice enterprise customers currently use SmartOffice s Outlook client-based solution for contact/calendar sync and posting. SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange offers most of the benefits that the client-based approach offers while providing several advantages. Contact sync: Contacts can be synchronized in one direction or in both directions. Photos can be synchronized as well (with Exchange 2010 or later). In addition, synchronized contacts can be limited to a particular SmartOffice set. Appointment and task sync: Appointments and tasks can be synchronized in one direction or in both directions. Recurring calendar entries are supported, as are documents attached to appointments and tasks. Preview sync: When sync is first configured, users receive a preview sync report showing how sync will be performed based on the current configuration. Actual sync is enabled only when the preview report is accepted. posting: messages sent from any Exchange-compatible application can be automatically posted to the appropriate contacts SmartPads in SmartOffice. This capability allows users to store communications in a customer s SmartOffice record for future reference. addresses in specific headers of messages are matched to addresses in SmartOffice contact records to determine the contacts to which the messages are posted. No additional client software installation: Unlike the Outlook sync solution, Exchange sync features a server-to-server architecture. No plug-in or other client software is needed. Synchronization is configured in SmartOffice and occurs in the background with no user interaction. Page 1

6 Convenient mobile access: Users can collaborate with their coworkers in near-real time using any Exchange-compatible mobile app (including native contact and calendar apps on their devices). No special app is required. Easier client support: With no client software to install and with the ability of administrators to configure sync for individual users Exchange sync eliminates the need for extra technical support to maintain and troubleshoot users sync setups. Feature Comparison: Exchange vs. Outlook The following table presents a feature comparison of SmartOffice s Exchange-based and Outlook client-based sync and posting solutions. Feature Exchange Outlook Two-way contact, appointment and task sync Select sync direction (one-way or two-way) Sync contact photos 1 Sync contact birthdays 2 Resolve sync conflicts 3 Limit sync to a SmartOffice contact set Preview sync before full sync Sync recurring activities Select contact folder to sync Select calendar folder to sync Post to SmartOffice contacts automatically based on message headers posting with attachments Page 2

7 Feature Exchange Outlook Post to contacts policies, pending cases and other linked records Analyze incoming and outgoing headers to identify SmartOffice contacts for posting Sync all activities regardless of date Real-time, automatic sync Multi-platform compatibility (Windows, Mac OS, ios, Android, etc.) Works without active SmartOffice session Works without client software installation Create activities through posting Configure number of activity participants to sync Receive contact and activity deletion notifications Select preferred phone number type to sync Post to any SmartOffice contact (regardless of message headers) 1 Supported in Exchange 2010 or later. 2 In Exchange sync, birthdays are synchronized by default. 3 Exchange resolves conflicts without prompting the user. The most recently modified record always takes precedence. Page 3

8 Architecture Overview SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange employs a server-to-server architecture built around a Microsoft Azure-hosted middleware solution. The diagrams in this section provide information about this architecture. Design The primary components of the Exchange sync architecture are the Exchange server, Microsoft Azure and SmartOffice s SmartXchange proxy. Page 4

9 Exchange Server The Exchange server can be hosted by the customer or by an Exchange hosting provider to which the organization subscribes (e.g., Office 365). The Exchange middleware communicates with the Exchange server using a web services API. Exchange 2007(SP1) and later are supported. Microsoft Azure The Exchange sync middleware is built to run on Microsoft s Azure cloud platform. The sync middleware comprises five separate services, each of which runs on its own compute instance. The middleware connects to an SQL Azure database and uses Azure storage. Page 5

10 SmartXchange The Exchange sync middleware communicates with SmartOffice s SmartXchange proxy service via XML over a REST service using a secure HTTPS connection. SmartXchange serves as the communications hub between the middleware service and the SmartOffice server. The following diagram illustrates this relationship. The Exchange sync middleware s worker roles use the SmartXchange API to authenticate and communicate with SmartOffice. SmartXchange brokers the request/response on behalf of SmartOffice. SmartXchange is not a required component; communication between the middleware service and the SmartOffice server can occur directly. These scenarios are described in more detail in the Implementation Requirements and Decisions section of this guide. Middleware Process Sequence The sync cycle begins with the subscriber fetching user preferences from SmartOffice. Various roles then perform different functions on the data for the user. The cycle ends with the report generation. The following diagram illustrates this sequence. Page 6

