Exchange and GMail contacts

[robjduk]

Hello all,

Currently planning to move students to gmail in summer and on my test accounts I have hit the part where I migrate the user, remove their mailbox and need exchange to push the email externally.

 

My current plan is to create each user a contact account in AD as it populates the GAL and seems to work well however creates the overheads of ensuring both accounts (user and contact) have group membership updated correctly.

 

In my previous tests I have been able to amend certain attributes in user accounts and emails flow correctly however they don't appear in the GAL.

 

Really I want to ask the community if my plan is the accepted solution to have exchange talk to Gmail correctly or does anyone know how to get users without a mailbox to appear in the GAL? They show up in the staff address list but id rather create contacts than ask my users to navigate a droplist...

 

Thanks all