Outlook is still one of, if not the most popular email tools being used in offices. That might seem confusing to Google and Apple users, to whom Outlook might seem like an outdated application. And, to be fair, Outlook has been around for a long, long time, and it didn’t always have the greatest reputation for security, so a little bit of skepticism is understandable. But Outlook has a lot to offer, particularly the current Office 365 version, and the software isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The following are just a few of the many reasons why Outlook is still the go-to email tool for so many businesses in 2019.
Familiarity
One of the primary reasons many people still prefer Outlook over the major competitors is simply that it’s familiar. Outlook has been around since 1997 – basically forever in terms of software and web technology. Gmail, by comparison, launched in 2004 and wasn’t as widely adopted as it is today until later. That means there is an entire army of users out there that have spent decades using Microsoft products for their email and scheduling, and they don’t intend to change anytime soon.
Business Focus
One factor that has consistently benefited Outlook is that it has (or is perceived to have) more of a business focus than Gmail, which has traditionally been seen as more of a personal email service (so much so that an @gmail.com email address is seen in many circles as unprofessional.) Gmail has been taking steps to combat that in recent years with better organization tools and business-related features targeting areas like confidentiality, contact and calendar management, and more. But for now, Outlook is still seen as the King when it comes to office use thanks in no small part to the fact that Microsoft’s Office suite is the undisputed champion of workplace productivity software.
Offline Access
Outlook offers exceptional offline access to essentially all of its features, enabling users to get their work done even when they don’t have an internet connection. That might seem trivial in a world where there is almost always an internet connection, but it’s actually a big deal, especially for people who work on the move. Being able to load up Outlook and get down to business on the morning train to work or on a long plane ride to a conference or meeting is a big selling feature.
Advanced Organization
Outlook is extremely user-friendly when it comes to organizing its contents. From calendars to file handling to emails, and beyond, Outlook users can manage almost all aspects of their communications and scheduling from within a single application in a way that competitors like Google can’t quite yet offer (although they’re getting very close). Categorization, flagging, sorting, and search are all areas in which Outlook shines, making it possible for each user to set up their Outlook account to ideally fit into their personal work style.
Excellent Integration
Relating to being organized, Outlook also offers incredible integration, both internally and externally. Internally, Outlook perfectly synthesizes all of the user’s email communications, contacts, and calendars into one intuitive, easy to use tool that just feels right. Externally, Outlook can be integrated with an entire host of platforms, ranging from account software to full customer resource management tools like IRIS CRM. That makes it possible for companies to bring multiple tools and platforms into a single, unified point of control, streamlining workflows and making everyone’s job easier.
IRIS CRM offers complete and seamless integration, enabling users to bring all of their email, contact management, and scheduling directly into the same platform they use for lead management, sales processes, customer service, billing, and more. Once the connection is made, IRIS CRM automatically syncs emails with the matching lead and customer accounts, ensuring every communication is automatically logged and ready for future reference. For more information on how IRIS CRM can help you streamline your Outlook communications and scheduling, start your free trial of the payment industry’s top customer resource management platform.