Sync Outlook Contacts in Active Directory

Question

We have a large number of users in an active directory on our server. We need to keep all users up to date with current employee contacts and email addresses that can change sometimes as many as 3-4 times a month. We get these updated contacts as a .pst file and then spend hours each time manually updating contacts by logging in to each user and importing that .pst from the network.

Is there an easier, more efficient way to use this .pst file to update and distribute contacts across our active directory? Better yet, is there a way to update a centrally located .pst file and have all the users outlook accounts auto-sync with that file?

(Exchange isn't an option unfortunately as management vetoed it for some reason)

Answer 1

According to this PDF: http://59.165.134.98/chowgule/newcmail.pdf - CMAIL has the ability to do Shared Address Books, so you might start there...

Otherwise, my suggestion would be to look into Outlook Business Contact Manager from Microsoft. It's usually a free download, depending on the version of Office you are running, and can provide shared contacts and so much more if you want it to. See here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/download-and-install-business-contact-manager-for-outlook-HA010262563.aspx