How to determine the status of a user with Office Communicator

You can create a excel file and add the following module in the Macros:

 Public email As String  
   
 Sub Macro1()  
 Attribute Macro1.VB_ProcData.VB_Invoke_Func = " \n14"  
   
 email = "pinco.pallino@urcaorca.com"  
     
 alertTime = Now + TimeValue("00:00:05")  
   
 Application.OnTime alertTime, "EventMacro"  
    
   
 End Sub  
   
 Function retrieveStatus(user As String) As String  
   
  Dim myservice As String  
   
  Set communicator = CommunicatorAPI.Messenger  
    
    
  Set contact = communicator.GetContact(user, myservice)  
    
  Select Case contact.Status  
    
    Case 1  
       retrieveStatus = "Offline"  
         
    Case 2  
       retrieveStatus = "Online"  
         
    Case 10  
       retrieveStatus = "Busy"  
         
    Case "18"  
       retrieveStatus = "Idle"  
         
    Case "34"  
       retrieveStatus = "Away"  
    
  End Select  
   
 End Function  
   
 Sub EventMacro()  
   
  If retrieveStatus(email) = "Away" Then  
   MsgBox "He is away"  
  Else  
   alertTime = Now + TimeValue("00:00:05")  
   Application.OnTime alertTime, "EventMacro"  
  End If  
   
 End Sub  

After you set the email

email = "pinco.pallino@urcaorca.com"

and the interval of the time

TimeValue("00:00:05")

when you are ready you can run the Macro1