CTOC 3.0 New Features and Enhancements
CorporateTime Outlook Connector (CTOC) is a unique young product that allows users to connect to CorporateTime Server through the Microsoft Outlook interface. To complement the calendar server and provide the messaging features of Outlook, customers may use their choice of IMAP4 e-mail servers. Users get a familiar, integrated interface with added real-time calendaring, and administrators get the security, reliability, and multi-platform support of the CorporateTime solution.
CTOC does not precisely mimic Outlook with Exchange in either Internet Mail Only mode or Corporate/Workgroup mode. Instead, users get a mixture of the most popular features from both, along with the advantages of Steltor's own time-management communications technology. With each release, the list of supported Outlook features grows.
Testers who have provided us with valuable feedback on earlier versions of CTOC will be very pleased with the progress we have made towards incorporating their suggestions and eliminating their concerns, especially in the areas of performance and stability.
With the 3.0 release, we have made key enhancements in the following areas:
Performance
Optimization and performance enhancements
CTOC 3.0 addresses a number of optimization and performance issues, focusing on frequent user operations such as:
Synchronization filters
With CTOC 3.0, users can configure synchronization filters to limit the amount of information made available for off-line use. Doing so will improve the overall performance of the folder synchronization procedure.
Stability
Addressing stability concerns
CTOC 3.0 completely resolves an error in the parsing of e-mail MIME structure that resulted in several stability issues. Symptoms included missing e-mail bodies and attachments, problems opening e-mail attachments originating from older e-mail clients, new e-mail only going to the Inbox after restarting Outlook, and folder counts not accurately reflecting folder contents.
Account sharing
Opening other users' folders
CTOC 3.0 users will be able to open and view the folders of other CorporateTime users and resources while connected to the network. Folders available for view include the Calendar, Inbox, Tasks, Journals, and Notes, (excluding only the Contacts folder) given the appropriate permission settings.
Delegate Access
With CTOC 3.0, users can grant other users delegate access to their folders, allowing the delegate to modify items in those folders. In addition, a delegate can also be given rights to send e-mail on behalf of the grantor. The FROM field of these e-mails will indicate that the originator is acting on behalf of someone else. This feature will require the IMAP4 server to support ACLs.
Security
SMTP Authentication - PLAIN, CRAM-MD5
CTOC 3.0 now implements the PLAIN and CRAM-MD5 SASL mechanisms for SMTP authentication, in addition to the LOGIN mechanism introduced in CTOC 2.0. These authentication mechanisms must be supported by the SMTP server.
IMAP4 Authentication - PLAIN
CTOC 3.0 now implements the PLAIN mechanism for IMAP4 authentication, in addition to the CRAM-MD5 mechanism introduced in CTOC 2.0. These authentication mechanisms must be supported by the IMAP4 server.
Availability
Re-connection to servers
Should CTOC 3.0 lose the connection to either the IMAP4 server or the calendar server, it will re-establish the connection without requiring the user to close and re-open Outlook.
Usability
Outlook Bar shortcuts
CTOC 3.0 supports persistent Outlook Bar shortcuts, giving users quick and easy access to their most frequently used folders.
Improved reporting of resource conflicts and Can't Book Me errors
CTOC 3.0 improves on the resource and scheduling conflict reporting of version 2.0 by listing the resources and users whose schedules conflict. Determining the source of a conflict is easier and quicker, without the need to go to the Attendee Availability page for a full Free/Busy look up.
New menu commands
CTOC 3.0 adds new menu commands to improve ease of use:
- Tools | IMAP4 Folders: This command allows the user to subscribe to and unsubscribe from IMAP4 folders quickly, without the need to go into the Outlook Today Properties... dialog box.
- Check/Uncheck Subfolders: Appears when selecting which folders to make available for off-line use.
- Tools | Other Users' Folders | Refresh This Folder: Refreshes the contents of the folder when invoked.
Adding users and resources to off-line lists
While working off-line, the CorporateTime Address Book lists display only a maximum number of entries specified by the calendar server administrator. By default, if the "Download Address Book" option is enabled, the synchronization procedure will incrementally make any users and resources that are part of a users CorporateTime data (e.g. attendees to meetings) available for off-line use. With CTOC 3.0, the user can select users and resources to download to their off-line address lists. These entries will then be available while working off-line. A simple menu command allows users to synchronize off-line lists with the latest server information.
Using CTOC without a calendar account
CTOC 3.0 users do not need a calendar account in order to take advantage of the IMAP4 mail server. However, users with no calendar account will only be given the opportunity to manage their Calendar, Contacts, Journals, and Notes folders locally in off-line mode.
Other miscellaneous features
IMAP4 alerts
CTOC 3.0 will display IMAP4 alerts set by the server administrator.
Indicator for unavailable servers
CTOC 3.0 will use the Outlook bar to indicate when one or more servers are unavailable. More detailed information is available by clicking on the icon displayed.
Support for e-mail Internet headers
CTOC 3.0 will support viewing Internet headers on e-mail messages through the Message Options dialog box.
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