Find and book available rooms and any necessary services and resources — all within Microsoft® Outlook, an application users already know.
EMS for Microsoft Outlook is an optional add-in that integrates EMS room reservation processes directly with Outlook 2010 and later versions. Users can simultaneously view room availability in addition to attendee free / busy information and then book and manage their meetings directly within Outlook. An ideal EMS access point for reserving spaces used on a first-come, first-served basis.
Streamlined scheduling for every user
The EMS for Outlook plug-in module provides one-click access to self-service room reservation and resource booking from within the familiar Outlook personal scheduling interface. From within Outlook, EMS users can.
- Find available rooms and reserve them (using EMS business rules).
- Book reservations with resources, such as audio-visual equipment or catering, and reservations with service orders.
- Display the availability of users and resources through Exchange integration.
- Invite and update all participants via email.
- Resolve room conflicts for recurring meetings by selecting alternate rooms.
Why Outlook alone is not sufficient
Today’s workplace needs have surpassed the capabilities that Outlook alone can provide. While many organizations rely on Outlook to manage their meetings, the tool was never built to manage the realities of today’s workplaces and campuses. Schedulers get frustrated with too many calendars, too little information, and no reporting ability.
Outlook offers ‘Rooms as Resources’, which in reality books a mailbox that has been labeled as a ‘room’. Exchange and Outlook don’t understand what space is beyond a title and the ability to add certain limits on user requests and time horizons. For example, Outlook cannot:
- Offer access to services and resources to add to a meeting or event.
- Manage conflicts for recurring meetings.
- Provide advanced booking rules (such as no cutoff rules).
- Search for available rooms.
- Group or filter rooms per building / area / view.
- Offer a list of favorite (commonly used) spaces.
- Support room attributes or capture any additional meeting details.
- Report on meeting, service, and resource details.
- Create billing information and send detailed invoices.
Top Benefits
Flexible Scheduling
Book or change reservations in Outlook while using EMS features and booking rules.
Familiar
Seamlessly access EMS within Outlook, the familiar calendar and scheduling tool you’ve been using for years.
Transparent
Enable users to easily find the right space for their exact needs and send real-time updates when a meeting is cancelled or changed within Outlook.
Self-Service Friendly
Book self-serve spaces with support for recurring meetings, service orders, custom fields, billing info, and more.
Highly Configurable
Control what information is seen and what tasks users can perform.
Key Features
EMS for Outlook is an optional add-on for Microsoft® Outlook. When it’s installed, users see the EMS for Outlook icon in the top ribbon of the Outlook application window and at the top of any calendar item.
To create an EMS meeting in Outlook, simply click on the EMS icon within Outlook, make your reservation, and then save and send. With EMS for Outlook, users can:
- Book a one-time meeting, recurring meeting, or video conference.
- Choose from one or more booking templates based on user types and groups.
- Add services, like catering and A/V, and their billing information to a booking.
- Resolve room conflicts for changed or recurring meetings.
- Invite and update all participants via email.
- Search for available rooms throughout your EMS database.
- Filter by location, capacity, room attributes, and room type.
- View room, resource, and attendee availability (through Exchange integration).
- Define and select from Favorite rooms and buildings to save time.
- Drill down on any space or room to show details like capacity and photos.
- Use existing Outlook delegation rules and assignments.
- Create self-service video conferencing with Skype for Business.
When a user changes or cancels a meeting, the add-in automatically updates the EMS database. Should the user request a room or resource that does require approvals, EMS can be set to automatically alert the EMS administrator for any notifications or required approvals.
Technical Specifications
Pre-requisites for Enabling Users
Because EMS for Outlook is an optional access point, organizations must configure EMS to activate the add-in for Outlook users. Each Outlook user must also have an active EMS user account, which will establish their room booking privileges based on their assigned EMS groups and booking templates.
The EMS for Outlook Components
EMS for Outlook is comprised of two main components:
- The Integration to Microsoft® Exchange Web Service. This web service manages all communication / transactions between the EMS for Microsoft® Outlook and the EMS database including checking room availability, booking the meeting in EMS, and managing changes.
- EMS for Outlook Add-in. This add-in integrates EMS’ room reservation process directly with Microsoft Outlook 2010 and later versions. This add-in must be installed on each user’s PC desktop.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - Client*
| OPERATING SYSTEM |
NOTES |
| Office 365 |
|
| Outlook 2016 |
|
| Outlook 2013 |
|
| Outlook 2010 |
|
| .NET Framework |
4.6.2 |
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime |
VSTOR 2010 |
*Must be run on Microsoft Windows operating system. Outlook for Mac is not supported.
EXCHANGE REQUIREMENTS
| VERSION |
| Office 365 |
| Exchange 2016 |
| Exchange 2013 |
| Exchange 2010 SP3 |
For additional information, read Using EMS for Microsoft Outlook and EMS for Outlook Requirements.
GET STARTED
To learn more about these products, including pricing, contact EMS Software today at +1.800.440.3994 or info@emssoftware.com.
ABOUT US
EMS Software™ helps millions of people create great meetings. AIG, Yale University, Accenture, and thousands of others rely on EMS Software to increase productivity, attract and retain people, reduce costs, and differentiate their brand. EMS Software offers the greatest depth and breadth of functionality, the fastest and easiest way to schedule a meeting, and an exceptional customer experience. For more information, please visit emssoftware.com.
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