11 Implementation Requirements and Decisions This section outlines the implementation tasks and decisions that organizations must consider when implementing SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange. Exchange Server Connectivity Web Services The Exchange sync middleware is an Exchange Web Services (EWS) client application built using Exchange Web Services Managed API to connect and transact data with Exchange. In order for the middleware to communicate with an organization s Exchange server, the Exchange server must have EWS enabled. In addition, EWS must be exposed in a manner that makes communication with the Exchange Sync middleware possible. Because EWS exposes these services by default on Exchange, customers using the default EWS configuration require no additional setup. However, for customers who do not expose these services by default, additional configuration will be required to establish communication with the middleware. On-Premise Exchange Page 7

12 Hosted Exchange (e.g., Office 365) Microsoft provides extensive documentation regarding EWS configuration. The Exchange sync middleware can also use the Autodiscover service provided by Exchange to perform a service discovery. Virtual Private Networks Organizations that require their users to connect to a virtual private network (VPN) to access Exchange can still use SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange. However, changes to the VPN configuration may be necessary. Ebix can provide more details based on the customer s VPN infrastructure. SmartXchange vs. Direct Server Connection When deciding how the Exchange sync middleware should communicate with SmartOffice, the customer must decide whether the connection should occur through the SmartXchange proxy or directly to the SmartOffice server. SmartXchange For an enterprise customer that hosts its own SmartOffice implementation, subscribes to SmartXchange and has other third-party integrations communicating with SmartOffice Page 8

13 through SmartXchange, the typical method is to set up SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange in the same manner. In this scenario, the sync service connects to SmartOffice as any other integration would. This approach also avoids connection issues that can arise due to firewalls, gateways and other network security infrastructure. Direct Connection The direct connection method is an option that is typically used by organizations using Ebix-hosted SmartOffice implementations. With this method, SmartIntegrator is exposed to facilitate communication with the Exchange sync middleware. The decision to use this method is largely a matter of the customer s preference in how its application is accessed. Customers who have concerns about this method can opt for the SmartXchange method instead. Hosting SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange currently runs exclusively on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, with Ebix managing Azure deployment of the Exchange sync middleware. The most common scenario is for the customer to use Ebix s existing Azure account. This approach offloads the responsibilities of storage, SQL database and application service configuration and administration to Ebix, thereby reducing the customer s internal IT costs. This arrangement also simplifies billing, as Ebix s fees for this service, charged on a per-user basis, are simply added to the overall monthly cost of the Exchange sync solution. Exchange Impersonation The Exchange sync service requires user account and password information for each Exchange account that will be synchronized with SmartOffice. Enterprise customers typically prefer to restrict the sync service s access to their users account information by configuring Exchange Impersonation on the Exchange Server. When Exchange Impersonation is used, the customer creates an impersonation Exchange account that proxies for multiple user accounts on the Exchange server. SmartOffice is then configured to use the access credentials for the impersonation account to provide synchronization services to those users. Ebix can provide customers with appropriate documentation regarding configuration of Exchange Impersonation to work with SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange. Note: Although the option to use Exchange Impersonation can be disabled at the SmartOffice server level (see Configuring the Server), this documentation assumes that the customer will enable this option. Page 9

14 SmartOffice Configuration Overview This section explains how a SmartOffice administrator can configure SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange for SmartOffice users. System Office Setup Enabling the Office License To ensure that SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange is available to users in a particular office, the system administrator must enable the appropriate license for the office as a whole. 1. Sign in to the System office. 2. From the SmartOffice side menu, select Setup > Office Settings. 3. If the Search Offices dialog box, enter the appropriate office name, and then click the Search button. 4. If a list of search results appears, click the name of the appropriate office record to open it. 5. Click the Licenses content link. 6. Select the SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange license. 7. Select Menu > Save. Page 10

15 Configuring the Server SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange options that apply to all offices are configured at the SmartOffice server level. These settings, described in the following table, are located in the SmartOffice config.xml file in the <exchangesyncsettings> node. Note: Ebix recommends that SmartOffice server administrators read this entire guide to familiarize themselves with the features of Exchange sync before making changes to server configuration options. Element <enable_syncreport type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_syncreport> <enable_corp_impersonation type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_corp_impersonation> <contact_setting> <enable_contact_sync type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_contact_sync> <enable_syncallcontacts type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_syncallcontacts> <enable_contactphotos type='boolean' restart='false'>false</enable_contactphotos> <contact_sync_option> <default_value type='int' restart='false' min='0' max='3'>1</default_value> <readonly type='boolean' restart='false'>false</readonly> </contact_sync_option> </contact_setting> Description Determines whether the Report List section appears in the user Exchange sync setup. For more information, refer to Preview Sync Report. Determines whether an Exchange impersonation account can be configured. For more information, refer to Exchange Impersonation. Determines whether users can sync contacts, whether they can sync all of their contacts versus synchronizing only contact sets, and whether users can sync contact photos. In addition, these settings determine the default contact sync option in user setups and whether that option can be changed. For more information, refer to User Setup. Page 11

16 Element <calendar_setting> <enable_calendar_contact_ _association type='boolean' restart='false'>true</ enable_calendar_contact_ _association> <enable_calendar_sync type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_calendar_sync> <enable_calendar_sync_list type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_calendar_sync_list> <enable_task_sync_list type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_task_sync_list> <enable_calendar_recurring type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_calendar_recurring> <enable_calendar_allday_events type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_calendar_allday_events> <enable_calendar_document_sync type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_calendar_document_sync> <enable_task_document_sync type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_task_document_sync> </calendar_setting> < posting_setting> <enable_ posting type='boolean' restart='false'>true</enable_ posting> <enable_outgoing > <from type='boolean'restart='false'>false</from> <to type='boolean' restart='false'>true</to> <cc type='boolean' restart='false'>true</cc> <bcc type='boolean' restart='false'>false</bcc> </enable_outgoing > <enable_incoming > <from type='boolean' restart='false'>true</from> <to type='boolean' restart='false'>false</to> <cc type='boolean' restart='false'>false</cc> </enable_incoming > <enable_advancedpostingoptions> <post_unmatched_ s type='boolean' restart='false'>false</post_unmatched_ s> Description Specifies whether users have access to the Calendar/Task Synchronization Options section in user configuration and, if so, whether the individual options in that section are available to configure. Determines whether the user configuration page also includes a section for configuring Exchange e- mail posting and, if so, which individual options can be configured. <include_ _attachments type='boolean' restart='false'>true</include_ _attachments> <prompt_to_post_ s type='boolean' restart='false'>false</prompt_to_post_ s> <do_not_post_internal_ type='boolean' restart='false'>false</do_not_post_internal_ > </enable_advancedpostingoptions> </ posting_setting> Page 12

17 Element <exchangesync_readonly> <enable_readonly type='boolean' restart='false'>false</enable_readonly> </exchangesync_readonly> Description Determines whether users can edit their own Exchange sync configurations. If true, users can view their configurations but cannot edit them. Page 13

18 User Setup To enable SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange for a user, enable the SmartOffice Sync & Posting for Microsoft Exchange user right on the user's account (under Setup > User Accounts). For more information about configuring user rights for user accounts, refer to the Office Settings and Administration Guide. Note: Enabling SmartOffice Sync for Microsoft Exchange automatically disables the user s access to SmartOffice s legacy Outlook sync solution. The two solutions cannot be used simultaneously. Creating a Sync Setup Once the user has the appropriate user right, follow these steps to configure synchronization (these steps can also be used later to edit an existing user configuration): 1. Sign in to SmartOffice using an administrator user account. 2. From the SmartOffice side menu, select Setup > Microsoft Exchange Sync to open the Microsoft Exchange Sync Setup List. 3. Select Menu > New 'Microsoft Exchange Sync Setup' record. Page 14

19 4. When the list of available users opens, select a user to open the sync setup Detail content link. Under Synchronization Options, note the Exchange Connection Status field, which indicates whether a successful connection to an Exchange server has been established using the current configuration. When a connection has been established (or when a connection has not been attempted yet, as is the case with a new configuration), the status is Active. When a connection has been attempted and has failed, the status is Inactive. Page 15

