How to connect Shared MailBox to Outlook

Shared Mailboxes first appeared a long time ago (in Exchange 2007), but usually administrators do not use them, despite the fact that this type of mailboxes is very useful to provide conjoint mailbox for multiple users!

I'm constantly getting requests from my users to create common e-mail address for a bunch of users (even departments). Now I'll very briefly show you how to perform the task.

First of all you will create Shared Mailbox. I prefer to use Exchange Admin Center (EAC) in Exchange 2013. Go to Recipients -> Shared. Create mailbox. The main difference from generic mailboxes is that user for shared mailbox is created with disabled state. Thus you will not need to know the password for the user to connect to mailbox. Access to mailbox regulated only via permissions.

There is no GUI possibility to create shared mailbox in Exchange 2010. You will have to user EMS. Here is example:

New-Mailbox -Name Bestellung -Alias Bestellung -OrganizationalUnit "mydomain.local/myCompany/myDepartment" -Database "Mailbox Database 0556771265" -Shared

Now grant all needed permissions. If you delegate access in EAC, permissions will be granted with AutoMapping $true flag. As for me, its not very convinient way, because, if mailbox automaticaly connected in Outlook, then for some reason you will not be able to select the FROM mailbox. This is wrong, my users must be able to send messages as delegated mailbox and all users must see these messages in Sent in Outlook.

Thus, Full Access permissions must be granted in Exchange Management Shell (EMS):

Add-MailboxPermission -Identity ronnie.coleman -User branch.warren -AccessRights FullAccess -AutoMapping $false

Permissions Send As you can grant in both EAC or EMS: 

Add-ADPermission ronnie.coleman -ExtendedRights Send-As -user branch.warren

Send on Behalf permissions - only in EMS: 

Set-Mailbox ronnie.coleman -GrantSendOnBehalfTo branch.warren

Now wait a little for replication occurs and open Outlook. As you remember, we have AutoMapping is False, so shared mailbox will not be connected automaticaly. Your suport team (or users themselves) must connect it manually.

Note that Active Directory account for our mailbox is disabled by default, and it has no password. So just dont enter it. As soon as you have all needed permissions, share mailbox will be connected.

Thats it.