Outlook Overview

• Microsoft Outlook does more than just check your email -- you can combine your calendar, address book, task lists and more, all in one place. Messages can be sorted based upon the conversation so that the entire group can be viewed together. Alerts appear on the screen, notifying users of upcoming appointments to go to or tasks that need to be completed. The software can maintain multiple calendars to cover business and personal activities in one location.
  
  

Office Mobile Service

• Originally included as a feature of the Microsoft Office 2007 release, Outlook Mobile Service is able to send both text messages and multimedia messages to a cellphone. However, the 2010 version was the first to include calendar notifications within the service. The service connecting with the cellular service providers enables users to manage their calendar and emails from any cellular device through messaging.
  
  

Exchange Server

• The 2010 version of the Microsoft Exchange Server also includes the ability to provide notifications. However, it only works for devices that run on the Windows Mobile platform running version 6.5. This limiting factor doesn't make the server option viable for most users.
  
  

Another Option

• The simplest solution without upgrading software, cellphones or purchasing a service is to sync Google Calendars with Microsoft Outlook. Connecting an Android-based phone to your Google account will give you access to your calendar instantly. If you don't have an Android phone, another solution is to use the "Mobile Setup" option within Google Calendar to set up a text notification. Using this feature sends information about upcoming appointments to any type of cellphone with text messaging.