A user of a client computer submits a directory request to a server
executing a server email application. The server email application is
responsive to the directory request to identify a custom directory
containing contact data for one or more individuals. The server email
application determines whether to transfer a written form of the contact
data, or whether to transfer both written and phonetic forms of the
contact data to the client computer. The server email application indexes
the contact data, prior to transfer, based on the written form when only
the written form of contact data is being transferred to the client
computer, and indexes the contact data based on both the phonetic and
written forms when the written and phonetic forms of the contact data are
both being transferred to the client computer.