The Zimbra Connector for Outlook (ZCO) allows users to delegate access to mail folders, calendars, contacts and tasks with other users utilizing the ZCO or the webmail client. Sharing your Zimbra items lets you collaborate with others, allowing them to make changes to or letting them simply view the item details based upon the permissions you assign to the user.

 

In order to share these items, you must have the Zimbra sharing add-in enabled within the ZCO. The server automatically checks if this add-in is enabled when you first start Outlook. If it is not enabled, an alert message asks if you want to enable it.

 

To enable this add-in at a later date, go to:

 

Outlook 2003 and 2007: Help>Disabled Items. Select the Zimbra Sharing Addin and click Enable.

 

Outlook 2010: File>Options. The Outlook Option box will appear. Select Add-Ins. Select Disabled Items under Manage. Select the Zimbra Sharing Addin and click Enable.

 

 

 

Users can delegate access by setting up Internal, External and Public shares. Below you will find a little more information about each one.

 

 

 

The first step is to locate the mail folder, calendar or contact folder/address book you wish to share and right-click on it. Within the pop-up menu, you will select Properties:

 

 

 

 

After selecting the Properties for the item you wish to delegate access to, the Properties dialog will appear. Within the Properties dialog, you will want to select the Sharing tab. On the Sharing tab, you will select Add.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After selecting Add, the Sharing Settings dialog will appear. Within this dialog, you will identify whether you wish to share the folder internally (most common), externally or to create a public share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internal Share: Creates an internal share that allows Zimbra users or groups listed within the Global Address List (GAL) for your domain to view the folder. You select the types of privileges to grant to internal users.

 

External Share: Creates an external share that allows you to specify an external user to view your folder using his/her email address and a password that you assign. External users cannot make any changes to the information that they view. 

 

Public Share: Creates a public share that allows anyone to view the folder using the URL of the Folder.  These viewers cannot make any changes to the information that they view. 

 

Note: Mail Folders can only be shared internally. 

 

 

 

These instructions will focus on the creation of an internal share. Internal will be the default option selected under Share With:
 

 

 

 

 

You will select OK to select Internal and proceed with the the setup. 

 

After selecting the share type, the Select Users dialog will appear:

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will select the drop-down arrow under Address Book and select Global Address List.  After selecting Global Address List, all the current email addresses for your domain will appear. You will select the name/address of the party to whom you wish to delegate access.  You can do this by clicking on the name to highlight and then selecting OK or by double-clicking on the name. 

 

Note: Shares are only created for one person at a time. To share with more than one person, you will need to repeat the steps. 

 

After you have selected the individual you wish to delegate access to, you will be returned to the Properties box for the specified folder.  Here you will assign privileges and Permission Levels to the individual:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A Permission Level is a preset combination of access privileges.

 

The access privileges are defined below:

 

Read: Allows viewing of items within the shared folder

 

Edit: Allows editing of content within the shared folder

 

Create: Allows items to be added within the shared folder

 

Delete: Allows items to be deleted within the shared folder

 

Act on workflow: Allows the ability to respond to requests

 

Administer folder: Allows the ability to modify the permissions of the folder

 

 

 

The following are the Permission Levels that can be granted when delegating access:

 

Administrator: (Has all privileges outlined above) The grantee has the same access to the folder as the owner. The administrator can create new items in the folder, read and edit the content of the folder, administer the folder, act on workflow items and delete items from the folder.

 

Delegate: (Privileges: Read, Edit, Create, Delete, Act on workflow). The grantee can create new items in the folder, read and edit the contents in the folder, act on workflow items and delete items from the folder.

 

Reviewer: (Privileges: Read). The grantee can read the content of the folder. This is the default.

 

 

 

From the drop-down box for Permission Level:, select the desired permission level. After selecting the level, click Apply and OK to preserve the share you just created.

 

 

 

You have now delegated access to the chosen folder to another Zimbra user. A notification email is sent to the person to whom you have delegated access. A sample of the notification email is shown below:

 

 

In order for the grantee to view the shared folders, they will have to mount the shared folders via the ZCO in Outlook. Steps for mounting shared items can be located here.