Sharing Made Easy with Public Folders

Public Folders: Sharing Made Easy

Microsoft Outlook describes Public Folders as folders which are generally approved and released to the Network to share certain information with other users. The owner of the released file can decide what rights they permit to the respective users. Is the user allowed to read the files, is he allowed to write, or is he entitled to do both? Of course the folder can be accessible to all users in the network as well. A precondition for this though, is that every user has to use the same email client. Public Folders in Outlook can contain contacts, calendar information, messages and other information.

A premise for this technical infrastructure is the groupware and intelligence system Microsoft Exchange Server. Microsoft developed this, among other reasons, to make it easier to administer the intranets of companies. The Exchange Server can filter the communication in the network through all established networks and, of course, allows the access via the internet worldwide.

Benefits of Using Public Folders

Public folders are easy to handle and quite self explanatory for all users. Each operating system recognizes the simple file and folder sharing structure. Special feature: Existing structures can be shared without much administrative effort, because the data does not have to be transferred to and from a complicated architecture. The existing file is simply expanded, and untrained users don’t have to pay attention to certain, possibly complicated, specifications. The released folders appear automatically on the desktop client and can be worked on instantly.

Because it is usually not one, but several Public Folders, filled with plenty of separate files, it can still be difficult to find certain files. Good advice about how to save, search and find files is dearly needed.

Lookeen Desktop Search can be automatically integrated after the installation of Outlook, these Public Folders are not a problem for the add-on. After approval, the Public Folders can be instantly indexed. This enables you to network the company quickly and at a low cost, without having to establish complicated infrastructures. Additionally, Lookeen is able to keep the shared folders up to date in real time, meaning it indexes the folders in the background, without the user even noticing. Files are therefore always active, up to date and available in the entire network. That in turn enables the teamwork and the flow of information in the company to increase.

Learn more about how Outlook 2013 works with public folders, or go to the Lookeen Enterprise Search page to see how we can help find your documents, enterprise-wide.