Add the Time to the Subject Line for All Meetings on the Exchange
Calendaring System Scheduled Between March 11 – April 1, 2007

In 2005 Congress passed the Energy Policy Act, which changes the dates of daylight saving time (DST). When this law goes into effect in 2007, DST will start three weeks earlier than the traditional schedule. Thus, rather than DST starting on April 1, this year it will begin on March 11.

Some computer operating systems and applications that were developed prior to this legislative change (such as Microsoft Windows XP, Mac OS X.4.5, Microsoft Outlook 2003, and Entourage for the Mac) are not able to adjust automatically.

Software updates from Microsoft are still incomplete; thus, users will need to be aware of this issue, and take special care when scheduling appointments during this three-week window. Particular attention will need to be paid to situations where another user creates meetings as a delegate for the primary meeting organizer. Once the updates are available, they will need to be applied to both the organizer's and the delegate's computers in order to work properly.

Microsoft is recommending that all users of products affected by the time change give extra attention to meetings and appointments scheduled between March 11, 2007 to April 1, 2007, referred to here as the "extended DST period." To minimize confusion during the affected date ranges:

• Include the time of the meeting in the e-mail request so that invitees can double check the correct meeting time (such as, "Faculty Meeting - 4:00 P.M.").
• Exercise caution with the appointments and meetings in the extended DST period. When in doubt, verify the correct time with the organizer.

I too would like to urge all Exchange calendar users to add the time of the meeting to the description of any meeting scheduled during this period, so that in the event that the times shift incorrectly in the calendar display, you will have a reference for the intended time of the meeting. Please take the time to review meetings already on your calendar, including recurring meetings, and if you are the meeting organizer, add the time to the description and update the meetings with invitees.

As soon as we have more information on the new software upgrades from Microsoft, we will be communicating with departments regarding process for applying these updates.

Detailed information about the issue is available from the ITS Help Desk at http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/articles/dstchanges.html.

For further information, please feel to contact me at 5-1418, or the ITS Help Desk at 4-HELP.