Using Windows Messenger Integration

[ Team LiB ]


Using Windows Messenger Integration
Because many Outlook users also use Windows Messenger, Outlook contacts provide
integration between Windows Messenger contacts and email.
You can enable Windows Messenger integration from the Tools, Options, Other tab. The
Person Name smart tag, as shown in Figure 7.1
, is enabled by default when you install
Outlook. Check Display Messenger Status in the From Field to include the Messenger
status icon with the smart tag.
Figure 7.1. The sender's Messenger status displays in the message header when the
Person Name smart tag and Display Messenger Status are enabled.

When the sender is in your contact list, the Messenger icon displays her status. The icon
is gray when the sender is not in your Messenger contact list, when Display Messenger
Status is disabled, or when you are not signed into Windows Messenger.
Disabling the Person smart tag removes many of the options
available when you click on names or addresses in the message
header. However, you can still right-click on the names and choose
Add to Contacts and Look Up Contacts.
When Messenger integration is disabled, the smart tag includes
many of the same menu options, except for the ones requiring
Messenger.

When the sender is on your Messenger contact list, you'll see the menu shown in Figure
7.1. This menu shows the person's online status and includes options to send them an
email message, send an instant message, create a new contact, or open the person's
contact.

Additional Actions lists actions for other smart tags you've installed

that work with contacts. A sample smart tag, Find People, searches
all of your Contacts folders for matching names. It's available at
/>.

The smart tag works automatically when the sender's email address is his Messenger
address and is on your Messenger contact list. However, many Messenger users use
Hotmail or another email address as their Messenger address; in that case, you have to
add that user's Messenger addresses to the IM field on his contact form. After you do this,
the Person Name smart tag shows his Messenger status and you can send him an instant
message by selecting Send Instant Message from the Person Name smart tag menu.
Smart tags are functions that detect keywords in a document and
provide options based on the type of keyword. For example, a Stock
smart tag detects all potential stock symbols. Smart tags remain
hidden until you hover your mouse over the text; at that point, a
small button becomes visible. When you click on the button, several
options are available on a menu. Office comes with several
preinstalled smart tags; look for the list at Tools, AutoCorrect
Options, Smart Tags. When Word is used as the email editor, smart
tags are available in your messages.
Paste Options and AutoCorrect Options look like smart tags, but are
technically just options buttons because they can't be enhanced.

The Messenger icon is red and the Send Instant Message item is dimmed on the Person
Names menu when the sender is offline.
If the sender isn't on your Messenger contact list, the Person Names menu contains the
Add to Messenger Contacts option and the Messenger icon is gray. Choosing Add to
Messenger Contacts initiates a connection to the Passport server to confirm that the
address has a Passport account. If a Passport account exists for the address, Outlook adds
the address to your Messenger contact list. When the address is not associated with a
Passport, a dialog informs that you the address does not exist in the Passport database.

Only valid Passport addresses can be added to the Messenger contact list.
The Person Name smart tag also works in Word. However, the
Messenger contact's display name must match the name entered into
Word and contain the first and last names for the tag to be enabled.
For example, DianeP as a display name in Messenger doesn't enable
the Person Name smart tag, but the tag does work with Diane P.

[ Team LiB ]