Using Outlook to schedule meetings in VMRs

You can use the Pexip VMR Scheduling for Exchange add-in in Outlook to turn any of your new or existing meetings into a meeting that can be held over video or audio in a Virtual Meeting Room (VMR).

All meetings created in this way are assigned their own unique VMR which is created specifically for that meeting. The VMR has a unique alias, and information about how participants can join the meeting from a variety of video and audio clients is inserted automatically into the meeting request.

The Pexip add-in button may be the only meeting option available to you within Outlook, or it may be in addition to your primary meeting solution — with the complementary Pexip meeting alternative used when the meeting's content or security classification requires it.

Locating the add-in

The location of the add-in depends on the Outlook client that you are using — some examples are given below. These examples use the default Pexip names and icons for the add-in, but these may be different in your deployment.

Outlook desktop client (new version)

When creating a new meeting request, select the Create a Pexip meeting button in the toolbar:

Outlook desktop client

When creating a new meeting request, select the Create a Pexip meeting button in the toolbar:

Office 365 (new version)

When creating a new meeting request, select the More button in the toolbar and then Pexip Scheduling Service:

Office 365

When creating a new meeting request, select the PEXIP Scheduling Service button in the toolbar:

On-prem OWA

When creating a new meeting request, select the APPS button in the toolbar to open the Apps for Outlook panel, and then select Pexip Scheduling Service:

Creating a new video meeting

To create a new meeting to be held over video:

From your Outlook client, create a new meeting request in your usual way, adding the date, time, rooms and participants as required.
Select the Pexip Scheduling Service add-in.
If offered a choice, select whether you want to hold the meeting in a Personal VMR or a Single-use VMR:

Using a personal VMR

The first time you use a personal VMR, you are asked to sign in using your SSO username and password. You may need to grant the requested permissions:

After you have signed in for the first time, whenever you select a personal VMR (or if that is the only option available to you), details of how to join it are inserted at the top of the meeting request. Simply add any further information to the meeting request and select Send.

If you wish to reschedule or cancel the meeting, you can do this in the usual way by editing the invitation and re-sending it.

Using a single-use VMR

If you have selected a single-use VMR (or if that is the only option available to you), note that the scheduling service uses a special equipment resource (the name of which depends on your deployment), which is added to the attendee list, and details of how to join the meeting are inserted at the top of the meeting request (above any existing text you have already added).

Do not delete the scheduling service equipment resource as an attendee, or edit any of the details in the joining instructions, particularly the text between PXPS:- or TOK:- and #.

Simply add any further information to the meeting request and select Send.

You will soon receive an email from the scheduling service equipment resource accepting the meeting.

You and all other participants can join the VMR at any time between the scheduled start and end times of the meeting. For recurring meetings, you can join the same VMR each time, but it is not available for use outside of any of the scheduled meeting times.

On the rare occasion that the system is unable to assign a VMR at the point at which you select the Pexip Scheduling Service add-in button, the text inserted into the meeting request states that joining details will be sent in a subsequent email. You should send this request to all attendees as usual. When the system is then able to assign a VMR, a meeting update is sent on your behalf to all attendees which includes the joining instructions. You will know when this email has been sent because you will receive an updated acceptance email from the scheduling service equipment resource.

Changing an existing meeting into a video meeting

If you want to turn a meeting you have already scheduled into a video meeting hosted in a VMR:

From your Outlook client, open the meeting request.
Select the Pexip Scheduling Service add-in.

The scheduling service equipment resource is added to the attendee list, and details of how to join the meeting are inserted at the top of the meeting request (above any existing information).

Do not delete the scheduling service equipment resource as an attendee, or edit any of the details in the joining instructions, particularly the text between PXPS:- or TOK:- and #.
Make any further changes to the meeting and select Send.

The updated meeting request is sent to all attendees.

You will soon receive an acceptance email from the equipment resource to confirm that the meeting has been successfully scheduled as a video meeting.

Editing or canceling an existing video meeting

If you want to change the details of an existing video meeting, such as changing its date or time, adding or removing participants, or canceling it completely, you can do this as you would any other Outlook meeting. However, in all cases you must not remove from the attendee list the equipment resource (the name of which will depend on your system's configuration).

If you want to change your video meeting back into a normal meeting, you must cancel the meeting and then re-create it without activating the Pexip add-in.