How to Sync Global Address List with Outlook Contacts?

Even though smartphones and tablets can easily sync with a user’s Outlook contacts, there is no built-in method to sync the global address list (GAL) to employees’ Outlook. However, with innovative technologies, such as the Itrezzo contact manager, you can now synchronize public contacts with workers’ smartphones.

In this article, you will get a lot of insights on how to sync GAL with Outlook contacts.

What is the Global Address List?

A global address list contains contact particulars of corporate email users and their distribution groups. GAL is a vital tool for business entities that enable the staff to communicate with one another daily.

GAL is a centrally managed address book that contains the employees’ contact details, such as names, addresses, and emails. Note that an IT department usually maintains GAL and stores it on an exchange server. With GAL, your company can quickly move the email contacts of its employees from one email system to another.

You can automatically sync the global address list to Outlook contacts by simply selecting all the connections and then clicking the names of the users you want to target. By so doing, the GAL will appear on the users’ Outlook and smartphones.

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How does the Synching of GAL with Outlook Work?

Note that occasionally, the company’s contact management software synchronizes a copy of GAL to a contacts folder in employees’ mailboxes. Therefore, whenever there are changes in GAL, the software synchronizes them to users’ devices.

For you to utilize this service, your users are given their copy of the company’s address book. Once the contacts are available in employees’ mailboxes in Outlook, their phones will synchronize the contacts. Thereafter, addition, deletion, and changes are applied to update the contacts. Therefore, it is crucial to bear in mind that no additional software is required on the tablet to enhance the synchronization.

With GAL synchronization, you can import global address lists into the users’ mailbox contacts.

How to Add GAL to Contacts in Outlook

In this guide, you will learn the vital steps that you need to follow to add GAL to contacts in your Outlook. The following is a highlight of these procedures.

·         In your Outlook, click the ‘address book’ under the find area.

·         Select the ‘advance find’ option.

·         Type in the name of the person to find.

·         If the name appears on the search results, double-click on it. After that, the opening window will display the contact details of the person you are interested in.

·         Click on ‘add to contacts option.’

·         Where possible, you can change the details of the individual in the opening window.

·         Finally, save the changes and close.

Syncing a GAL with Outlook Contacts

Synchronizing GAL with Outlook is done to ensure that the contact list on your PC is updated. Also, synchronization is meant to ensure that all modifications to the GAL are reflected on your devices.

If you want to sync Global Address List (GAL) with Outlook Contacts, you must follow the following steps.

·         Click on the tab ‘send/receive’ to locate the option ‘download address book.’ You will notice that the option ‘download changes since last Send/receive’ in the offline address book is ticked.

·         Press OK to complete the process.

·         After that, all the changes are effected, and your email assistant is completely synchronized.

How to View a GAL in an Outlook Contact Folder

The following steps can help you view a GAL in an outlook contact folder:

·         Open Outlook and click ‘new’ to open a new email window

·         Press the ‘address book’ button, and then select the ‘GAL’ from the drop-down menu

·         Select entries that you would like to export to your contact folder

·         Finally, right-click the selected entries and select ‘add to contacts.’ The process will be complete within a few minutes.

If you want help on how to sync GAL with Outlook contacts, you can also contact professionals for assistance.        

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Advantages of Sync Global Address List (GAL) with Outlook Contacts

       Synchronizing GAL with Outlook contacts can benefit your organization a lot, as explained below.

·         Synchronizing GAL with Outlook contacts doesn’t require you to install any additional software on your phone or tablet.

·         There is no user involvement; hence no costs are incurred on training and deployment.

·         The synchronization entails a seamless process  with the exchange server

·         The synchronization enables the delivery of different address list to different users

·         Fast incremental updates characterize the process

Final Thoughts on How to Sync Global Address List with Outlook Contacts

Synchronizing of the global address list with Outlook contacts is essential for efficient management of communication in your organization. With innovative technologies, such as Itrezzo contact manager, you can automatically sync the global address list to Outlook contacts within a short time.