Microsoft’s Outlook.com is being replaced by Office 365

By Brad Jones Published May 6, 2015

microsofts outlook com is being replaced by office 365 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft’s shake-up of its Office software has affected just about every part of the package, and now Outlook.com looks to be next in line to be refreshed ahead of the release of Windows 10. The company has already released mobile-friendly versions of its Office stalwarts and has set about previewing the 2016 edition of the package, and now its web-based elements seem to be next on its to-do list.

Users should expect to be migrated from the service to Office 365 before the end of 2015, according to a report from The Verge. However, this shouldn’t worry users concerned that the service is set to be discontinued, as the changes look set to bring it closer to Microsoft’s other interests in an attempt for better consistency across their product line-up.

Recommended Videos

There are no plans to drop the name Outlook.com, and you won’t need an Office 365 subscription to access the new version of the service. It’s still set to be free to use, but it’ll run on the technology behind Office 365 rather than the standalone implementation that’s in place at the moment.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Changes to the service’s UI and feature set should be expected, but it’s difficult to gauge just how quickly they will be rolled out. The latter will be of particular interest, as Outlook.com users are likely aware that development surrounding the service has slowed in recent months.

The support foradd-ins showcased at BUILD 2015 are thought to be a major factor behind this decision. It’s clear that Microsoft is leaning towards a range of software that can be used on many types of devices but runs on a similar infrastructure; this move should help make Outlook.com a better experience for the user, no matter how they choose to access the service.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

Computing

Copilot’s most exciting Office features will cost $20 a month

Microsoft Copilot creating a PowerPoint presentation for a user.

Microsoft is expanding its AI integration again, enabling anyone to subscribe to a new service called Copilot Pro, which will be used in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. That means you can do things like generate full slideshows in Powerpoint with just a few words typed into the chatbot.

Having generative AI built right into Office apps was an exciting idea when it was announced last year, but so far, it's only available for enterprise accounts as part of Copilot in Microsoft 365. Now, that option is available for all Microsoft 365 and Office customers, but it won't be free.

Computing

I tried Microsoft Office on my Quest 3 and came away disappointed

Most features, like adjusting a document's layout in Word, work fine on a Quest 3.

For documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, Office is the go-to suite of apps many rely on. Trying to work on a small laptop screen can be restrictive, so Microsoft teamed up with Meta to bring owners of the excellent new Quest 3 a potential solution to work in VR.

I previously attempted to get real work done using my Quest Pro for a week and, more recently, with the faster Quest 3 as a laptop replacement. In each case, there were problems that were best solved by wirelessly connecting my VR headset to a computer, making it more of a monitor replacement.

Computing

Microsoft just made Outlook a lot easier to use

Outlook running on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover screen.

The Outlook app on the Z Flip 5 cover screen Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Microsoft’s popular email client and organizer Outlook will soon be getting an update that should allow users to send large files without encountering any errors. We first heard about the update last month, and per the Microsoft 365 road map website, Feature ID 156100 is going to enable Outlook users to upload files seamlessly, even when they come across email size restrictions.