Add-In: WHS Outlook 2011 Released
The Office Maven (also known as Mike Craven) has released WHS Outlook 2011 an add-in for Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials.
WHS Outlook 2011 can now run Microsoft Outlook on any computer on your network (or on any computer anywhere in the world) just as if it were running directly on the local computer. Outlook runs in its own fully resizable window with its own entry in the taskbar. Its popup windows are redirected to the local desktop, its notification area icons appear in the local computer’s notification area, and the local computer’s drives and printers can be redirected to it; making a completely seamless experience for the end-user.
It allows a single installation of Microsoft Outlook to be shared by up to 10 computers on your network (up to 25 for SBS and WSS). Providing all of your users with full access to their e-mail, contacts, calendars, tasks, etc. locally from their network-attached computer, or remotely from anywhere in the world using the server’s built-in Remote Web Access website.
WHS Outlook 2011 is available as a 21 day trial after which it will cost you $39.99. Detailed instructions on how to install and use the add-in are included in the ReadMe.txt file that accompanies the download.
Mike has also stated that he shall be releasing 2011 versions of his WHS Office, WHS QuickBooks, and WHS Quicken add-ins in the coming weeks with priority going first to WHS Office 2011 – Great news!
More information on WHS Outlook 2011 can be found here.
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Got WHS Outlook running with Office 2010. The result gets pretty close to running outlook that is locally installed: it does NOT look like webmail, but is an exact copy of outlook in a normal windows.
WHS can’t install it on my client pc’s in launcpad. Everytime a error Can’t install WHS Outlook on client pc!
Is there someone with a solution?
Thnx
Hi Maikel,
I’m not able to replicate that problem here on any of my in-house test machines, and to date, no one else has written in with a similar problem and so I’m not quite sure what’s going wrong there. However, if you’d like to contact me via the technical support page on my website (http://www.TheOfficeMaven.com/support) with further details (such as what operating system your client PC is running, whether you’re using WHS 2011, WSBS 2011 Essentials, or WSS 2008 R2 Essentials, etc.), I’ll see what else I can come up with to try and get it working for you.
Sorry for the hassle.
— MIKE (The Office Maven)
Hi Mike
I’ve been look for a way of connecting to my home server via ( web access ) and picking up my Email when I’m away from the home office, I came across your outlook Addin and thought Yes that’s what I’m looking for, it is possible to work this way or do I need to be on the local network, if so, I’m having an issue when trying to launch it , I get a certificate error, the reason for this is I’m using a Dyndns address and not a vanity domain from Microsoft i.e. home server.com and I think the RDP session is unable to verify my certificate, has any got any way around this in order to use office mavin products ?? I’m also unable to re-register for a home server.com domain as I constantly get an error stating that Microsoft could not contacted / registed at this time pls try again later.
Hi Micheal,
Yes, WHS Outlook 2011 allows you to interact with Microsoft Outlook both from your local machine (via the LaunchPad application), and from almost anywhere using your server’s built-in Remote Web Access website.
When connecting to WHS Outlook 2011 via your server’s Remote Web Access website, a Remote Desktop Gateway connection is used which encapsulates the Remote Desktop Protocol over HTTPS to help form a secure, encrypted connection between the Internet and your server (without the need for a Virtual Private Network). In order for the RD Gateway connection to take place, a valid security certificate (specific for your domain name) must be in installed on the server.
When using one of the free “x.homeserver.com” vanity domain names provided by Microsoft, the security certificate is provided free of charge by Go-Daddy, and it is automatically installed and setup on your server. Since you are using your own custom domain name for your server, you will need to purchase a security certificate for it and manually install it on your server in order to successfully use WHS Outlook 2011.
Note that this requirement is not unique to WHS Outlook 2011. You will most likely find that you are not able to connect to the server Dashboard application via the server’s built-in Remote Web Access website either, as it has the exact same RD Gateway/TS Gateway connection requirements in order to make a secure connection with your server over the Internet (i.e. a valid security cert is required in order to verify your server and make the connection).
— MIKE
I have a support question, but unfortunately the support form doesn’t work:
“Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact administrator by other way.”
I keep geeting this message for 2 days now, using different texts ans browsers.
Furthermore, on the website it states
“We discard unread any e-mail which contains a product support query, but which is not submitted using the support request form. We regret that we cannot provide general support for any Microsoft or Intuit products.”
Now that sucks.
Mike, if you would like to get my 50 bucks for WHS Office 2011, please get in contact with me.
Hi PublicBenemy,
Sorry about the problem you had with the support form on my website. I upgraded the website to WordPress 3.4 a couple of days ago and apparently doing so broke the mailer on my support page. Looks like it’s a known problem. I’ll see what I can do in order to get it working again. Thanks for the heads up on the problem.
Other than that, I don’t see why you are upset that I don’t offer general support for Microsoft or Intuit products??? I don’t get paid by either company to handle technical support for their products, and quite frankly, I don’t have the resources to do so even if I wanted to (which I don’t).
Since I have no way of contacting you (other than via this reply), you’ll need to get a hold of me if you have a support issue pertaining to one of my add-ins. You can either wait for my support page to begin working again, or you can email me directly using my “mike” @ “TheOfficeMaven” “.com” email address.
— MIKE
Thank you very much for your post, Mike. I will send you an email with my questions.
Oh, and I’m totally fine with your attitude towards support request on M$/Intuit products. I don’t expect you supporting other company’s products (I hope nobody does). I shouldn’t have copied this explicit sentence.
I was upset about the fact that there is no way to put my support question — the form was broken and the website says “I will only answer to requests submitted by form.”
This paradox situation doesn’t give confidence to a potential customer …
Hi PublicBenemy,
You are indeed correct. I have now fixed the support form on my website, and I have reworded that particular sentence on the support form widget so that it better conveys the message that I was actually trying to get across (i.e. no spam!). I have also added my email address to the generic “failed to send” error message of the support form just in case it happens to ever go down again. That way at least you’ll know where to email for help if there’s a problem with the form.
Thanks, and once again, I’m sorry for the hassle.
— MIKE