20 5. In the Calendar/Task Synchronization Options section, configure these options (some or all of these options may be unavailable depending on server configuration settings): Calendar Sync Options: Specify whether timed activity sync is enabled and, if so, whether sync will occur in one direction (i.e., from SmartOffice to Exchange or from Exchange to SmartOffice) or both directions. The default setting is for no sync to occur (Do Not Sync). Task Sync Options: Specify whether task sync is enabled and, if so, whether sync will occur in one direction (i.e., from SmartOffice to Exchange or from Exchange to SmartOffice) or both directions. The default setting is for no sync to occur (Do Not Sync). Calendar Name: The name of the calendar in Exchange that will be synchronized with SmartOffice. Although Exchange supports multiple calendars, SmartOffice can synchronize with only one. Synchronize Recurring Calendar Entries: When this option is selected, any instances of a timed activity that are recurrences are synchronized. Synchronize All Day Events: When this option is selected, all-day events are included in the sync process. This option is enabled by default. Synchronize Calendar Documents: When this option is selected, any documents attached to timed activities are synchronized. Synchronize Task Documents: When this option is selected, any documents attached to untimed activities are synchronized. Enable Calendar Contact Association: When this option is selected, activities created in Exchange by Outlook or another compatible application are automatically linked to SmartOffice contacts when the activities are synchronized to SmartOffice. This makes it possible to use SmartOffice features like activity outcome tracking. To determine the correct contact to link to an activity, SmartOffice looks at the activity s attendees list and checks for contacts with matching addresses in SmartOffice. The first attendee with a matching SmartOffice contact is designated as the primary contact of the activity. Any remaining attendees with matching SmartOffice contacts are added to the activity as additional contacts. Attendees without matching SmartOffice contacts are not added to the activity. Note that this option is available only when the Calendar Sync Options field is set to Exchange to SmartOffice only or SmartOffice to Exchange & Vice-Versa. 6. In the Contact Synchronization Options section, configure these options: Contact Sync Options: Specify whether contact sync is enabled and, if so, whether sync will occur in one direction (i.e., from SmartOffice to Exchange or from Exchange to SmartOffice) or both directions. The default setting is for no sync to occur (Do Not Sync). Page 16

21 Synchronize all Contacts from SmartOffice: Select this option to sync the entire SmartOffice contact database with Exchange. This option can be hidden by the SmartOffice server administrator (see Configuring the Server). Synchronize a set from SmartOffice: Select this option to limit sync with Exchange to those contacts belonging to a particular SmartOffice contact set. This option is useful if sync is needed only for a subset of the user's entire SmartOffice contact database. After selecting this option, enter the set s name in the Set field or click the Set hyperlink to search for and select a set. For more information about sets, see Sets Introduction. Exchange Folder: Type the name of the contact folder in Exchange that SmartOffice with sync with. Synchronize Contact Photos: Select this option to include contact photos in the sync process. Synchronize Contact Birth Dates from SmartOffice to Exchange: Select this option to sync birthdays from SmartOffice to Exchange (birth date sync does not occur from Exchange to SmartOffice). When birthdays are synchronized, they are created as all-day events in the user s Exchange calendar. Contact Type: This setting defines the type of record that SmartOffice creates when synchronizing a contact from Exchange. The default choice, Contact, is the most common, but the option to create advisor records in SmartOffice is also available. Include Contacts Type: Use these options to define whether Advisor- and Dependent-type contacts in SmartOffice are included in sync operations. 7. Contact Deletion Option: This drop-down list determines what happens to contacts when they are deleted from Exchange. When the user is synchronizing a SmartOffice set, the Only Remove From Set (Do Not Delete) option is the only one available; this option removes the contact from the set being synchronized but leaves the contact in SmartOffice. Users who sync all of their contacts with Exchange can select either Delete from SmartOffice or Do Note Delete From SmartOffice depending on their preference; contacts deleted from SmartOffice in this manner are moved to the Deleted Records area of SmartOffice. The default setting is to not delete contacts in SmartOffice. 8. In the Posting section, configure these options: Enable Posting: Select Enabled from this drop-down list to turn on Exchange posting capabilities for the user. Outgoing Specify which message headers in outgoing messages (From, To, Cc and/or Bcc) will be compared to SmartOffice contact records to determine a match. Incoming Specify which headers in incoming messages (From, To and/or Cc) will be compared to SmartOffice contact records to determine a match. Page 17

