Thanks for your reply, Sue. Coming from the Java sphere, I'm really new
to all kind of MS technology and APIs.

The problem here is that this portal is Oracle and here's my idea for a
new approach:

I'll create a webservice using Collaboration Data Objects where Outlook
Web Access is running, exposing the needed functionality, like number
of unread mails, todays appointments, etc. Then I'll use this
webservice in an OmniPortlet in Oracle to show the data.

Would this have any authentication implications as one of the
requirements for the portal is secure SSO (basic authentication not
allowed)?