Outlook.com has become one of our top email hosting platform recommendations since the demise of the free version of Google Apps.
The ability to keep email, calendars and contacts in sync across multiple devices is a must in the digital age and Outlook.com does this admirably. In addition, the possibility to host domain email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) on this platform with almost no email storage limits and no fees makes it a singular option in this field. Add built in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Skype apps, and free online storage in the veil of SkyDrive, which can also integrate across devices, it becomes an especially attractive option.
The platform works great with smart phones by utilizing the Exchange ActiveSync (commonly known as EAS) protocol, and the Outlook email client and web mail interface is clean and functional. Its only drawback has been that, due to a lack of support of IMAP protocol, it wasn't compatible with such things as the Mac email client.
Last Thursday that all changed. The Outlook.com team announced the immediate support of IMAP - something that has been requested from the community since Outlook.com was rolled out. You can read the full announcement here.
So what does this mean?
Well, if you have a Mac or Blackberry it means you can use the built in email client instead of web mail and your email will keep in sync. There are advantages to using email clients, including giving people the option of using something they are already familiar with rather than learning their way round a new online interface.
Does it work?
We've taken the time to test the new functionality, albeit in a limited capacity, and overall we can say yes. There is one issue we discovered when deleting email from an iPhone on an IMAP account and it not being removed from the inbox of the EAS version, but as we recommend sticking with EAS on mobile devices, we don't see this as an issue.
Any downsides?
Yes, there are. While the email remaining in sync is great, there's no support for contact or calendar sync using the CardDav and CalDav open protocols. But, overall this announcement is a step in the right direction for truly multi-platform functionality.
If you want to set up a device with Outlook.com IMAP, the server settings are:
Incoming IMAP
- Server: imap-mail.outlook.com
- Server port: 993
- Encryption: SSL
Outgoing SMTP
- Server: smtp-mail.outlook.com
- Server port: 587
- Encryption: TLS
Check out all the features of Microsoft's Outlook.com email service here. And, of course, if you need help with setting up email, either Outlook.com or domain email, give us a call.