22 9. In the Advanced Posting Options section, configure these options: Post unmatched s to my contact record: For messages that do not match any SmartOffice contacts based on the options specified in the Posting section, selecting this option posts those messages to the user s own SmartPad, which the user can access from Utilities > User SmartPad. If this option is not selected, unmatched messages are moved to the SmartOfficeUnmatched folder in the user s Exchange account. Include attachments: By default, attachments are posted to SmartOffice. Clear this option to post messages without their attachments. Attachment file size restrictions configured by the SmartOffice administrator apply. Prompt to post s to contact s linked records: When this option is selected, the user can also post messages to the notes of policies and investment accounts linked to the contact. Do not post internal Select this option to prevent messages from the user s domain from being posted to SmartOffice. When this option is selected, these messages are moved to the SmartOfficeFailed folder in the user s Exchange account. 10. Select Menu > Save. Deleting a Sync Setup If a SmartOffice user no longer requires Exchange sync capabilities, the administrator can delete the user s Exchange sync setup using the procedure below. When a user s sync setup is deleted, the user receives a notification by Sign in to SmartOffice using an administrator user account. 2. From the SmartOffice side menu, select Setup > Microsoft Exchange Sync to open the Microsoft Exchange Sync Setup List. 3. Tag the sync setup. 4. Select Menu > Delete 'Microsoft Exchange Sync Setup' record. 5. When prompted to confirm deletion, click the Yes button. Page 18

23 Contact/Calendar Sync Usage Post-Setup Steps This section describes the user experience once a user s contact and/or calendar sync setup has been created or modified. Initial Confirmation The user receives an message confirming that a sync setup has been created for his or her Exchange account. The message explains that the connection to the user s Exchange account is in the process of being verified. Connection Success/Failure Notification The next message the user receives depends on whether SmartOffice is able to connect to the user s Exchange account. If a connection cannot be established, the message informs the user of the authentication failure, lists possible causes and outlines troubleshooting steps that the user or administrator can take. The process then begins again at Initial Confirmation. If a successful connection is made, the message informs the user and includes an attached preview sync report. Note that this message arrives only after preview sync is complete; the time necessary to perform a preview sync will vary depending on the number of contact and/or calendar entries being synchronized. Page 19

24 Preview Sync Once SmartOffice successfully connects to the user s Exchange account, the user receives a preview sync report, which gives the user an opportunity to determine whether sync was configured correctly. During a preview sync, no records are actually synchronized between SmartOffice and the Exchange server. The user reviews the report and either accepts or rejects it. If the user accepts the report, the user receives an confirmation, and full sync occurs. If the user rejects the report, no records are synchronized, and sync settings can be adjusted as described in User Setup before attempting another preview sync. The post-setup process then begins again at Initial Confirmation. The easiest way to review and accept or reject the preview sync report is through the notification that SmartOffice sends once the report has been generated. However, the user can also review the report in SmartOffice. Preview Sync Report Review ( ) To review the preview sync report by , the user opens the report attached to the connection success notification message. The message contains links that the user can click to either accept or reject the report. Clicking either link opens a preaddressed reply in a new window. The user sends this reply to submit the approval or rejection. Page 20

25 Preview Sync Report Review (SmartOffice) Note: This method is not available if the server has been configured not to display the Report List in the user s Exchange sync configuration (see Configuring the Server). 1. From SmartOffice side menu, select Setup > Microsoft Exchange Sync. 2. Click the user s Exchange sync setup to view its details. 3. In the Report List section, find the Sync Preview report and click its Open icon. 4. Review the report to determine whether the results are acceptable. 5. Go back to the Report List section in SmartOffice and do one of the following: Full Sync If the results are acceptable, select the Sync Preview report, and then select Options > Approve Sync Preview. If the results are not acceptable, select the Sync Preview report, and then select Options > Reject Sync Preview. Once a preview sync report is accepted, the actual synchronization of records full sync takes place. The user receives an notification from SmartOffice stating the sync is complete and active. This message contains an attached report that details the initial full sync. Once active, contact/calendar sync occurs automatically with no further intervention from the user. For a list of the fields that are synchronized between SmartOffice and Exchange, see Synchronized Fields. Page 21

