Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition, offers several improvements. These include notes, tasks, and categories synchronization, logging, and calendar improvements. The following paragraphs discuss the new and improved features that are added when you install this latest version of Entourage.
Notes, tasks, and categories synchronize with Exchange Server
Users can synchronize their notes, tasks, and categories with Microsoft Exchange Server. For example, when a user adds tasks in Entourage, the task list is synchronized with Exchange Server. Then the user can view those tasks from any Exchange Server client application: Entourage, Microsoft Office Outlook, or Outlook Web Access Premium. Also, categories are synchronized with Exchange Server and are compatible with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.
NoteAn Entourage delegate cannot open an owner’s tasks and notes.
Autodiscover service
The Autodiscover service was introduced in Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 1 (12.1.0) to configure a user's Exchange account settings automatically. In Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition, the Autodiscover service keeps user account settings up-to-date after the account setup. The Autodiscover service offers the following advantages:
It runs in the background every time that a user starts Entourage.
It also runs at a server-defined interval, typically every hour, to make sure that Exchange Server settings are always kept up-to-date. For example, when a user's Exchange Server information changes, Entourage 2008 reconfigures the user's profile automatically.
When a user's mailbox is moved to another server, Autodiscover service detects the move and updates the settings.
The service also runs if a network failure occurs while Entourage is connecting to the Exchange server.
If Entourage connects to the Exchange server with updated settings from the Autodiscover service, those settings are stored and used for future connections. For more information about the Autodiscover service, see How the Autodiscover service works with Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition.
A preference setting to enable logging (troubleshooting)
You can enable logging for diagnostic purposes by selecting the Enable Logging (troubleshooting) preference. Microsoft Customer Service and Support uses the diagnostic information to identify issues, such as Exchange synchronization, calendar, LDAP, and Autodiscover service issues.
For more information about how to enable or disable logging for specific features, see Turning logging on or off in Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition.
Attachments to Exchange calendar events
Users can add attachments to calendar meetings. If users send an invitation with attachments, the meeting on the recipient's calendar shows the attachment.
