How to add contacts from distribution lists in Lync 2013

Synopsis

This article explains how to add groups of users to Lync 2013 via distribution lists.

Prerequisite

You must have a hosted Lync 2013 account with Sherweb.

The Microsoft Lync 2013 client should be installed on your PC and configured for your account.

How to

Adding groups of users to Lync 2013 via distribution lists is a quick and easy way to populate your contacts list. However, there are a few restrictions you must be made aware of:

• No Dynamic distribution lists, only lists where you add members manually will work.
• The maximum number of users that Lync can expand from a list is 100.
• Adding the distribution list does not enable the trust relationship, users must be copied to the local contact list (guide further below).
• The maximum number of local contacts in Lync is 250, which is a hard limit that cannot be changed.
• Lync 2013’s maximum number of client connections is 200. Beyond 200 people in a meeting, presence information is not updated.

Adding distribution lists

1. Type the name of the distribution group in the search field.

2. Right-click on the group and choose Add to Contacts List.

3. Groups look a little differently than local contact lists. Notice the 2 grey people icon: that tells you it’s a distribution list, not a local contact list.

4. To enable presence information, drag contacts from the distribution list to a local contact list and then follow the instructions in this guide.

Applicable to

All Lync 2013 accounts