How does linkedin import contacts from outlook?

2
votes

Linkedin has a feature that allows users to enter their outlook credentials and imports their outlook contacts.

I am trying to emulate this functionality, in a php application.

So far, the only way I have discovered on how this might be done is through Exchange web Services. https://emailhost/EWS/Services.wsdl I am using the php-ews library to try and connect to ews.

I was hoping for some sort of information on a defacto way to retrieve contacts given a users credentials, but have been unable to find much information on this at all.

Are there any other ways that this could be accomplished other than EWS? Does anyone know how linkedin is doing this?

2
phpsoapexchange-serverlinkedinexchangewebservices
You may be confusing Outlook.com (Windows Live OAuth) with Exchange Server. – SLaks
perhaps I am, I have never used either, msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/exchange/…, Exchange docs seems to suggest the soap api found at /EWS/Services.wsdl is part of EWS, and exchange server, is this the case? I am also pretty sure linkedin does not use outlook.com (outlook.com looks like it provides a number of nice apis for retrieving contact information (msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/live/hh826527.aspx). While linkedin requires user to enter email and password, and exchange server information to import contacts. Any info at all would be greatly – dm03514
@dm03514 did you find an answer to this question? I am trying to solve the same problem. – alias51
@alias51, i never found out how linkedin does it, i just used php-ews to get contact info github.com/jamesiarmes/php-ews/wiki/Contact:-Get-List – dm03514

2 Answers

1
votes

Given that this feature works for a random end user, I don't think LinkedIn connects to Exchange (through EWS or any other API), but to the Outlook instance on the users' machine.

Accessing Outlook objects on a local machine can be done in any programming language through old-fashioned OLE automation. This will also let LinkedIn retrieve contacts for accounts connected to other servers, like e.g. Lotus Notes. (Although I cannot confirm that LI actually does that).

-5
votes

As this feature can be used on a random user, I'm not sure LinkedIn will connect directly to Exchange however, it does connect it connects to an Outlook instance running on the user' device.

Accessing Outlook objects from a local machine is possible using any programming language, LinkedIn automation tools.