The Officebooking Add-in is a web based app to support you in finding a desk, meeting room or any company asset while scheduling your work in Outlook. The Add-in for Outlook is a web Add-in. This means that the software is build using javascript and html and is fully integrated within the Officebooking platform. This deployment manual guides you to the installation and integration of the Add-in within your organisation IT services.
Supported versions of Outlook
Outlook add-ins are supported in Outlook 2013 or later on Windows, Outlook 2016 or later on Mac, Outlook on the web for Exchange 2013 on-premises and later versions, and Outlook on the web and Outlook.com. Not all of the newest features are supported in all clients at the same time.
Installation of the Outlook Add-in can be achieved in different ways:
- Installation via the Microsoft Add-in store
- Centralised deploy via Microsoft Office Center
- Sideloading the Add-in (Manual installation)
- Installation via Sharepoint
Tips to get started
Make sure you have admin rights and are logged in to OfficeAdmin. If you use Single Sign On make sure to enable popups in your browser. Microsoft will require you to approve the usage of your personal data to login to the Officebooking Add-in.
Within Office 365 make sure administrative consent is enabled.
When you book an asset in Officebooking, the primary reservation is created within Officebooking. Officebooking then creates a meeting in the Exchange resource and sets a specific property as to recognise the specific meeting when there’s an integrated Exchange resource available.
It’s not necessary to create resources for every asset in Officebooking, availability of the resource is checked within Officebooking.
1 Installation via Microsoft Add-in store
Officebooking Outlook Add-in is available via the Office store. Once installed by an administrator it will appear in the users native or web apps.
2 Centralised deploy via Microsoft Office Center
We recommend a centralised deploy via the Microsoft 365 admin center. Microsoft offers an extensive guide for the deployment of add-ins.
Upload the app
- Login to Microsoft Office 365 as an administrator and select ‘Admin’ from Apps.
- Open the ‘Settings’ menu item on the left and select ‘Integrated apps’.
- Select the button ‘Upload custom apps’ next to the ‘Get apps’ button.
- In the ‘Upload Apps to deploy’ wizard select ‘Upload manifest file (.xml) from device’ and select the manifest file from Officebooking you’ve just downloaded. Alternatively select the following link: https://officebooking.com/downloads/addin_app_production_proxy.xml and select ‘Validate’.
- Select Next.
Add users
- Choose default ‘No’ for a test deployment and select a user group. You may create a user group as a test group and add this as your target group.
- Select Next.
Accept permissions request
- Select button ‘Accept permissions’. A popup window appears that will require an administrator to accept permissions to the Officebooking app.
- Accept the request.
- The deployment is now completed, select Finish to complete the Deployment.
It may take 12-24 hours for the Deployment to be completed.
3 Instructions to install the add-in manually / sideloading
In the event the Office store can’t be used for deployment the add-in may be installed manually. The manifest can be found here: Officebooking Add-in Manifest
For Outlook native applications:
- Open Outlook
- Go to your email
- In Windows and Mac native Outlook applications choose Get Add-ins to enter the Add-in store.
- Scroll down and select + Add a custom add-in
- Select: Add from file. Pick the Officebooking Add-in manifest you’ve downloaded to your computer.
- Select Install
- The Officebooking logo appears as a custom add-in. You may now close the window
- Create a new appointment. The Officebooking logo is attached to the ‘ribbon’ at the top of your window
For Outlook web:
- Open Outlook
- In your preferred browser, go to https://aka.ms/olksideload to open the Add-Ins for Outlook dialog.
- Select My add-ins
- In the Custom Add-ins section, select a custom add-in, then choose Add from file.
- Select the file for the Add-in
- Select Open to install the Add-in
4 Installation via Sharepoint
In case you have an on-premise AD environment and are not able to use either Office 365 (for Azure AD or hybrid) or manual deployment, there’s a possibility to publish the App via the Sharepoint app catalogue. Some features may not be supported i.e. SSO through Microsoft User authentication.
App catalogues on SharePoint are not supported in Office on Mac.
As most on-premise installations of Sharepoint might slightly differ we recommend following the instructions of Microsoft for installing an add-in to an app catalog with an on-premise Sharepoint Server:
References
More tips and documentation can be found on Microsoft: