Office 365 – Outlook Add-in

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 four different ways:

1. Installation via the Microsoft Add-in store
2. Centralised deploy via Microsoft Office Center
3. Manual installation of the manifest file (Sideloading)
4. Sideloading the Add-in
5. 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 in the Office store. Dependent on user rights the app can be installed directly in Microsoft Outlook.

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.

3 Manual installation of manifest file in Microsoft Office Center

Upload the app

1. Login to Microsoft Office 365 as an admin and select ‘Admin’.
2. Open the ‘Settings’ menu item on the left and select ‘Integrated apps’.
3. Select the button ‘Upload custom apps’ next to the ‘Get apps’ button.
4. 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.xm
5. Select Next.

Add users

1. 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.
2. Select Next.

Accept permissions request

1. Select button ‘Accept permissions’. A popup window appears that will require an administrator to accept permissions to the Officebooking app.
2. Accept the request.
3. The deployment is now completed.

4 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

1. Open Outlook
2. Create a reservation or meeting.
3. In Windows and Mac native outlook application choose Get Add-ins to enter the Add-in store.
4. Scroll down and select + Add a custom add-in
5. Select: Add from file. Pick the Officebooking Add-in manifest you’ve downloaded to your computer.
6. Select Install
7. The Officebooking logo appears as a custom add-in. You may now close the window.
8. Create a new appointment. The Officebooking logo is attached to the ‘ribbon’ at the top of your window.

5 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 deploy, there’s a possibility to publish the App via the Sharepoint app catalog. Some features may not be supported i.e. SSO through Microsoft User authentication.

App catalogs 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 on-premises Sharepoint Server:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/publish/publish-task-pane-and-content-add-ins-to-an-add-in-catalog