Microsoft Outlook will become more social

Back in November 2009, Microsoft released the Outlook Social Connector, a tool that allows users to track their friends' social media updates. Initially, the module was integrated with LinkedIn. Outlook Social Connector will soon be supported by new social services, including Facebook and MySpace.

The Outlook Social Connector allows you to fully utilize social networks without visiting their pages—exchanging messages, viewing your friends' posts, and theirs. Furthermore, the new module allows you to integrate your social network contact list into your Outlook address book. For example, if someone changes their phone number or email address, all these changes will be instantly synced with your Microsoft Outlook address book.

Another important feature enabled by the Outlook Social Connector is updating your social network profile. This allows users to maintain an active online social life directly from the Microsoft Outlook application window, without interrupting their work. This new module will transform Microsoft Outlook into a universal online communications hub—a tool that unites traditional email and innovative social networking technologies.

The new Outlook Social Connector will also help you manage your email more efficiently. The average user receives 93 emails daily, including many notifications from online services, particularly social media. The Outlook Social Connector will help you spend less time managing emails daily while still staying connected to your social media accounts.

The Outlook Social Connector is an open platform. Microsoft has published a set of APIs for developers, allowing other social network owners to create their own modules for Outlook.

The application is an add-in for Microsoft Outlook. It can be connected to Office 2003, 2007, and the beta version of Office 2010. Download it here.