Outlook Update for Android and iOS Adds Unified Address Book

Microsoft on Wednesday updated its Outlook
email apps for the Android and iOS
platforms with a list of new features like
unified address book and search directory,
apart from Calendar improvements and
more.
The updated Microsoft Outlook apps for
Android (version 1.1.5) and iOS (version
1.1.3) are available for download via their
respective app stores.
First up is the new People section, which is
now a complete address book. Microsoft has
replaced the lightweight "top contacts" view
with a unified view or user contacts from all
email accounts.
With the update, users will now be able to
view contact information, launch a new
email, start a phone call or map its location
just by selecting the contact. Additionally,
Outlook now also provides quick-click
shortcuts to easily find all the emails,
meetings and files shared with the contact.
Outlook for Android can now pull contacts
stored locally on the phone to create a
unified address book for all contacts, even if
they are not stored in user's email accounts.
Also, the People section now integrates the
full organisational directory (also known as
the Global Address List or GAL) for
customers using commercial Office 365 or
Exchange Server email. In addition to
contacts, users will now be able to search
for other items in their directory, including
conference rooms, distribution lists and
Groups.
"Just type in the name of the person you're
looking for in the search bar and then select
Search Directory. We've also integrated this
same capability into the email compose
experience so email within your organisation
is easier than ever," notes Allen Filush,
Product Manager, Outlook team.
Few other features added in the Outlook
email apps for Android and iOS are the
three-day Calendar view section in
landscape mode (see below), support for
zero-length meetings, a 'remove from
calendar' action for cancelled meetings, and
an improved calendar day picker when
creating and editing meetings.
Microsoft has added search highlight for
easy discovery in the Outlook for iOS app as
of now, and the feature will be coming in an
update to Outlook for Android soon.
Lastly, Microsoft has more user-focused as
well as IT-focused updates in the pipeline.
On top of the list, company is looking to
provide mobile device management support,
enabling the ability to read and reply to
Information Rights Management (IRM)
protected email and delivering OAuth support
for Office 365 and Yahoo accounts.
The Redmond giant says that the company
is also committed to deliver support for the
new built-in MDM features for Office 365
and for Microsoft Intune later this quarter.