Hey everyone! I'm looking for your advice on the best approach to set up a company-wide contact list. I've heard that Microsoft suggests using a shared mailbox where all necessary contacts can be added and delegated to users. Is this really the best option, or are there better alternatives? I mainly need this for easy access to people's email addresses and phone numbers. Thanks for your insights!
4 Answers
A good option is to add contacts as mail contacts in Exchange Online and include them in distribution lists where applicable. It gives a nice balance of accessibility without clutter.
What you’re describing sounds like it’s more about having a central mailing list for communications. However, you might want to consider the Global Address List (GAL) that’s built into Microsoft systems. It automatically includes everyone in your organization who has an email account, so it could eliminate the need for a separate list altogether.
You might also want to look into Cirasync for syncing your global address list with the Microsoft Outlook app. It can streamline accessing contacts more efficiently.
We usually go with distribution lists. It’s pretty straightforward to set up, and you can easily select who to email. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t solve the pesky reply-all issue, which is another challenge to tackle!
Totally! We have HR approve messages sent to our distribution lists. That way, they can review emails before they go out to everyone, which helps curb the reply-all chaos.
Another tip is to train senders to use the BCC field for large group emails; it can help keep replies down!