Most users manage the absence notifications themselves via Outlook. Before a planned absence, such as vacation, the user enters the desired message and, if necessary, specifies a deputy. In addition, the helpdesk or a user's line manager should usually also be able to enter an absence notification for users; this is usually useful for unplanned absences, for example in the event of illness.
How the company implements the absence notifications is usually very different. Some rely on PowerShell scripts, some use an Identity Manager with approval processes. There are various ways to achieve this.
One of these ways is the free tool "Out of Office Manager" from CodeTwo. The Out of Office Manager is particularly suitable for smaller companies or for the helpdesk.
As I have already had a few inquiries about scripts and the like, I would like to briefly introduce the tool. As already mentioned, it is free to use and can be installed with just a few clicks.
For this short article, I installed the "Out of Office Manager" on a client PC (as is usually done in the HelpDesk).
After installation, the connection to the on-prem Exchange Server or Office 365 is briefly configured:
The connection can be configured either directly with Autodiscover or manually:
A user with the appropriate rights is required to create out-of-office messages. A separate account with impersonation authorization can be created so that an admin user does not have to be specified here.
You can find instructions on how to do this here:
Create RBAC-compliant account for CodeTwo Software
I have created the "OOOManager" account for this purpose:
In the last step, the connection to Exchange / Office 365 can be tested:
After configuration, the absence notifications can be clearly managed.
In my case, the health mailboxes of the Exchange Server are also displayed here, as I have not specified a corresponding scope for the OOFManager account:
The absence notification can now be created by selecting the relevant area and clicking the "Add" button. As you can see here, you can use ready-made or your own templates. Dynamic data such as "Start", "End", "First/last name", "Department" and many other data can be read from the Active Directory and used within the template. Here is a simple template:
With the "Recurrence" option, absence messages can be entered on a recurring basis (useful for part-time employees, for example):
The templates can be created with the "Template Editor" and various variables can also be used:
In the settings, you can also specify how often a notification should be sent to the sender. By default, Exchange sends one notification per sender every 24 hours. Other intervals can also be set using the Out of Office Manager:
Once an entry has been saved, the duration of the absence is clearly displayed:
My personal conclusion: Very well thought-out and clear tool. You can usually do without your own PowerShell scripts here.