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Sending Email Messages Using Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook

This topic describes using the Send Email command when your default email client is set to Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook. You can send email to any recipient. Optionally, you can include Siebel application content in the email. Email addresses are retrieved from the Siebel database for email to employees or contacts.

For additional information about using Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook, see your documentation for these third-party products. For more information about setting user preferences for using third-party email clients, see Preference Settings for Outbound Communications.

Whether the Recipient field appears in the Recipient or Template dialog box after Step 2 in the following procedure depends on the kind of data that currently has the focus when you choose the Send Email command. Note the following points:

• If the current record is a person, such as a contact or employee, then the Recipient field does not appear.
• If the current record is an element, such as a service request or account, then the Recipient field appears if generic recipients are configured. Choose generic recipients, such as the contacts associated with the current service request.

  NOTE:  Users must generally select a single record before invoking Send Email when using templates for which field substitution is performed. If they select multiple records, then selected generic recipients are drawn from all the selected records. However, field substitution applies only to the first selected record, and a single email message is sent to all recipients.

• If the current record is a Siebel attachment or literature item, then the Recipient field appears if generic recipient are configured. The item is added as an attachment to the pending email message. (Siebel attachments with a URL type are not added as email attachments.)

To send email messages using Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook

1. Optionally, select one or more records of contacts, employees, or other persons for whom email addresses are defined in the Siebel database.

   Alternatively, select one or more records of attachments or literature items to send as attachments to the email message.

2. Perform one of the following steps:
   • From the application-level menu, choose File, then Send Email.
   • Press F9.
   • Click to the right of Initiate Work Item on the communications toolbar, then click Send Email, or click Initiate Work Item when Send Email is the displayed ToolTip text. For more information about initiating work items, see Siebel CTI Administration Guide.
3. In the Recipient or Template dialog box, perform the following steps:
   1. From the Recipient field, specify the recipient or specify no recipient yet.

      If you select recipients before invoking the command, then the Recipient field does not appear.

      The available recipients to choose from depend on the application context. For example, if Send Email is invoked from a Service Requests list, then the choices are Service Request Contact and Service Request Owner.

   2. From the Message Template field, choose the name of a communications template (with a Body type) to insert into the message body.

      Field substitution applies to template text when you insert the text into a message. Substitution functions correctly if the fields exist in the current list or form (containing focus) in the Siebel application. Field substitution applies to only a single selected record.

      The listed templates are subject to filtering that is based on several factors, including channel, language, locale, and whether the template is HTML or plain text. For more information, see Visibility and Access for Templates.

      NOTE:  If the current record type (business component) has a default template associated with it, then you do not need to specify a template. If you specify a template, then its text is appended to the default template text in the email message. Consult your administrator, or verify the software behavior to see whether a default template is configured.

   3. From the Attachments field, specify literature items from the Siebel database to add as attachments.

      The literature icon (paper clip icon) displays a list of Siebel literature items you can specify as attachments.

      The Attachments field displays the most recently specified attachment if you specify more than one attachment. You can add file attachments later from the Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook window. All email attachments are saved as attachments to the activity record that is created when the message is sent.

   4. Click Change Language or Locale to change the language or locale, as necessary.

      Setting the language and locale changes the list of available templates to those associated with the language and locale you specify.

   5. In the Recipient or Template dialog box, click OK to continue to the email message window for Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook.
4. In the Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook email message window, complete the following steps:
   1. For the To, Cc, or Bcc fields, perform one or more of the following steps:
      • Verify any recipients that were automatically inserted in previous steps.
      • Specify any additional recipient email addresses from the email directories available through your email client program.
   2. Optionally, verify or enter text for the subject line.

      Text might be automatically inserted into the subject line when you select a template.

   3. Optionally, enter and format free-form text to modify or add to the template text.
   4. Optionally, specify operating system files as attachments to the email message.

      Siebel literature items you previously specified are also saved as attachments for the email message.

      All email attachments are saved as attachments to the activity record that is updated when the message is sent.

   5. Optionally, check the spelling for your message, according to the support of your email client program.
   6. Send the message, or cancel the message if you decide not to send the email message.

      NOTE:  If you cancel the email, then the corresponding Siebel activity record (created to track the send operation) is deleted.