User Icon Rules

What is the 'User Communication Portal' ?

Active Directory contains a number of attributes related to telephone, email and web site addresses for user objects.  These contact-related attributes are all accessed and modified using the 'Contact' tab on the User Properties dialog.  The User Communication Portal option is used to display and use these attributes to initiate communication (ie mail, phone, web browser).   The User Communication Portal is accessible on the Account Functions sub-menu when right clicking on any Active Directory user.

Creating Communication Templates

The Communication Portal will display all values for any mail, phone, or web attributes which contain a value.  Select an attribute by either double-clicking on the value, or clicking the Email, Call, or Visit Website buttons.

Before email or a phone-related communication can be initiated, one or more templates must be created.  The purpose of the templates is to allow quick recall of any settings or values.  For example, with an email communication, one template can be created for a scheduled system maintenance announcement, while another template can be used for another type of message.  Templates can be created for email and phone contacts; web addresses can be visited directly.

Use the New or Edit buttons to create a new template or modify an existing template.  Double-clicking on a template will initiate the communication using the selected template.

Visiting Web Sites

To visit a web site, simply double-click on a web address, or select one or more websites and click the Visit Website button.

Email Communication

To send an email, select one or more email addresses and click the E-Mail... button. The current email communication templates (if any) will be displayed.

The email communication uses the mailto:: protocol. This protocol supports specifying default values for the subject, cc:, bcc:, and message body of the email. These are all optional values and are stored into the template. By creating multiple templates, a different message type can be configured for different purposes, ie a scheduled system shutdown, company announcement, etc.

After selecting a template, either double-click on the template name or use the Select button to send the email. The mailto:: protocol will display the current email client. Normally, this does not actually send the message; the Send button will still need to be clicked on in the email client to transmit the message.

Phone Communication

To initiate a phone communication, select one or more phone numbers and click the Call... button. The current call communication templates (if any) will be displayed.

The calling communication uses the callto:: protocol. This protocol uses a number of parameters and settings. For a complete description of the settings, search for "callto::" using any browser.  Microsoft NetMeeting, if installed, will normally be associated with most protocols.  Skype, if installed, will also detect a callto: attempt and automatically execute if the address is configured properly.