Are there any plans to include an options setting that would enable the initialization of public folders when Outlook starts?

I cannot be the only user that uses CRM or communications software that programmatically starts Outlook to enable the search for contacts in a shared store.

The GAL is not fit for this purpose as it cannot be edited by the very people that use it. The information cannot be enhanced by users and requires IT Admin to spend days just changing addresses and phone numbers.

As events are ignored during programmatic start I cannot use a macro to touch the public folders either.

I'd rather have a performance issue once each morning than no central contacts list at all.

Has anyone else found a solution to this?