Rounding up everyone for meetings doesn't have to be a complicated process that takes up as much time as the meetings themselves. Let the Calendar in Outlook share that work with you so you're free for more important things. And if anyone can't be there in person, use a Meeting Workspace, where people can participate by telephone and see online presentations and documents as they are discussed.

 Note   Many of these Outlook features require you to use Microsoft Exchange Server. Exchange Server is an e-mail–based collaborative communications server for businesses. For more information, see About Microsoft Exchange Server. Meeting Workspace requires Microsoft Windows® SharePoint® Services.

Let the Outlook Calendar be your meeting scheduler

• Outlook Calendar: More than a page hanging on the wall
• Training: See and share multiple calendars
• Scheduling conference rooms and other resources
• Scenario: Customize the Outlook Calendar with your company's important HR dates

Create meeting requests

• Schedule a meeting
• Set up a recurring meeting
• Open another person's Calendar to check their availability
• Make changes to a meeting request that you have sent
• Troubleshoot meetings

Send out meeting invitations

• Turn a message into a meeting request
• Turn an appointment into a meeting
• Update a meeting request

Manage responses from meeting attendees

• Prevent meeting request replies
• Automatically process requests and responses

Participate as a meeting attendee

• Respond to a meeting request
• Cancel a meeting if you are an attendee
• Find all meeting requests
• Automatically keep meeting requests in the Inbox after responding
• Automatically process meeting requests
• Allow a delegate to see private appointments

Make counterproposals for meeting times

• Make or accept counterproposals for meeting times
• Prohibit counterproposals for meeting times
• View all counterproposals for a meeting time

Set reminders for meetings

• Set or remove a reminder
• Create a recurring calendar reminder
• Create reminders as far in advance as you want
• Turn reminders and reminder sounds on or off

Centralize meeting information and materials with Meeting Workspace

• Create virtual meetings with Meeting Workspace
• Step by step: Keep it together with a Meeting Workspace
• Create a new or link to an existing Meeting Workspace
• Update both a meeting request and Meeting Workspace