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Siebel CRM Desktop for Microsoft Outlook Administration Guide > Installing Siebel CRM Desktop > Options for Installing the Siebel CRM Desktop Add-In >

Customizing the First Run Assistant

The First Run Assistant is a wizard that guides the user through the initial setup of the Siebel CRM Desktop add-in. The first time the user starts Microsoft Outlook after you install the Siebel CRM Desktop add-in, Siebel CRM Desktop displays the Siebel CRM Desktop icon in the system tray. The first time the user starts Microsoft Outlook after you install the Siebel CRM Desktop add-in, Siebel CRM Desktop starts the First Run Assistant. After the user finishes using the assistant, the user can begin using Microsoft Outlook.

At each step, the First Run Assistant displays a dialog box where the user can specify certain settings. This topic describes how you can customize the behavior of some of these dialog boxes. For more information, see Overview of How Siebel CRM Desktop Synchronizes Data.

Customizing How First Run Assistant Uses the Customization Package

Table 9 describes work you can perform to customize how First Run Assistant registers and obtains the customization package. It lists work items in the order in which the user performs them while the user uses the assistant. In order for the assistant to start, the user must first install the Siebel CRM Desktop add-in. For more information, see Installing the Siebel CRM Desktop Add-In for a Single User.

Table 9. Steps That First Run Assistant Performs and Customizations You Can Make
Step
Description
Possible Customization

1

The user opens Microsoft Outlook the first time after the user installs the Siebel CRM Desktop add-in. Because it is the first time that Microsoft Outlook is open after the add-in is installed, First Run Assistant displays the welcome screen, and then the user clicks it.

Not applicable

2

First Run Assistant checks the connection settings and does one of the following:

  • If Siebel CRM Desktop establishes a connection, then the assistant continues.
  • If Siebel CRM Desktop does not establish a connection, then the assistant displays the CRM Desktop - Options dialog box with the Connection tab active.

Siebel CRM Desktop chooses the Use Internet Explorer Settings for Proxy-Server option by default.

The Manual Proxy-Server Configuration option allows the user to specify a proxy server. If your organization uses a proxy server, then you must provide the user with the following information:

  • The host name for the proxy server in the Server window
  • The port number in the window that displays immediately to the right of the Server window

The proxy server requires a separate host name and a port number.

For more information, see Customizing How Siebel CRM Desktop Connects to the Internet.

3

After Siebel CRM Desktop establishes a network connection, First Run Assistant displays the CRM Desktop-Login dialog box. The user enters the user name and password.

The user name must be the First Name and Last Name or the User ID of the user record in the Siebel database. The user can enter the First and Last name in any order.

The USERID is the same user ID that the user uses for the Siebel Web Client. For example, Wasaka Takuda, or WTAKUDA.

The password is the same password as the password that the user uses for the Siebel Web Client.

For more information, see the following topics:

4

First Run Assistant automatically enters the URL that the Siebel application uses to connect to the Siebel Server. It enters this URL in the Server URL window. For example:

http://server_name/eai_enu

You can specify the URL. For more information, see Setting the URL for the Siebel Server.

Customizing How Siebel CRM Desktop Connects to the Internet

You can customize how Siebel CRM Desktop connects to the Internet.

To customize how Siebel CRM Desktop connects to the Internet

  1. Use an XML editor to open the platform_configuration.xml file.
  2. In the initialization_script section, locate the initialization section.
  3. Add the following code:

    application.settings.set("ProxyUsage", value);

    where:

    • value is an integer. Use values from the following table:
      Value
      Description

      0

      Use the proxy server setting that is set in Internet Explorer.

      1

      Use a direct connection to the Internet. This option does not use a proxy server.

      2

      Use a manual proxy server configuration.
  4. Save and then close the platform_configuration.xml file.
  5. Test your work.

Changing Behavior of the Login Dialog Box

You can change the behavior of the CRM Desktop-Login dialog box.

To change behavior of the CRM Desktop-Login dialog box

  1. To hide the Save Password check box that Siebel CRM Desktop displays in the CRM Desktop-Login dialog box, set the following Windows Registry setting to 1:

    Siebel:HideSavePasswordOption

    If the user clicks Save Password in the CRM Desktop-Login dialog box, then Siebel CRM Desktop saves an encrypted copy of the password locally in the client computer. If you suppress display of the Save Password check box, then the user must enter the password every time the user logs into Siebel CRM Desktop.

  2. To prevent Siebel CRM Desktop from displaying the CRM Desktop-Login dialog box, you do the following:
    1. Set the following Windows Registry setting to 1:

      SuppressLoginDialog

    2. Define the save_password parameter and the Login externally.

      If you do not define the save_password parameter, then Siebel CRM Desktop requires the user to enter the password every time the user opens Microsoft Outlook and then synchronizes.

      For more information, see How Siebel CRM Desktop Suppresses the Desktop-Login Dialog Box.

