RSSOutlook 2007 Gets SMS Integration
By Nate Mook | Published May 23, 2006, 3:30 PM
While Outlook 2007 won't be receiving the same user interface overhaul as its fellow core Office applications, the e-mail and organization software will get a number of new features, including RSS integration and improved calendar sharing. Also on the docket: built-in SMS text messaging.
Microsoft has remained mum on the new SMS support, as the company is working to hash out agreements with wireless carriers in the United States. In a demonstration of the new feature to BetaNews earlier this month, Outlook 2007 product manager Jessica Arnold said Verizon was the first company to hop on board.
A primary focus of Office 2007 is enabling the remote worker, with technology ushering in a growing breed of BlackBerry-enabled employees. Through integration with Exchange Server, Outlook 2007 users can access e-mail and even reschedule meetings over the phone. Users can also listen voicemail directly from within Outlook.
Text messaging takes this idea further, keeping users connected without the need for a smartphone running Office Communicator Mobile or even an Exchange Server. Outlook 2007 will be able to send SMS messages to any mobile phone number just like composing an e-mail. If the receiver responds via their phone, the message is routed back into the sender's Outlook inbox.
Users can type up long messages, which will be automatically split in the appropriate size before sending. Microsoft has not yet finalized pricing of the feature, but as Outlook links with the sender's wireless phone number, sending a text message will likely simply deduct from the user's bank of available messages.
Thus far, Verizon is the only carrier to support the service, which requires a special Microsoft setup on the network side, but will work with any mobile phone. However, Arnold said Microsoft is confident it will finalize deals with Cingular, T-Mobile and other major wireless carriers by the time Office 2007 launches early next year.
Actually this technology is already available in Taiwan and there is a software plug-in that allows you to send and receive SMS via your Outlook folder. The software company that does it is called Tytech.
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Why cant Microsoft just simply allow you to sync outlook with the SMS folder in your phone and send & receive messages that way as many many many utilities already do! No need for complex network setup & will work ALL over the world not just the US! they got this one totally wrong!
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No, you don't understand the details of what this is about.
First, Microsoft's special setup is not for ordinary SMS. It's to support "push" delivery of email (a key feature of Blackberry) AND to be able to integrate regular SMS with those threads (e.g. one party is sending as email, the other is replying via SMS; today, it's kinda-sorta possible to treat email as SMS except for the length issue, but it's awkward to keep SMS replies associated with an email thread as well as the Outlook Contact of the SMS user [which ties him/her back to non-SMS addresses]).
Secondly, there is no standard whatsoever among different GSM and CDMA devices for accessing an SMS "folder." SMS itself is a transport protocol; there is no store specification. Even within a single manufacturer, the SMS store can vary between models and/or firmware versions. Therefore, those "many many many utilities" do not each support many many many devices in a consistent way. Even when you go beyond the manufacturer's own utilities and look at the 3rd party products like BitPim, DataPilot, Mobile Action, SnapSync, etc. there is no broad consistent capability of syncing SMS folders, and no capability at all of coordinating SMS threads with email threads.
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OK where is the cool?
I guess the interface redesign is "nice" but nothing that makes me say: wow I can work better now.
How will Microsoft provide a PBX link for legacy PBX services?
read: PBX's change every 7+ years, Email clients and servers change every 2-3?
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Hi m8 IANAL but IHTFP I have $356783,000,000 in My akont that I wud like 2 share with U my m8
etc etc...
email straight to SMS! gr8!
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