Microsoft Integrates Facebook into Outlook

On the heels of a recent Facebook Pages integration with Docs.com, Microsoft has again Facebook-ized its products by allowing Outlook users to access the social network from their email inboxes with the new Outlook Social Connector.

Mashable reported that Microsoft has integrated both Facebook and Windows Live Messenger into Outlook’s 2003 and 2007 versions via a new plugin, which will also allow integrations for MySpace and LinkedIn.

Facebook and Microsoft reportedly worked in tandem to ensure the plugin worked well. One privacy-related feature is that the plugin will only pull information from email contacts connected to a Facebook account. In other words, if you and most of your friends use Outlook primarily at work but have a personal email attached to your Facebook account, you may not see as much Facebook-related information with the Outlook Social Connector.

The new integration gets  information live from Facebook, allowing users to see profile photos and news feeds of contacts in their Outlook inbox as they are published on Facebook. So, for example, when you’re reading a friend’s email in Outlook you will also be able to see their status updates, photo uploads, posts, and other activities.

Users may not, however, Like posts or update statuses, for example because the plugin only pulls information from Facebook. That’s in the plans eventually, according to Mashable, but for now the only thing Outlook users can publish to Facebook from their inboxes are friend requests.

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Leave a Reply

6 Responses to “Microsoft Integrates Facebook into Outlook”

  1. Joe says:

    Great! Thanks for the information. I use outlook, so for me it will be very practical!

  2. Linkwertig: Echo, Game Mechanics, Outlook, Zendesk » netzwertig.com says:

    [...] » Microsoft Integrates Facebook into Outlook [...]

  3. Susan says:

    Very good step toward bringing business and social media!!

  4. Chris von Nieda | Web Content Services says:

    very cool, long time user of Outlook currently on 2007 and lots of daily use of Facebook. I’m gong to check it out right now and see if it can save me some time every day.

  5. Tai Freligh says:

    We use Outlook at my work and I am one of the folks who manages our social media, so I was pumped to see this. Unfortunately, our Outlook version is 2002 and thus not supported by any plug-ins. Do you think they will release a plug-in for 2002? I have a feeling a lot of government agencies like the one I work for (state tourism) use older versions of Outlook and thus will not be able to take advantage of this cool idea!

  6. the Library Channel » Blog Archive » Technology Tidbits Roundup, July 22 says:

    [...] don’t necessarily like the services it provides. That hasn’t stopped Facebook from integrating itself with Microsoft Outlook, [...]

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