So I’ve just spent most of the afternoon trying to organize my digital self. It’s kind of the online equivalent of cleaning out your desk. I’ve consolidated all of my emails down into one gmail account, updated all my passwords, brushed up my LinkedIn and my facebook…all that’s left now is to try to fix up my contacts.
This leads to my question—I have an iPhone, and my business uses Microsoft Exchange. My contacts and calendar are stored there. My iPhone (where I keep my contacts most times) automatically syncs my contacts from the office Exchange server. However, any changes I make on my iPhone are automatically updated to the server. This means none of my contacts are stored anywhere ELSE but there—meaning my mother’s home phone number is stored on my office exchange server, and ONLY there. Aside from the obvious privacy concern, if I were to lose access to my office’s server—due to a technical problem, or a change in career—suddenly I wouldn’t have any of my contacts anymore.
So, I’d love to import those into the Address Book app on my computer, or store them on Google Contacts, or even just keep them saved on my iPhone. Problem is I can’t figure out how to get an EXPORT of those contacts off of the Exchange server without an installation of Outlook.
Anyone got any ideas?
MANAGING.COMMUNITY 
I believe the most common method used by members of our generation is to make a Facebook group called “LOST PHONE!!! NEED NUMBERS!!!!!!!”
You can use gmail’s push contacts / email sync … BUT you then cannot use your exchange support. (gmail’s integration is using exchange, and you can only have one exchange setup per iphone)
The other option is to use imap for your work exchange (no push), and setup your gmail with push / sync.
http://www.google.com/mobile/products/sync.html
I honestly couldn’t care less about exchange’s calendar or contacts at this point–there really isn’t any need for me to be using them. I’d gladly use gmail for everything (especially since my email is autoforwarding over there now anyway). The only problem is that I can’t figure how to export my contacts from Exchange so I can do anything with them.
Do you have a Mobile Me account? If so, I think you can upload Exchange contacts on there…that would give you a second, cloud-based source of contacts and one that your iPhone could sync with. Only thing I am unsure of is if it would double-list the contacts, which would be goofy.