26 Contact/Calendar Sync Issues and Troubleshooting The following issues may arise once sync is active: Authentication failure: SmartOffice sends the user an notification if SmartOffice is unable to connect to the user s Exchange account. This can occur, for example, if the organization s Exchange server goes offline temporarily. Once the user or administrator determine the cause and correct the cause of the failure, the user can click a link in the notification message to re-enable sync. Unprocessed records: SmartOffice sends the user an notification if SmartOffice encounters records on the Exchange server that it cannot sync. These failures can be due to blank fields or other anomalies in Exchange records. A report attached to the notification provides details about the records that were not synchronized so that the user or administrator can troubleshoot the issue. Synchronized Fields Contacts The following table lists the contact fields that are synchronized between SmartOffice and Microsoft Exchange. Field Type Outlook Field SmartOffice Field Personal Title Title First Last Middle Suffix Nickname Birthday Profession Job Title First Name Last Name Middle Suffix Greeting Birth Date Occupation Job Title Page 22

27 Field Type Outlook Field SmartOffice Field Company Company Address Business Business Home Other Street City State ZIP Country Residence Other Street City State ZIP Code Country Phone Number Business Business Business Fax Home Mobile Business Fax Residence Mobile Other Web Page Web Site Body (large text area in contact record) Remarks Page 23

28 Calendar Activities and Tasks The following tables list the Calendar and Task Activity fields that are synchronized between SmartOffice and Microsoft Exchange. Outlook Field Contact Importance (None, High or Low) Subject Start Date End Date Start Time End Time Where All Day Event Body (large text field) Private Reminder SmartOffice Field Contact Priority (Normal, High or Low) Subject Start Date End Date Start Time End Time Location All Day Event Description Private Reminder Page 24

29 Posting Usage This section describes the components of Posting that users interact with once E- mail Posting is enabled and configured in user setup. Note: posting does not begin until full sync is completed. Posting Folders When Posting is enabled, SmartOffice creates several special folders in the user s Exchange account. Understanding the purpose of these folders is key to using Posting. SmartOffice folder: This is the most important folder. When the user moves any e- mail message into this folder, Posting uses the matching options specified in user setup to determine whether the message matches a SmartOffice contact. If a match is found, the message is automatically posted to the SmartOffice contact s SmartPad. Otherwise, the message is moved to one of the other folders described in this section. Users can move messages into the SmartOffice folder manually, or they can automate the process using rules or filters in the application (see Configuring Rules). Tip: In Outlook, users can quickly move messages to a folder by selecting them and pressing Ctrl+Shift+Y. SmartOfficeFailed folder: If Posting cannot process an message that was moved to the SmartOffice folder, it moves the message to this folder. Messages typically end up in this folder for one of the following reasons: The message is internal (i.e., it is from the same domain as the user s). This applies only if the Do not post internal option is enabled during user setup. The message contains an attachment that exceeds the attachment size limit set by the SmartOffice administrator. This applies only if the Include attachments option is enabled during user setup. The Posting service has experienced a temporary outage. The user can try to post failed messages again by moving them back to the SmartOffice folder. SmartOfficePosted folder: When an message is successfully processed and posted to SmartOffice, the message is automatically moved to this folder from the SmartOffice folder. Page 25

