We are in the process of moving our email from Lotus Domino to M$ Exchange and we have ran into the problem with OWA and .xls/xlm files.

We have a large number of report that are distributed to our users in EXCEL format which is stripped out when opened by OWA. I don't like the idea of switching all the reports to .zips in RC, so I am searching for a better solution. I know one option is to use a file converter like CZ-Excel. That would mean that we have to add it to all the reports, and does anyone recommend another converter over CZ-Excel?

Has anyone came up with any other solutions?

TIA

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kerry,

Hi Trob,
Sounds like your already aware of the workaround documented in the release notes?
(Page 147 of the wf 76x release notes “opening excel files using outlook web access mail client”); it's an owa issue (a microsoft doc link is given in the above release notes section).
The only other option may be upgrading ms office to 2007, where you may get a warning message, but it should open ok.

Well now I'm back on this project. I agree its partially "an owa issue" but its also kind of lame the way Webfocus "integrates" with excel by distributing an xlm file instead of an excel binary. The version of ms office is non-dependant on the problem, OWA will strip any xlm file that Webfocus distributes. The .zip workaround is also not a reliable workaround because then you are dependant on making sure those that you are distributing to can receive .zips and have the utility to open them.

I looked into CZ-excel which requires you to install Office on the same machine as CZ. I would discourage this solution for two reasons. I'd rather not install Office on my server, and second if I did install Office it already has a batch conversion feature built in so then you would not need CZ.

I'm going to begin looking at other options at this time.

Hi trob,

If you do not agree that this is a Microsoft issue, then the best channel for assistance will be to open a case with Information Builders' Customer Support Services. The phone number is 1-800-736-6130, or access online at InfoResponse.

Cheers,

Kerry

trob, you can’t blame IB because Microsoft have imposed a feature in OWA that is not in a single one
of their other e-mail clients.
Just like you can’t blame IB because Microsoft removed support for templates/macros in web archives in Excel 2007.

It is universally agreed that what Microsoft did with the introduction and then imposition of "Safe HTML"
in OWA was very badly managed and true to Microsoft’s general arrogance to customers wishes and needs subsequently ignored.

Microsoft’s only offerings as to a work round are either send the file as a zipped attachment
or make it available via a link that can then be opened from the client.

If you want to use a converter to be able to send a binary .xls file try looking at the
ABC Amber Converters from Processtext Group http://www.processtext.com/index.html.
They do not require Excel o the server.

As an alternative to using OWA you might want to investigate using RPC over HTTPS
This allows you to use the outlook client over the internet.