New Features in Outlook 365
In order to improve the stability and reliability of its system, Microsoft is updating the current BPOS mailserver to a new version called Exchange 365, part of the Office 365 platform.
Exchange 365 is very different from BPOS and introduces some new features including completely new interface, toolbars and functionalities in Outlook Web Access (OWA).
Below you can find a list of the main new features related to and/or introduced by the new platform:
Tired of having to use the Sign In Tool to log into Outlook? With Office 365 this will not be needed anymore: you can start Outlook just by clicking on its desktop icon like in the good old days!
After the move to the new 365 platform, the ICT will gradually remove the Sign In Tool from all EUI office desktop PCs and laptops. This will as well quicken the startup of your Windows environment.
The move to the new 365 mailserver system marks the first step towards the possibility of implementing the full suite of tools offered by Office 365, like File Sharing and Office Web Apps (cloud office automation).
For further details about Office 365, click here.
WebMail now supports Conversations like in native Outlook: when this option is turned on, messages that share the same subject appear as Conversations that can be viewed expanded or collapsed. You can quickly review and act on messages or complete Conversations.
When a new message is received, the whole Conversation moves to the top of your message list. When you click a Conversation header in the message list, the Conversation shows in the Reading Pane with the newest message on top.
Exchange 365 fully supports the ability to open additional mailboxes (to which you already have rights) within the same browser session allowing you to quickly access, for example, shared (departmental) Calendars or Project mail folders via OWA's sidebar. Exchange will even “remember” the mailboxes you have opened and open them automatically each time you use the WebMail.
If, besides having rights to additional mailboxes, you also have rights to Send On Behalf Of said mailboxes, this functionality is now available in your WebMail as well.
Dragging and dropping (attaching) mail items into a message is now fully supported.
Tired of having to use Outlook Web Access Light, missing features and getting laughed at by Internet Explorer users?
Those times have now gone: with Exchange 365 you will enjoy the same, identical graphical user experience no matter if you use Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari or FireFox!
Configuring your smartphone or tablet has never been easier: whether you choose POP3, IMAP or Exchange protocol, easy to remember mailserver aliases (sometimes as easy as m.outlook.com!) replace former exhaustingly long and riddle-oriented mailserver names (such as red002.mail.emea.microsoftonline.com)!
Have you been desperately missing the IMAP protocol since the move to BPOS? Rejoice, as IMAP is now fully supported again under Office 365!
Page last updated on 20 August 2017