We think that one important feature that could be added to Microsoft Outlook is the integration of the software with a social media manager. This would allow Outlook to import information for specific contacts, like Plaxo does, but the Outlook instance could also import and save photographs of its contacts as well as update contact information. The social media manager would also allow a user of Microsoft Outlook to send and receive social media messages through a portal that can be customized. It would need to require that the user have a subscription for their social media account(s) and/or require that advertisements are displayed. Another improvement to Microsoft Outlook would be its integration with VoIP services such as Skype, and allow the user to send and receive text messages from within Outlook. The software could also allow the user to save and backup all information from their telephone, such as contacts, recorded calls, and voice mail messages, and view / listen to them from within Outlook. There could also be a family tree within Microsoft Outlook that integrates into family tree / ancestry subscriptions, so that the user can find relatives that are related to them through the family. The software could also allow other types of messaging from within Outlook, such as integration with LinkedIn. The integration with LinkedIn could use the same family tree type of look, except for organizations, or for people that are related to the user in some way, and the user can specify the organizational structures relating to how those persons are related to specific organizations, or how they met. These organizational, or even family tree views, could be Visio diagrams that are embedded into Microsoft Outlook, such as to access contacts based on organizational chart parameters, visually, such as different departments in different organizational diagrams, that show three-dimensional models that resemble the people, like a three-dimensional cartoon character, similar to the person object in Microsoft Visio, or even other views with buildings or equipment that shows how contacts are setup in Microsoft Outlook based on telecommunications equipment that is necessary to access the contacts.
- Patrick R. McElhiney
- Microsoft Office Software Improvements (IT-SWI-MSI-MSO)