30 SmartOfficeUnmatched folder: An message is automatically moved to this folder from the SmartOffice folder when Posting finds no matching contact in SmartOffice (unless the Post unmatched s to my contact record option is selected during user setup). To determine the reason that no match was found, check the options configured for matching incoming and outgoing messages and ensure that the address for the contact is exactly the same in both SmartOffice and the message. Important: Posting considers an incoming message unmatched for any recipient in the Bcc field. What Posting does with such messages is determined by the Post unmatched s to my contact record option in that recipient s user setup. If that option is not selected, the message is moved to the Unmatched folder. However, if the user setups of the To and Cc recipients are configured to post incoming messages that match those headers, Posting will post the message according to those other recipients settings. If the Post unmatched s to my contact record option is selected, these messages are posted to the SmartPad of the Bcc recipient s linked contact record. In addition, the messages are moved to the Bcc recipient s SmartOfficePosted folder. However, the messages are not posted to the contact records of any To and Cc recipients even if the Bcc recipient s account configuration is set up to post incoming messages that match on those headers. Posting does this to prevent the Bcc recipient from being revealed to other users. Configuring Rules To automate the process of moving or copying messages to the SmartOffice folder for matching and posting, users can create Exchange rules. For example, the user may create a rule that automatically copies all incoming messages to the SmartOffice folder. For detailed information about rules, Outlook users can refer to Microsoft s documentation for Outlook 2016/2013, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007 or Outlook Web App. For other Exchange-compatible applications, refer to the application documentation. Page 26

31 Posting to Linked Records When the Prompt to post s to contact s linked records option is selected in user setup, SmartOffice allows the user to also post messages to the notes of any policies and investment accounts linked to the contact. This is accomplished through the Post to SmartPad feature in SmartOffice. To get started, do one of the following: At sign-in, if an alert confirming the number of messages posted through E- mail Posting appears, click the OK button. Note: This sign-in alert can be turned on or off for a user account. On the User Preferences Sign-in Events content link, select or clear the E- mails Posted to SmartPad option. From the SmartOffice side menu, select Utilities > Post to SmartPad. A list of recently posted messages appears. Follow these steps to post any of these messages to linked records: 1. Tag one or more posted messages in the list. 2. Click the Menu button and select one of the following commands: Post SmartPad to Policy: This opens the Search Policies dialog box. Click the Search button to retrieve a list of policies linked to the contact, and then select the policy that the note should be copied to. Post SmartPad to Investment: This opens the Search Accounts dialog box. Click the Search button to retrieve a list of investment accounts linked to the contact, and then select the account that the note should be copied to. Post SmartPad to Contact: This opens the Contact List. Select the contact that the note should be moved to. This command removes the note from the current contact s SmartPad. Office Security Considerations When Office Security is enabled in Office Settings in SmartOffice, users are restricted in terms of the contacts they can access. Those restrictions also apply to Posting. If a user does normally not have access to a particular contact in SmartOffice, SmartOffice cannot post messages to that contact s SmartPad. Page 27

32 Creating Calendar Activities Using Posting An additional feature of Posting is the ability to quickly create calendar activities in the user s SmartOffice calendar. To create a calendar activity by , send a message to me@ebix.com with details about the activity in the Subject line. For example: Lunch with Bob at Crunchy's 12:30PM tomorrow SmartOffice analyzes the information in the subject to gather information about the activity type, date, time and location. It then creates the activity and adds it to the user s calendar. The message is then moved to the user s SmartOfficePosted folder. Here are some tips for what to include in the subject line: Create a task (untimed activity): Include the word Task or To Do in the subject. The task s start date is set to the date of the message, and the task is assigned to the user. Any text in the body of the message is added to the Description field of the task. Create a timed activity: Include a time in the subject followed by AM or PM. Using the word Tomorrow creates the activity for the day after the date. If the process fails for any reason, the activity is not created, and the message is moved to the SmartOfficeFailed folder. Posting Issues and Troubleshooting This section is intended to help users who may experience unexpected behavior when using Posting. The same message is posted multiple times to a contact s SmartPad: This can occur if the account configurations of multiple users in an office are set up in such a way that more than one user has posted the same message to the same contact. For example, if the sender s Posting configuration matches on the To field of outgoing messages and the recipient s Posting configuration matches on the To field of incoming messages, then both users will automatically post the same message. To prevent this, check each user s incoming and outgoing matching settings and adjust them accordingly. Some incoming messages are not posted to the SmartPads of To and/or Cc recipients even though Posting is configured to match on those headers in incoming This can occur if the user receiving the message is in the Bcc field. When the user is not in the To or Cc field of an incoming message, Posting assumes that the user is in the Bcc field. Posting does not post these messages, as doing so would reveal to others that the user was a Bcc recipient. For more information, refer to the description of the SmartOfficeUnmatched folder in E- mail Posting Folders. Page 28