As Google finishes detailing a redesign to its Gmail service, Microsoft follows not too far behind with new Outlook features. The company introduces various additions to their email platform that will encourage better management overall. Not all of their features will come at once, but many of them look worthwhile for business-oriented people.
First up are improvements to Outlook Calendar. Outlook automatically identifies bills in emails and helps users track them. On top of a calendar event being automatically added, the system reminds users of due dates two days in advance.
For those swamped with organising and going to meetings, Outlook now does some heavy-lifting. The platform suggests meeting locations through a combination of machine learning models. Outlook for iOS then provides insight into traffic and a suggested leave time for the meeting.
Outlook also tracks RSVPs for meetings, thus helping users prepare around attendees. Additionally, if consumers plan meetings that are strict about who attends, Outlook has the option to prevent forwarding of the calendar events.
Next, Outlook reduces the complexity of managing events across the world by translating time zones to one’s local time. Users can set start and end times of appointments, as well as set three time zones to their calendar.
As for Outlook Mail, Outlook now automatically adds details on an organisation to users’ Outlook contact information. Companies connected to Azure Active Directory have the additional benefit of letting people inform themselves on the group’s many VIPs.
Furthermore, Outlook now supports companies that use SOCKS proxies for security. The platform also provides a convenient warning message to protect users from, embarrassingly, responding to a wave of Bccs.
The new Outlook features don’t end there, however, as Microsoft lists a series of upcoming additions to Outlook for iOS and Android. These include the ability to sync drafts, as well as embed whiteboard, photos, or documents via Office Lens. Also coming are quick replies, favourite contacts, and an option to block external content in emails.
For Office 365 subscribers, users can now easily track group events and observe the group’s OneNote Notebook content through Outlook. Plus, companies subscribed to the service can enforce restrictions that prevent users from copying out sensitive information through their mobile devices.
To learn more about Microsoft’s new Outlook features, click here.
(Source: Microsoft)
