In partnership with MySpace and Facebook, Microsoft has announced to get “more social” by including social-networking information in their flagship business software – Microsoft Outlook 2010. Business-networking site, LinkedIn is also offering a beta tool that will integrate the activity of a user into Microsoft Outlook 2010.
In November last year, Microsoft had announced the Outlook Social Connector for Outlook, a new Office 2010 feature that integrates the social-networking feeds into Microsoft’s Outlook 2010 inbox.
This Wednesday, Microsoft released the Social Connector update that included the first third-party feature from LinkedIn. This update will allow users to view status updates, photos, and so on of their peers and colleagues. Microsoft says that the same will be possible for Facebook and MySpace users. You will be able to directly update your status from Outlook 2010 and will also be able to perform other activities associated with social networking.
Although the Social Connector feature has been developed for Microsoft Outlook 2010, it will also work with Microsoft Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Outlook 2007.
Expect this integration to be part of the package when Microsoft releases the Microsoft Office 2010 suite June.