Microsoft Integrations

[mcoulter]

I’m just trying to understand all of the verbiage of Microsoft Integration with Nextcloud. Is it that Nextcloud just offers methods to integrate with Exchange servers and Office 365 accounts? Or is there the ability to have integration with Microsoft Outlook as a desktop interface with Nextcloud without the existence of an Exchange server or Office 365 account?

I ask because I do have users that would like to use the Desktop apps but we have our own private dovecot server so I’m trying to avoid any contact with Microsoft or Google and keep everything on the cloud-level within our private control.

Any clarifications are welcome. Thanks.

[bb77]

@mcoulter

Or is there the ability to have integration with Microsoft Outlook as a desktop interface with Nextcloud without the existence of an Exchange server or Office 365 account?

What exactly do you want it to integrate with? Files, contacts, calendar?

@mcoulter

contact with Microsoft or Google and keep everything on the cloud-level within our private control.

If you’re serious about privacy, you shouldn’t use Outlook at all (or Windows for that matter), as it looks like Outlook will soon be just a front-end for the MS cloud, anyways, so even if you use your own IMAP server, it will still sync those accounts with their cloud: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sync-your-account-in-outlook-to-the-microsoft-cloud-985f9e19-d308-4e85-9d1d-0c6f32f8e981?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us

I recommend using Thunderbird, which is a better IMAP client than Outlook anyways, plus you can connect your Nextcloud calendars and contacts via CardDAV/CalDAV, so there’s no need for any (proprietary) plugins and integrations.

[mcoulter]

I agree, just struggling with users that are having a hard time giving up Outlook. I have used Thunderbird (personally I’m fine with Nextcloud Hub and the SnappyMail app). I just didn’t know why I see a lot of effort here for Microsoft Integration when it seems like you would just use all of their suite if you are using them at all. So I figured I must be missing something.

[tflidd]

They have some Microsoft integration but in the enterprise version only:

Nextcloud Enterprise for enterprises and organizations

and about what is integrated:

Microsoft Outlook and Teams integrations in Nextcloud

For all the enterprise features, it is best to contact the Nextcloud company directly.

[bb77]

@mcoulter

I just didn’t know why I see a lot of effort here for Microsoft Integration when it seems like you would just use all of their suite if you are using them at all. So I figured I must be missing something.

Well, these “efforts” are clearly aimed at companies that want to use both Exchange and Nextcloud for whatever reason.

[mcoulter]

Ok, this is what I was picturing but still found confusing. So I was just seeking clarification. It seems that using Nextcloud in this way is just masking a problem already inherent in using MS products. If Outlook were still available as a simple mail reader it would be one thing, but I am not a fan of the Microsoft Cloud syncing.

[bb77]

@mcoulter

Ok, this is what I was picturing but still found confusing. So I was just seeking clarification. It seems that using Nextcloud in this way is just masking a problem already inherent in using MS products.

Not sure what you mean… You can use Nextcloud completely without Microsoft. But many companies can’t or don’t want to, so they need it to interact with their Exchange servers or connect to their M365 email accounts. But that doesn’t affect you in any way. If you don’t want to use the MS Cloud, don’t use the MS Cloud

@mcoulter

If Outlook were still available as a simple mail reader it would be one thing, but I am not a fan of the Microsoft Cloud syncing.

Well yes, but what has that to do with Nextcloud?

…and btw, Outlook has always been primarily an Exchange client, and at least to me, its POP3/IMAP integration always felt like a second-class citizen.

[mcoulter]

I’m completely with you. Just saying I have staff that love using Outlook for their personal email and expect to use the desktop app for “one stop shopping”. I’m heavily encouraging them not to do this. I just was clarifying whether Nextcloud-Microsoft Integration meant that you could use the Outlook app to interface email and calendar without the need of an Exchange server or 365 account. Of course my users also think Thunderbird looks ugly compared to Outlook

[bb77]

@mcoulter

I just was clarifying whether Nextcloud-Microsoft Integration meant that you could use the Outlook app to interface email and calendar without the need of an Exchange server or 365 account.

There are third party tools that can do that. One that comes to mind, would be https://caldavsynchronizer.org/, which explicitly mentions Nextcloud. But I never tested it myself, so I can’t tell you whether it’s any good…

[mcoulter]

@bb77

licitly mentions Nextcloud. But I never tested it myself, so I can’t tell you whether it’s any good…

Yes, I’m actually circling around that myself as I have Sogo on my mail server and think that I may have to use it to help sync calendar events with attendee status. I cannot seem to get that to work natively in Nextcloud if an event includes external domain users.

[usselite]

You can download through our website sendent.com the free version of the Outlook integration. It works with POP and IMAP in the old Outlook integration. It does not work with the “new” UI.

Unfortunately the new cross-platform Outlook plugin that was announced a few months ago, does not with with any other mailprovider than a Microsoft product (M365, Exchange, Live.com, Hotmail.com etc). It is a limitation imposed by Microsoft…