Sharing without "Exchange Server Email"

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brian Rihner
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Brian Rihner

We purchased three copies of Outlook 2003 as a solution
to sharing our calendars across our ethernet network. We
have three desktops hubbed together (no server).
Internet and other programs seem to work fine on the
network.
I've been searching the Microsoft Website for 3 hours
trying to find how to share our calendars with each
other. EVERY TIME I am told something like "You must
have an Exchange Server 2003 E-mail account to use this
option". Two questions:
1. Does this mean there is NO WAY to share information in
Outlook 2003 with other users by simply using an in house
ethernet network? If there is a way, what is it?
2. Why does the support options NEVER give any
information on how to acutually obtain an "Exchange
Server E-mail" account? Is this hard to do? Is it
expensive?
Please help!
 
1) Yes, that's what it means. Nothing is built into Outlook 2003 for
peer-to-peer sharing, except for Internet free/busy times.

2) I suspect it's one of those "if you have to ask, you don't need to know"
questions. If you already had Exchange in your organization, you wouldn't
even need to ask.

To install and maintain a server at your location would be quite expensive
for a 3-person office. However, if you have broadband Internet access, you
might consider using Exchange accounts hosted by an Internet service
provider. These typically cost $10-15 per month per account. My web presence
provider, http://www.intermedia.net, is one company offering that service,
but there are many others.

Finally, there are many third-party tools for sharing Outlook data without
Exchange. See http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/share.htm#other for available
methods.
 
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