Exact Synergy Enterprise is already integrated with Microsoft Exchange server for years. Purpose of this integration is to synchronize the Outlook calendar with the calendar in Synergy and to automatically create and maintain Exchange mail accounts and user accounts in active directory based on the persons in Synergy.

As of Synergy product update 244 we will support Exchange 2010. The integration with Exchange 2010 is different from other Exchange platforms:

• Integration of Outlook calendar with Synergy calendar is improved and will be near real time
• Creation of mail- and user account is supported (This feature was not supported in 2010)

Technically, the change is even bigger. The Exchange 2010 integration is based on Exchange Web Se rvices, where previous Exchange integration was based on a background job. This has a couple of advantages:

• Synchronization is near real time
• Installation becomes easier, because of MSI installation process

Integration of Outlook calendar with Synergy calendar is improved

The synchronization of the calendars is two-way: Appointments created in Synergy will create/update appointments in Outlook and vice versa. The time between creation of an appointment and synchronization is close to near time. This has the big advantage that both the Synergy and Outlook calendar are up to date when an appointment is adjusted, created or deleted. This direct synchronization means that the calendar settings for defining the synchronization range (number of days back and forward) is no longer valid for Exchange 2010 integration. (System/Setup/Calendar settings)

With Exchange 2010 integration we offer the following functionalities:

Synergy –> Outlook

• When an appointment is deleted in Synergy, it will remove the corresponding appointment in Outlook [NEW]
• When an appointment request is created in Synergy, it will create an appointment in Outlook.
• When an appointment request is updated in Synergy, it will update the corresponding appointment in Outlook.

Outlook –> Synergy

• When a series appointment or an occurrence of a series appointment is deleted in Outlook, it will delete the corresponding appointment request(s) in Synergy. [NEW]
• When an appointment is created in Outlook, it will create an appointment request in Synergy
• When an appointment is updated in Outlook, it will update the corresponding appointment request in Synergy.
• When an appointment is deleted in Outlook, it will delete the corresponding appointment request in Synergy.

Windows services

The integration between Synergy and Exchange is based on Windows Services. The background job used in previous Exchange application is no longer applicable for Exchange 2010 integration. The 2 Windows services can easily be installed via an MSI installation process read.

Creation of mail- and user account is supported

Important to know for customers who are migration to Exchange 2010: The creation of mail account and user account is supported in Exchange 2010 integration (In earlier edition this was not yet supported)

I am at the airport and just finished my steak when I receive the bill. After I pay the bill, I make a photo of it with my mobile and send it to expenseclaim@mycompany.com. Within a minute, I receive an email message that informs me that an expense claim is created in Synergy Enterprise with the bill linked to it.

This is just an example of a business case we want to support. Of course the bill can also be a visit report that you send to visitreport@mycompany.com or a quotation you send to a customer and CC to quotation@mycompany.com. Another scenario is that information entered on a website is send to a mailbox info@mycompany.com. All email messages here result in request for the sales inside department.

Hopefully these examples give you an idea of the solution we want to offer. With this solution you can define action per email address: created request X and/or document type Y for every incoming email. The request and/or document is email address specific, so an email received at info@mycompany.com can result in an ‘Information request’ where an email received at expenseclaim@mycompany.com can result in an ‘Expense claim request’ with the bill linked to it.

Before we offer this functionality to all our customers, we want to start with a small group of customers to work with it. Together with this group we can evaluate the solution.

Are you interested in joining this small group of customers, please let me know and send me an email: martin.ortgiess@exactsoftware.com.

If you have any questions are feedback on this article, please leave a comment and share your thoughts with us!

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