Attorneys Who Use Skype May Just Ditch Gmail for Outlook.com

With Microsoft's new Outlook.com, attorneys with multiple social-media accounts may find that Gmail has finally met its match.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft has launched a "preview" of its new Outlook.com cloud-based email service, touting built-in connections to social media and more convenient ways to stay productive, the website SlashGear reports.

Some key new features, like built-in Skype capabilities, are not yet up and running. But here are five reasons Outlook.com may soon give Gmail a run for its money:

1. A fresh new look. With Microsoft's Outlook.com, attorneys will find less on-screen clutter compared to what they presently see with Microsoft's Hotmail service. Display advertising is gone, the Inbox shows 30% more messages, and the header comprises 60% fewer pixels -- "minimalist" changes that make Outlook.com perfect for iPhone and iPad users, a writer for ZDNet reports.


2. New social connections. Outlook.com gives users the option to simultaneously monitor and respond to updates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, directly from their webmail screen. Check out this Microsoft video clip for an introduction:
   


3. A more functional inbox. If keeping up with all your social media accounts, email, and newsletter subscriptions is too much, the new Outlook.com allows you to view only email, only Facebook updates, or only newsletters, for example. You can also view and edit attachments in Microsoft Word and other programs without leaving your inbox.


4. Simple syncing. Outlook.com's full support for Exchange ActiveSync means both iOS and Android smartphone users will be able to easily sync or back up contact information.


5. Built-in Skype is coming soon. Along with built-in social media updates, Skype will soon be embedded in Outlook.com. Attorneys who use the service for face-to-face chats will eventually be able to use Skype directly from their inbox without having to download the program, according to Microsoft.

Related Resources:

• Outlook.com: an all-new Metro style Hotmail with Skype video calling (The Verge)
• How to Organize Email Inboxes for Lawyers Without Assistants (FindLaw's Technologist)
• Make Multiple Gmail Calls: Can a Lawyer Use Just Gmail for a Phone? (FindLaw's Technologist)
• Addicted to Outlook: Credenza Takes Microsoft Outlook Deeper (FindLaw's Technologist)