How Siebel CRM Desktop Suppresses the Desktop-Login Dialog Box

If you suppress display of the Desktop-Login dialog box, then Siebel CRM Desktop does the following:

  • If the login, password, and URL connection parameters are present in the Windows Registry, and if save_password is present in the Windows Registry and set to 1, then Siebel CRM Desktop attempts to validate the user credentials on the Siebel Server.
  • If the Siebel Server returns an error for this login, then Siebel CRM Desktop displays the Desktop-Login dialog box and allows the user to attempt to login or to cancel the login. If the Siebel Server cannot validate the login credentials, then it returns an error.
  • If a connection parameter is not present in the Windows Registry, or if save_password is not present in the Windows Registry or is set to 0, then the Siebel Server returns a Credentials Verification Failed error.

Customizing How First Run Assistant Performs the Initial Synchronization

After Siebel CRM Desktop installs the data structure, as described in Table 10, the second part of First Run Assistant displays, which prompts the user to set preferences and run the first synchronization session that downloads Siebel CRM records to Microsoft Outlook. Table 10 describes the work that you can perform to customize how the assistant performs this initial synchronization. It lists work items in the order in which the user performs them while the user runs the assistant.

Table 10. Customizing How Siebel CRM Desktop Performs the Initial Synchronization
Step
Description
Administrative Work

1

After First Run Assistant installs the folder structure, it presents the following choices in the Filter Records tab of the Synchronization Control Panel dialog box:

  • Leave the filters at their default settings.
  • Choose a filter from the predefined filter that Siebel CRM Desktop deploys with the Siebel CRM Desktop add-in.
  • Specify filter settings.

    The user can also specify the synchronization frequency and other settings that Siebel CRM Desktop uses.

For more information, see the following topics:

2

The First Run Assistant displays the Synchronization tab of the CRM Desktop - Options dialog box where the user can set the synchronization schedule. By default, Siebel CRM Desktop does the following:

  • Enters a check mark in the Schedule for the Automatic Synchronization Interval check box
  • Enters a check mark in the Show Progress During Automatic Synchronization check box
  • Sets the frequency slide bar to Once an Hour

For more information, see Controlling the Synchronization Intervals That Siebel CRM Desktop Displays in the Synchronization Tab.

3

The First Run Assistant displays the Advanced tab of the CRM Desktop - Options dialog box, where the user can share with Siebel CRM Desktop any new native Microsoft Outlook appointments, contacts, or tasks that the user creates in Microsoft Outlook. By default, Siebel CRM Desktop includes a check mark in the Appointments, Contacts, Tasks check box.

For more information, see Customizing How Siebel CRM Desktop Shares Native Microsoft Outlook Items

4

The First Run Assistant displays the Siebel CRM Desktop dialog box. For more information, see How Siebel CRM Desktop Converts Contacts.

For more information, see, Controlling How Siebel CRM Desktop Converts Contacts.

After the user finishes specifying the configuration settings, Siebel CRM Desktop automatically starts the synchronization and adds content to the CRM folders. This content depends on choices the user specifies in the First Run Assistant. After the synchronization finishes, the user can find the Siebel CRM data that Siebel CRM Desktop downloads in the corresponding CRM folders. The user can view Siebel contacts that Siebel CRM Desktop downloads to the Microsoft Outlook Contacts folders. Contacts that existed in Microsoft Outlook before you installed Siebel CRM Desktop are not automatically shared with Siebel CRM Desktop. The user can use icons or group contacts to separate them from the Siebel CRM contacts according to the Shared and Not Shared attribute.

Customizing How Siebel CRM Desktop Shares Native Microsoft Outlook Items

You can customize Siebel CRM Desktop to share or not share any new native Microsoft Outlook items that the user creates in Microsoft Outlook. These items include Microsoft Outlook appointments, contacts, or tasks.

To customize how Siebel CRM Desktop shares native Microsoft Outlook items

  1. Use an XML editor to open the platform_configuration.xml.
  2. In the initialization_script section, locate the initialization section.
  3. Add the following code:

    application.settings.set("SharedByDefault:NewItems", <value>);

    where:

    • value is an integer. Use values from the following table:
      Value
      Description

      0

      Do not share Outlook item.

      1

      Share Outlook item.
  4. Save and then close the platform_configuration.xml file.
  5. Test your work.
How Siebel CRM Desktop Converts Contacts

The Appointments, Contacts, Tasks check box in the Advanced tab of the CRM Desktop - Options dialog box of the First Run Assistant can include one of the following items:

  • Includes a check mark. Siebel CRM Desktop converts native Microsoft Outlook contacts to Siebel CRM contacts. The user can share these Microsoft Outlook contacts with Siebel CRM. Siebel CRM Desktop does not automatically share contacts. The user must manually choose to share each contact.
  • Does not include a check mark. The contacts remain as native Microsoft Outlook contacts. After the First Run Assistant finishes, the user can use the Actions menu to convert native contacts to Siebel CRM contacts in an unshared state, and then manually share the contacts with Siebel CRM. If the user does not convert these contacts, then the user cannot share the existing Microsoft Outlook contacts with Siebel CRM.
    
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