Review the following configuration issues to ensure that you have everything required for integration between Communicator and other Office applications:

• Configure integration between Communications Server and Exchange Server. For more information, see [XREF].
  
  
• Review the integration features which can be configured during Communicator "14" deployment by using in-band server settings. See "Controlling Integration" later in this topic.
  
  
• Note that the Online Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Outlook is installed at the same time as Communicator "14".
  
  
• In organizations with multiple versions of Communicator or Office installed, review the compatibility tables in Communicator Compatibility.
  
  
• Review the list of suggestions for preventing common integration errors in "Common Communicator and Outlook Integration Issues," later in this topic.
  
  

To support Communicator "14" integration, both Communicator "14" and Outlook 2007 read and write information directly to Exchange Server. This section discusses the Exchange Server interfaces used by Communicator and Outlook.

To display information about a contact in an e-mail message, Outlook first looks for the contact’s SIP address locally, and then makes an RPC call to Exchange Server if required. During a single Outlook 2007 session, the number of RPC calls decreases as more SIP addresses are cached.

In Communicator "14", integration features that use either MAPI or Exchange Web Services calls directly to the Exchange Server are as follows:

• Access Conversation History and missed calls
  
  
• Play back voice mail message
  
  
• Display Free/Busy information and working hours
  
  
• Display meeting subject, time, and location
  
  
• Display Out of Office status and note
  
  

Note:
Outlook 2007 makes RPC calls to resolve SIP addresses only if the Display online status next to a person name option is selected. To view this option in Outlook 2007: from the Tools menu, select Options, select Other, and then look under Person Names.

The following table describes the communication interfaces used by Communicator "14" to access and update features shared with Outlook 2007. Exchange Server calls are made either directly, through MAPI or Exchange Web Services (EWS), or indirectly, through the Outlook Object Model.

Exchange Server communication interfaces used by Communicator “14”

A Communicator "14" user cannot access another user’s availability and schedule directly, so Free/Busy and Out of Office details are published as part of a contact’s extended presence information. This works as follows:

1. On User A’s computer, Communicator "14" uses Exchange Web Services calls to determine the user’s own Free/Busy and Out of Office status.
   
   
2. Communicator "14" then updates User A’s enhanced presence data with this information.
   
   
3. Other Communicator "14" and Office 2007 users can now view User A’s schedule details and Out of Office status, if applicable.
   
   

The availability of Free/Busy and Out of Office information about a contact is also controlled by a user’s Privacy Relationship settings. For more information, see Communicator 2010 New Features.

Note:
Free/Busy times and Out of Office information are obtained through MAPI-rather than through EWS-for client-server combinations other than Communicator "14" or Office Communicator 2007 R2, and Exchange Server 2007.

All the Outlook 2007 integration features are enabled by default, but can be controlled individually from within Communicator "14" or through in-band server settings.

By default, users can control which integration options are set using the Communicator "14" dialog box shown in the following figure.

[Screen shot here]

The following table lists the in-band server settings that administrators can use to enable or disable individual integration features, either during deployment, or later as part of a maintenance or upgrade cycle.

For more information on configuring Communicator "14" users and settings, see Determining Client Behavior.

Outlook integration options in-band settings

As soon as you have successfully configured integration between Communicator and Outlook, users of SharePoint Server, Word, and Excel can also view extended presence information about a contact, and access the combined messaging capabilities of Communicator and Outlook.

In both Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft SharePoint Server, users must have Office 2003 or Office 2007 installed to view extended presence.

To display the presence button and menu, SharePoint uses a Microsoft ActiveX control called name.dll. The ActiveX control makes calls directly to the Office Communicator API, and then Communicator makes MAPI or Exchange calls-if required-to supply the requested information.

For more information about how presence is displayed in an Office SharePoint Server page, see this SharePoint developer blog entry on the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=147181.

For the presence button and menu to appear next to (or above) a contacts name in Word or Excel, smart tags must be enabled.

For instructions on how to enable smart tags from within Word or Excel, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article 300950, "How to troubleshoot custom Smart Tags in Office," at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=147183.

For information about how to do large-scale customization of end-user settings in your organization by using Office 2007 group policies, see the Office 2007 Resource Kit at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=147185.

This section lists some common configuration issues which might prevent Office Communicator integration with Outlook from working as expected.

• In organizations with both Office 2003 and Office 2007 installed, ensure that you have deployed the most current version of the Office 2003 and Office 2007 Compatibility Pack. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=147186.
  
  
• Check that end-user integration settings in both Outlook and Communicator-normally enabled by default when Communicator is installed-are correctly set:
  
  
  • In Outlook, ensure that the Display online status next to a person name option is selected. To view this option in Outlook 2007: From the Tools menu, select Options, select Other, and then look under Person Names.
    
    
  • In Communicator, ensure that Microsoft Office Outlook is selected as the user’s personal information manager.
    
    

For other configuration issues to consider, see [XREF].