[ad_1]
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most ubiquitous email clients in the world. It is installed on all computers with Microsoft Office. There is also a mobile app called Outlook, not to mention a web version. Don’t forget, it is also an email service. Of course, there is also a separate calendar and email app for Windows 10.
If that all sounds confusing, you are not alone. It seems that even Microsoft is realizing that it has gotten a bit out of control.
Windows Central reported earlier this week that Microsoft is working on a new, unified Outlook that ditches most of that in favor of a Progressive Web Application (PWA) for Windows and Mac. Considering how important Outlook has been to Microsoft, that’s risky. There are many things that can go wrong.
Outlook is important, despite the fact that it has lagged behind not only the competition but also its users for years. Microsoft Outlook is arguably one of its most important productivity tools, which means the stakes are high.
The challenge is that Microsoft is not exactly known as a company that creates amazing software experiences. Because it has to serve a wide range of users, from individuals, families, schools, small businesses, and giant corporations, most of its software leans more toward utilitarian function than elegant design. Or, to put it another way, the company tends to act quite safely, not to break anything that millions of people depend on every day.
That being said, I think you could argue that Outlook has been broken for a while. It certainly hasn’t been a great software experience.
Of course, when it comes to email, most people use the browser version of Gmail, so maybe people just don’t care about great software experiences in this case. Interestingly, Gmail is the reason this is so important.
At one point, Outlook was the default email and calendar app for anyone running Windows. Now, however, unless you are a business user, you probably only use Gmail. Even if you are As a business user, there is an increasing chance for your business to use Gmail.
In fact, when it comes to email clients, most people use Gmail in a browser or use the Apple Mail or Gmail apps on their devices. That makes sense considering they are the default options on iOS and Android, respectively. Those are by far the two most popular email clients, reflecting the fact that most people do most of their email on their smartphone.
And people definitely still use email. More than 306 billion emails were sent in 2020, and that number is expected to increase by almost 20 percent by 2024.
Sure, people complain about email. Tech companies are even trying to get rid of it entirely. Slack and Microsoft’s own Teams app have tried to change that, but in reality, email is still the most reliable way to communicate with most people. Almost everyone has an email address; not all of them are part of your Slack workspace.
As a result, email is still where many people spend much of their working life. And “work life” is largely where Microsoft has built its brand. Its main selling proposition is that it offers you all the tools to get the job done.
Do you need productivity tools? How about Microsoft Word or Excel or OneDrive or OneNote? Do you need to browse the web? There’s Microsoft Edge. Trying to manage customers, sales, or inventory? Microsoft Dynamics.
Do you need a business email address? Oh, just use Gmail.
You can see why that could be a problem. Google has slowly eroded Microsoft’s dominance in business productivity tools, and email is the most vulnerable entry point.
Outlook was created when email was still relatively new. Over the years, it added features like managing contacts, calendars, and tasks and, well, a lot of things that are related but not email. All those features add layers of complexity both in terms of design and in everyday use.
For Microsoft, that means that checking Outlook is both very necessary and extremely risky. It is necessary because it has lagged far behind its peers in terms of design and utility. It is risky because, if you make a mistake, it complicates the lives of customers who still depend on it and gives up any chance of winning over new users.
At the same time, it is sometimes worth taking a big risk.
[ad_2]
