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Features and Setup

How nContacts works

nContacts provides contacts to mobile devices. The contacts cannot be changed on the device. This ensures that the contacts are always stored correctly on the device. When contacts are removed, they are also removed from the devices. This also ensures GDPR compliance. After registering at https://online.ncontacts.com, you can establish a connection to your Azure AD in the settings by following the instructions, in order to transfer employee contacts from M365 or the GAL (Global Address List). The users (employees) and contacts are then imported into the nContacts platform over a secure connection. Additionally or alternatively, you can maintain contacts directly in the nContacts platform.

To connect the client (Android/iOS) to the platform, you have the following options:

A) Email address and organization passcode: Your organization’s email address and the organization passcode provided by your organization allow registration with the nContacts service. This data can also be passed to the app via Managed App Config using an MDM solution.*

B) Enter the organization code in the app: This option is intended for organizations whose contacts are publicly known, such as municipalities and clubs. This way you always provide residents and members with the correct contact data on their mobile devices.

*)If you do not use an MDM system and want to ensure that members of your organization no longer have access to your contacts, we recommend enabling email activation. In this case, the user receives a one-time password during the login process. If a user leaves the organization, the administrator can log the client out. The user cannot log in again without access to the one-time password.

The following information is transferred:

  • Name
  • Email addresses
  • Up to 2 phone numbers (more than two phone numbers can be used by entering the phone numbers in Azure AD as a list)
  • Employee photo
  • Employee position

Alternatively, retrieval via CardDAV is possible.

CardDAV URL: https://online.ncontacts.com/carddav
Username: email address
Password: organization passcode from nContacts

CardDAV accounts can also be distributed via modern MDM systems.

1. Registering with nContacts

  1. Register at https://ncontacts.com via Login
  2. Select “Create account”
  3. Choose a username, email and password, and create the account
  4. You will receive an email that you need to confirm
  5. Confirm your email address
  6. You will be redirected to the login page and can sign in

2. nContacts – the system

Welcome to nContacts

You have the following options:

  • Create contacts via the icon at the top right
  • Import contacts from a list
  • Trigger synchronization with M365 via the icon at the top right (the connection must be activated for this)

Under Settings, “Login data” shows your login data, including the option to change your password.

Under Settings and “Access data” you can connect nContacts to Microsoft365.

Here you can enter various data:

  • Company name and company passcode
  • Connection data for M365 (how to obtain it is explained in the following chapter)
    • Tenant ID
    • Client ID
    • Client Secret

Under Settings, “Advanced settings”, you can define how users can log in and how contacts are handled on the device.
It is also possible to filter contacts.

  • Whether the contacts on the mobile devices should be synchronized into the local contacts database, which also makes them accessible to other apps
  • Distribution type
    • Private+MDM
      • The user must sign in with email and company passcode, or the data is provided via MDM. The email address does NOT have to be confirmed.
    • Private
      • The user must sign in with email and company passcode, or the data is provided via MDM. The email address must be confirmed
    • Public
      • The user only needs to know the company passcode. This is intended for public contact data, such as clubs, so that the contact data always stays up to date

3. Connecting Microsoft365

  • Sign in to Microsoft 365 with an administrator account (https://entra.microsoft.com)
  • Select “Applications”, then “Enterprise applications”, and create a new application
  • Select “Create your own application”
    Enter a name, select “Register an application to integrate with Azure AD” and click “Create”

  • You now see the application and can transfer the first data to nContacts

    • The Application (client) ID from M365 corresponds to the Client ID in nContacts
    • The Directory (tenant) ID from M365 corresponds to the Tenant ID in nContacts

 

  • Under “Certificates & secrets”, create a client secret

    • Pay attention to the validity period and click Add

 

  • Copy the value of the client secret into nContacts as the Client Secret and save the data in nContacts
  • Set the permissions for the application as shown in the image

    • AccessReview.ReadAll
    • Directory.Read.All
    • User.Read.Att
    • MailboxSettings.Read (required since 27 November 2023)

4. The app and signing in to the app

Download the app from the (Managed) Google Play Store or the Apple App Store and sign in with your organization’s email address and the company passcode from nContacts.

Links:
https://play.google.com/work/apps/details?id=at.tradeit.ncontacts
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/contacts/id6450862973

Alternatively, you can also configure these values via MDM.

Miradore Android & iOS view:


Android: variables are predefined


iOS: the variable names are “email” & “companyPasscode”. ATTENTION: they are case-sensitive.