Kerio Connect – Precise control of Out of Office messages

Kerio Connect was recently updated to 7.3 this month, bringing with it a number of improvements including better performance and stability, support for more devices & systems and a number of features to make management and setup easier. We will be deploying this update to our clients in the near future.

One of the improvements is you now have precise control over your Out of Office replies.

You can now set you set the date and time period that you want the Out of Office messages to be active for. You no longer need to leave turning on your Out of Office message until the last minute, and you do not have to remember to turn it off when you no longer need it.

To set the away message, log into your webmail and set the Out of Office message by going to the ‘Settings’ menu and selecting ‘Out of Office’. Tick the ‘Send Out of Office messages’ option, set the date & time for period you want the Out of Office message for, enter your message, then click ‘OK’.

You can also set your Out of Office Message directly from Outlook (Windows) by clicking on the ‘Out of Office’ button in the Kerio Connect toolbar. Entourage or Outlook 2011 (Mac) users can set their Out of Office message by selecting ‘Out of Office…’ from the ‘Tools’ menu.

Kerio Connect, Mac OSX, Mail, Mail Server, Out of Office, Outlook, Tip, Webmail

How to set your ‘Out of Office’ message when using Kerio Connect

Apple Mail
Apple Mail doesn’t have a built-in method of setting an Out of Office message, using a rule within Apple Mail can cause a loop of never ending emails as it replies to all messages (including auto responders). The good news is that it can be set using the Kerio Connect webmail.

Webmail
Everyone can use webmail to set the Out of Office message, handy if you are away from your computer when you want to set it.

To set the away message, log into your webmail. Note: we setup our clients webmail address in the format ‘http://mail.clientname.co.nz’ (where clientname.co.nz is your companies actual domain name). Once logged in you can set the Out of Office message by going to the ‘Settings’ menu and selecting ‘Out of office’. Tick the ‘I am out of office now’ option and enter your message, then click ‘OK’.

In Outlook
The Out of office message can be set by using the ‘Out Of Office’ button in the Kerio toolbar within Outlook. If you do not have the Kerio toolbar active you can also set the Out of Office message can be set by going to the ‘Tools’ menu and selecting ‘Options’, then click on the ‘Kerio Connect’ tab, then click on the ‘Out of Office…’ button. Tick the ‘I’m out of office’ option and enter your message, then click ‘OK’.

In Entourage 2008
The Out of Office message can be set by going to the ‘Tools’ menu and selecting ‘Out of Office’. Tick the ‘Send Out of Office messages’ option and enter your message, then click ‘OK’.

Turning off the Out of Office message
The next time you log into Webmail, Outlook or Entourage you will be asked if you want to turn off the Out of Office message.

Apple, Apple Mac Support, Kerio Connect, Mail, Mail Server, Microsoft, Out of Office, Outlook, Tip, Webmail

Google Nexus One

What would the Google Nexus One (aka: the SuperPhone) be like running on New Zealand’s networks? Well, we have the answer! We have had a Nexus One for a while now and have prepared a simple “review” of how we have found it.

The first things you notice when you get the Nexus One out of the box is how well built it is. It is very similar to the iPhone in size and weight. Once powered on, we loaded up a Vodafone SIM and started testing. During the tests, we loaded up a 2degrees SIM and found that worked perfectly – and a Telecom XT SIM. The Telecom XT SIM worked in the city centers, but is not supported outside of city limits.

Making a call is just as easy as the iPhone and the sound quality is excellent. The screen is very bright (although in very bright sunlight, the iPhone is a bit better). Using the interface is similar to the iPhone – although the Android operating system is a bit “geeky” compared to the iPhone.

Everything is synced through google.com – but you can use an application called Doubletwist to sync details on both Mac and PC. The Nexus One is also supported by Kerio Connect.

The Android Market is full of applications which can be downloaded and installed on your phone.

So, is it better than the iPhone? No, it is just different. If you are a true “geek” then the Google Nexus One might be a better solution for you.

Google, Nexus

Introducing Kerio Connect

Kerio Connect, previously known as Kerio MailServer has been released. When Kerio MailServer was first launched it focused on email and email security, the new name and branding aims to highlight the collaboration strengths of the messaging platform.

Kerio Connect has introduced new features including;

CardDAV support, this is a new protocol that allows Snow Leopard users to easily synchronise contacts from their Address Book without the need for a Sync Connector. You can also browse and edit company wide shared contacts.

Performance improvements, Kerio Connect uses a more efficient file access method to improve accessing and listing mailbox folders.

New mobile device support, allows over-the-air synchronisation of HTC Hero, Motorola DROID, Google Nexus One and Palm Pre mobile devices. It is possible to synchronise email messages, tasks, contacts and calendar events.

Distributed Domains, this is a feature that allows multiple installations of Kerio Connect to work together to share collaboration resources. This is ideal for companies with multiple offices locations.

Other features include; IMAP server improvement for multi-session connections, retention policy for messages, HTML webmail editor for Safari 4, and complete web administration.

Digital Arena will be managing the Kerio Connect update to our existing Kerio MailServer clients in the very near future.

Address Book, Android, CardDAV, iCal, Kerio Connect

Snow Leopard software update

We have been testing all current applications with Snow Leopard and have a few updates which you might find useful.

• Suitcase Fusion 2 has just been updated for Snow Leopard.
• Kerio have a beta for Kerio MailServer that adds Snow Leopard iCal support.
• Cyberduck also has a Snow Leopard beta update out too.

We expect a 10.6.1 to arrive soon – which will improve on the release day version. We are finding the speed of Snow Leopard to be noticeable and well worth the upgrade over Leopard. Stayed tuned!

Apple, Extensis, Kerio Connect, Snow Leopard

Quick Tip: Private Events in iCal with Kerio MailServer

If you have Mac OSX Leopard and are using iCal with your Kerio MailServer then there is a way to set an iCal event as private in your shared calendar.

Simply create a new iCal event and tick on the ‘private’ tick box. This will still sync your event to your phone and other devices, but for people who view your shared calendar it will appear as a ‘Private Event’ and no further details will be displayed.

This is great if you just want to use one calendar and have everything in it.

Apple, iCal, Kerio Connect

Kerio Certified Partner

Digital Arena has proven their technical and sales expertise to become a Kerio Certified Partner.  A Certified Partner has greater access to the support and resources provided by Kerio Technologies.

Neil McGowan is now a Kerio Certified Sales Professional and James Andre is a Kerio Certified Technical Professional.

Technical Certification was achieved for Kerio MailServer.

Over the last 18 months Digital Arena has been deploying Kerio MailServer as a cross platform collaboration tool to connect users with mail, calendars and contacts, while also sharing resources within their organisation.

With Kerio MailServer mail, calendar and contact information is stored centrally on the server so you can access your data at work, on the road and at home from your computer, smart phone or via webmail. And because your data is stored centrally it is secured with an automated backup without any downtime for users.

Digital Arena, Kerio Connect