Sync Mac OS X Server with Outlook Contact and Calendar

Sync Mac OS X Server with Outlook 2019/Office 365 Calendar and Contact

In 2024, an increasing number of jobs require remote work due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For many, syncing calendars, contacts, and tasks from home to coordinate with colleagues has become a challenge, especially for those unfamiliar with the process.

It's time to share some new IT solutions with you. Recently, someone asked me, "How can I sync Outlook Contacts and Calendars with my studio's Mac mini running OS X Server (Catalina)?"

Yes, you can do it! It would be ideal if everyone used macOS, but life isn't always that simple. Let's say your friend runs a macOS Server and provides you with access to its CardDAV and CalDAV services, but you only have Microsoft Outlook 2013, 2016, or 2019. How can you share and sync all entries between each other? It’s a challenging task, believe it or not. To be honest, I hadn't found a solution until a few days ago when I visited the EVO Collaborator for Outlook webpage. They've added a new feature that supports macOS Server's WebDAV services. EVO Collaborator for Outlook

In my previous blog post on syncing Gmail contacts and calendars with Outlook using EVO Collaborator, I mentioned how easy it was to add a CardDAV/CalDAV profile. To add a macOS Server profile, there's an extra step: entering the HTTPS address and service port number. For example, use https://<servername>:8443/ or https://<ip address>:8443/. Once the connection is tested and confirmed, it works just like any other profile within ECO. You can now sync your Outlook contacts and appointments with the macOS Server, and ECO will accept your self-signed certificates.
 

What is CardDAV and what is CalDAV protocols

CardDAV and CalDAV are standard protocol APIs defined by IETF's RFC for syncing contacts and calendars. Google and Apple use these APIs to manage contacts and calendars on the backend, meeting their customers' needs for such information. With these standard protocols, users can synchronize all their contact, calendar, and task entries across almost any platform, including PCs, Macs, laptops, tablets, and phones. A single master copy ensures all changes are automatically updated across all devices, eliminating the need to manually replicate changes on different units.
 

Hosting your own calendar and contact server with Windows PC

Mac OS X Server is great for hosting your on-premise server. However, what if you do not have a Mac server? Nevertheless, you can still host your DAV server under Windows OS. For example, EVO Mail Server is another good option that it is easy to set up and configure especially for small and medium size of companies. 

2024.05.23