Publish Outlook Calendar to GCal

So Google's own 'Google Calendar Sync' stopped syncing my calendars and after lots of installing and re installing it just didn't cut the mustard (slow, unreliable and missed out some events). I also looked at other calendar syncing options and they either required a subscription service where you had to pay. or were susceptible of syncing problems if you un-installed and re installed the syncing application. 

All I wanted was the ability to see my works outlook calendar in Gcal. So I came up with a solution that I've not seen on the internet so far. 

The Pro's and Con's

Benefits

  • Free
  • Always up to date
  • Easy to set up 
  • Low technology expertise

Shortfalls

  • 1-way synchronisation
  • 180 day time frame
  • Outlook 2007 required

The Solution

Overview

  • Set-up a free iCal Service(WedDAV Server)
  • Publish Calendar to Service
  • Subscribe to service from GMail (or other 3rd party client). 

Set-up Service

1) Sign up with a free account at iCal Exchange (www.icalx.com). They don't require any personal information just an email address and password. 

2) Get iCal Exchange URL

    A) Login
    B) Enter username and password
 
    C) Get publishing URL. This should be in the format 'http://icalx.com/public/your_username/'. Keep this in a safe place for later.
 

Publish Calendar to Service

3) Publish your calendar from Outlook

    A) Open Outlook and go to your calendars
    B) Right Click on the Calendar you would like to publish
    C) Select 'Publish to Intenet...' >> 'Publish to WebDAV Server...'

    D) Enter iCal Exchange Publishing URL (http://icalx.com/public/your_username/)
    E) Select what information you want to publish (Full, Availability, Limited) and the time frame (90 days is the most). If the calendar is not the mail calendar you can also share the full calendar. Apparently you can't share the full main calendar as reoccuring events with no end would be an infinate amount of information (apparently).
 
    F) Click 'Advanced..'
    G) Publish Calendar Settings will appear. Select if you would like a one time only or automatic uploads that occur periodically. Also select if private items should be published and the frequency (I recomend that you tick the servers recomended frequency). 
 
 
    H) Click OK to Save and OK to Save the first 'Publish Calendar to Custom Server' Dialogue boxes. 
    I) Immediately the first upload will be completed
 
     J) You will have the option to 'Send a sharing invitation'. You may send this to some one who wants to view your calendar in any iCal supported client alternatively send it to your Gmail address. (this is optional - you can get the URL from your iCal Exchange Account too)

4) Get URL from iCal Exchange
    A) Log on again if you've logged off. 
    B) You will now see that a new entry exists under 'Public Calendars' if you chose the public publishing URL (in step 2 C)
    C) Right click on '.ics' and copy the URL to your clipboard and keep this save (paste it in notepad or similar). Alternatively you can click though the link and get the URL from the address bar. 


 Subscribe to service

5) Add iCal to your GCal Account
    A) Login to GCal
    B) Click on setting in the top right hand corner
    C) Go to the 'Calendars' Tab (at the top) and select 'Browse public calendars...' towards the bottom of the page


    D) Go to the 'Add by URL' Tab (at the top)
    F) Enter the iCal URL (from step 4 C)
    G) Click 'Add'. Your Outlook Calendar is now added to your GCal. Going '<< Back to Calendar' you will see that there is a new calendar with an ugly name added to the bottom of your subscribed calendars.



Note: You can easily change the name of the calendar by going back to the Calendars Tab (5 C), Clicking on the newly added calendar and changing the name of the calendar at the top of the page and finish by clicking Save. 

Increasing the frequency of publishing your calendar (Automatic Uploads)

1) Un-check "update this calendar with the server's recommended frequency." in step 3G. 
2) Go to Tools > Options > Calendar Options
3) Click on "Free/Busy Options..."
4) Change "Update free/busy information on the server every [Change this] minutes"
5) "Ok" all open dialogues.

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