To get to this screen, click on the Outlook Icon in the Advisors Assistant Sidebar.

Microsoft Email Options Overview

In 2012, Microsoft expanded its options for retrieving email.  Microsoft has also re-branded some of it's email offerings.

Hotmail is now Outlook.com or Outlook Web Access, Office 365 has been introduced.  Live.com is also in the picture.  Exchange Server has been expanded.  Advisors Assistant can only archive Outlook.com emails by using the IMAP methods described HERE.

Each mail option is targeted to a different market.  If you stay in your targeted market and your comfort zone, you should do well.

Use the HELP TOPICS at the bottom of this "Master Help" to link to the information that will help you or your IT person get you set up.

Setting Up Your Email Account

Before Advisors Assistant can archive mail and sync your calendar, you must already have your mail working with your email account.  We cannot help you set up your email.

The brief video below demonstrates Outlook Synchronization using Outlook Installed Locally, but it applies to other Outlook options as well.

Outlook Synchronization Part 1 of 3 (3:59)

Outlook Synchronization Part 2 of 3 (5:35)

Outlook Synchronization Part 3 of 3 (5:05)

Setting Up Email Archiving (6:14)

Outlook / Outlook Web App Synchronization Overview

The icon that appears on the Sidebar Menu will depend on whether Outlook or Exchange OWA is authorized and in use by the user.

Advisors Assistant will send data back and forth to Microsoft Outlook for use with any PDA that synchronizes with Outlook.

You must be using Outlook 2003 or later to synchronize Advisors Assistant with Outlook.

Note:  If you have Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, or 2013 installed on your computer, you are most likely using Outlook even if your Outlook program gets the mail from an exchange server.

Don't Use Both OWA & Outlook

You cannot use both OWA and Outlook Installed Locally to make appointments and other events in Exchange Server.  You have to use one or the other.  If you use OWA, you should uninstall Outlook (after copying your Outlook PST file to back it up).  The reason is that Outlook will not know when OWA makes changes in Exchange Server and it may not sync correctly.  These are two separate system and not designed by Microsoft to work together.

If you are using Outlook installed locally, you could use OWA to view your calendar and Emails as long as you don't make changes.

Advisors Assistant And Microsoft Mail Options

Outlook Installed Locally

A vast majority of Advisors Assistant users, as of 2013 use Outlook Installed Locally.  This is the version of Outlook that comes with Microsoft Office.  Outlook has been in existence for more than 15 years and has a rich array of features.

For the past 10+ years Advisors Assistant has had close integration with Outlook using an "Add-In" which is a program that runs inside outlook.  It is able to do this because of a special certificate we have that indicates we are a trusted source.

The Outlook Add-in can only run with Outlook programs installed locally because other version of Outlook run in browsers and those programs are actually running on servers located on the internet.  Their security prevents any access to the program from outside the server (other than running in the browser.)

Outlook Installed Locally provides these functions:

Office 365

Outlook 365 uses a version of Exchange Server maintained by Microsoft.  However, the method of connection is different, so setting up Office 365 in Advisors Assistant is different.

Email access comes with Office 365. This access is usually done through a browser running Internet Explorer 9 or later.

Advisors Assistant can access your 365 Outlook account and provide the following features:

Outlook Web App (OWA) And Exchange Server

These features are available Enterprise Edition Of Advisors Assistant) only.

Exchange Server is designed for larger organizations who install their mail application (Exchange Server) on their own network. Since the Enterprise Edition of Advisors Assistant is designed to run on the organization's network also, we are able to expand the functionality of our sychronization.

The following features are available when Advisors Assistant is installed on the same network as Exchange Server in the Enterprise.

Follow The Links Below Based On Your Outlook Choice

Outlook Installed Locally

Office 365

Outlook Web App