Microsoft Outlook App Is In The Works For iOS with Chat-Style Email App Flow

Microsoft is reportedly working on overhauling the Outlook mobile apps for iOS and Android users in order to bring the mobile app to the company's cloud enable mobile device management platform known as the Enterprise Mobility Suite.

Months after Microsoft released its mobile version of the Outlook email client, Corporate Vice President of Cloud and Enterprise Division Brad Anderson, wrote in a blog that for the last six months, Microsoft already released applications that are integrated with Data Leakage Protection and Conditional Access capabilities such as OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive for Business. 

The latest Microsoft project that was launched was the Acompli app and it was a success as millions of Android and iOS users downloaded it. Microsoft then decided to work on an Outlook app. Releasing it soon will help not only individuals but also organizations manage and protect their mobile inboxes.

The outlook apps will be updated within this quarter and will be integrated with more advanced systems such as conditional access and mobile application management.

With these upgrades, the administrators will be able to restrict data sharing and will undergo limitations and policies set by them. This is to prevent leakage of sensitive and important information stored in the said Outlook mobile apps. iOS and Android users using these Outlook mobile apps will be able to switch from personal to business use using just one app. The original version of the apps is still available in iTunes and Google Play.

Anderson continued to write that the revamp and overhaul of the Outlook apps for iOS and Android users aim to remove the use of IT as the company believes that the IT's connection to personal data should already be eliminated. 

Aside from the new Outlook apps, Microsoft is reportedly rolling out a new email app called "Flow," which will be chat-based and will help users have rapid email conversations on their phone. It will basically let users focus on the important person-to-person conversations and not the whole inbox.

Microsoft described "Flow" as light-weight and chat-like app for email. Basically, it aims to focus on the fast, fluid, and natural conversations instead of being too formal when conversing with someone as in the elimination of subject lines, salutations and signatures is being developed. 

The information about "Flow" was leaked online via a Twitter user so no other details about this app has been released. However, it is said that the app will be available first for iPhone users and it remains unknown if the company will develop the app for Android and Windows phone users.