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Sending Email Messages Using Native Siebel Email Client

This topic describes using the Send Email command when your default email client is the native Siebel email client. 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 more information about editing and formatting controls for Send Email message text, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Send Email and Send Fax Commands.

Whether the Pick Recipient dialog box appears 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 Pick Recipient dialog box does not appear. The Send Email window appears.
• If the current record is an element, such as a service request or account, then the Pick Recipient dialog box 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 Pick Recipient dialog box does not appear. The Send Email window appears, and 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 the native Siebel email client

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.

     If you do not specify recipients in Step 1, then the Pick Recipient dialog box appears. If you specify recipients before invoking the command, then the Send Email window appears. If the Send Email window appears, then go to Step 4.

3. In the Pick Recipient dialog box, specify the recipient or specify no recipient yet.

   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.

   The Send Email window appears.

4. For the From field, specify the profile to represent who is sending the message.

   The listed profiles are the profiles created for communications drivers that support email, such as Internet SMTP/IMAP Server or Internet SMTP/POP3 Server. In some cases, a profile might be automatically inserted into this field. You can specify a default profile in the Outbound Communications view of the User Preferences screen.

5. 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.
   • Type any additional recipient email addresses. The email addresses you enter are not automatically validated. You must verify that the email addresses you enter are valid.
   • Use the address book to enter additional recipients. Click To, Cc, or Bcc and explicitly specify individual persons from the address book dialog box. For each intended recipient, select the To, CC, or BCC check box. After specifying all recipients, click OK. Verify that the addresses appear correctly.
6. Optionally, for the Body drop-down list, choose the name of a communications template (with a Body type) to insert into the message body.

   You can configure a template to insert automatically, according to where you invoked the Send Email command. For more information, see Configuring Default Templates for Send Email Command.

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

   You can insert more than one template. Any template you choose is appended to the existing text.

   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.

7. 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.

8. Optionally, verify or enter text for the subject line.

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

9. Optionally, enter and format free-form text to modify or add to the template text.

   For information about the available text-editing controls, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Send Email and Send Fax Commands.

10. Optionally, if you edit in plain text mode, then you can click Remove HTML Tags on the upper right to remove any HTML tagging in your message text.
11. Optionally, click the icons on the lower right to specify the operating system files (paper clip icon) or literature items (document icon) as attachments to the email message.

    The attachments icon lets you specify files from the operating system as attachments and displays a list of all files and literature items you previously specified for the email message.

    The literature icon displays a list of literature items you can specify as attachments.

    The Attachments field displays the most recently specified attachment if you specify more than one attachment. All email attachments are saved as attachments to the activity record that is updated when the message is sent.

12. Optionally, check the spelling for your message.
13. Click Send, or click Cancel 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.