- Microsoft Outlook is part of the Microsoft Suite software packages. The software has been in existence for more than a decade and has expanded its offerings and capabilities over the years. Initially, Outlook was bundled with an exchange server and not part of the Office package suites. The software was included in the package suites beginning with Office 97. It is a popular tool individuals and companies around the world use to communicate electronically. Many embedded email links on the Internet are set up with the software.
- Microsoft Outlook is a tool that allows users to communicate electronically across groups and person-to-person. Communication can be made with persons inside the same organization as well as with persons across different business or organizations. For added security, users can send outbound email using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). To configure your computer for SMTP, contact your local computer technician. Most companies have in-house technicians who make sure that all company computer are configured with SMTP before the computers are rolled-out and assigned to employees. The Office suite the software is bundled in also offers users the option of locking file access while away from the computer by simply clicking "Start," then "Control+Alt+Delete," and choosing "Lock Computer."
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With Microsoft Outlook you can add Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary (RSS) Feeds to your emails after you subscribe to RSS Subscriptions. RSS Feeds are web content summaries. The software product also allows you to keep in touch with business partners and clients by emailing them an electronic version of your business card.
The software includes Outlook Today, which allows you to review and adjust your schedule by giving you a combined view of your calendar, tasks and electronic messages all in one spot. Emails are stored in the software's inbox. Users can also create personal folders, assign a topic name to the folder and store electronic communications online. It is akin to having a file cabinet on your desktop.
Users can also create contacts, electronic business cards and notes using Microsoft Outlook. Emails can be imported, exported, attached to newer emails and calendar events. An example of a calendar event is a office staff meeting you want to invite your team to. You can invite attendees to the meeting, view other attendee's availability by clicking "Scheduling" and set the location, date and time of the meeting. To track responses to your meeting, invite simply click "Tracking." The software also allows you to set up recurring meetings, which saves time. Another feature of Microsoft Outlook in regards to meetings is the reminder feature. Generally, fifteen minutes prior to the actual meeting, a reminder will pop-up on your desktop alerting you to the upcoming meeting and include details of the meeting for your review.
Small and large companies can upload company email directories into Outlook which allows users to search by name for a particular colleague in the company. Users can also print their daily, weekly or monthly calendars noting upcoming meetings using Microsoft Outlook. - The software offers a free trial for potential users to download directly from the official website. The download is part of the Professional Office trial, which includes several other Microsoft Office products, including Word and Excel. Prices for the package suites that include Microsoft Office are available at the home and student levels which cost about $150. The Office Standard suite costs about $400. Small business package suites cost about $450, while Office Professional suite packages cost about $500. Office Ultimate and other package suites with broader scale of software product offerings start at $680 and up.
- Upon proof of eligibility, students and teachers can receive a discount on Microsoft Office suites.. If your software needs are basic (Word, Excel, Access, for example) a standard or home package suite will meet your needs and give you access to the software. Regardless of the Office suite that includes the software, a "Help" key is available that includes a list of helpful steps and recommendations by category for users to take advantage of. For a complete list of product details and offerings included with each software package, check the Microsoft Office website in the reference link below.
