IT: Admin Center (Understanding Office 365 Contacts and Shared Mailboxes)

Summary

In this informative video, Kevin Dick explores the functionalities of Office 365 Contacts and Shared Mailboxes. He explains that contacts, managed by administrators, are accessible to all users and visible across devices. Kevin demonstrates how to create a contact and add it to a distribution group for collaborative emailing. He also discusses Shared Mailboxes, which allow multiple users to access the same mailbox without individual credentials. He highlights the need for a license if the mailbox exceeds 50GB. Kevin addresses common issues with Shared Mailboxes, such as synchronization problems, and offers practical insights based on his experience, making the video a valuable resource for IT professionals and beginners alike.

Takeaways

• 😀 Office 365 contacts are managed by administrators and are accessible to all users, visible in Outlook on the web and mobile devices.
• 🔐 Contacts in Office 365 can only be created and updated by administrators, without the ability to add custom fields like birthdays or anniversaries.
• 💼 The context of using Office 365 contacts often involves sending emails to vendors, IT personnel, or consultants, and adding them to distribution groups.
• 📬 Share mailboxes in Office 365 are a type of user mailbox that doesn't require a unique username and password, allowing multiple users to access the same mailbox.
• 🔑 Users must be granted 'send as' or 'full access' permissions to a share mailbox, and then they can access it by adding it to their Outlook profile.
• 📈 Share mailboxes were differentiated from user mailboxes starting from Exchange 2007, and they can store up to 50 GB of data without needing a license.
• 🔗 There are two types of contacts in Office 365: mail user contacts and mail contacts, with the latter being more commonly used for external email addresses.
• 📝 When creating a mail contact, you can specify details like first name, last name, display name, and external email address, and even add them to distribution groups.
• 📧 Demonstrated in the script is how to test the functionality of a distribution group by sending an email to it and verifying receipt by the intended recipients.
• 🛠️ The script also covers common issues with share mailboxes, such as synchronization problems and the need to recreate or re-add users to resolve access issues.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is an overview of Office 365 contacts and share mailboxes.

Who creates Office 365 contacts?

Office 365 contacts are created by administrators.

Where are Office 365 contacts visible to users?

Office 365 contacts are visible to all users in Microsoft Outlook, Outlook on the web, and mobile devices.

Can users add custom fields for birthdays or anniversaries to Office 365 contacts?

No, users cannot add custom fields for birthdays, anniversaries, etc., as these contacts can only be created and updated by Office 365 administrators.

What is a share mailbox in Office 365?

A share mailbox is a type of user mailbox that doesn't have its own username and password, and it can be accessed by users who have been granted send as or full access permissions.

Do you need a license for a share mailbox?

A share mailbox can store up to 50 GB of data without needing a license. After that, a license must be assigned.

How are contacts used in the context of Office 365?

Contacts in Office 365 can be used for sending emails to vendors, IT personnel, consultants, and can be added to distribution groups.

What are the two different types of contacts mentioned in the video?

The two different types of contacts mentioned are mail user contacts and mail contacts.

What is the purpose of adding a contact to a distribution group?

Adding a contact to a distribution group allows that contact to receive emails sent to the group, which is useful for including external parties like vendors or consultants in internal communications.

What are some common issues with share mailboxes?

Common issues with share mailboxes include synchronization problems where not all members receive emails at the same time, and the need to recreate the mailbox or re-add users to resolve access issues.

How can you access a share mailbox in Outlook?

After being granted permissions, users can access a share mailbox by adding it to their Outlook profile.