Microsoft Office Outlook Connector Beta Now Available

UPDATE: You can download the final released version of the Outlook Connector here or through Windows Live Essentials at download.live.com.

Today you can now download the beta of the next version of the Microsoft Office Outlook Connector.

Download: Microsoft Office Outlook Connector (Beta)

The Microsoft Office Outlook Connector is designed to let you access your Windows Live Hotmail account through Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007. You will be able to download and install the Connector to sync up your email and contacts in Windows Live Hotmail for free. However, if you are a paid subscriber of MSN Premium, Office Live Essentials, or Office Live Premium you will get the added functionality of being able to sync up your calendar, tasks and notes from Outlook to Windows Live Hotmail.

I know many of you probably took note to the statement made on the download page of being able to "synchronize your Windows Live Calendar in Outlook". Windows Live Hotmail currently has a built in calendar service which is essentially your Windows Live Calendar. Your calendar from Outlook is published and viewable through this service in Windows Live Hotmail.

I pinged Jared Brown today who is a Program Manager on the Outlook Connector Team to discuss today's Beta release and the Outlook Connector in general. One of the benefits that Jared highlighted for me was that when the Outlook Connector is installed it does not alter any pre-existing email accounts already setup in Outlook. For example: if you are a user in a Microsoft Exchange environment and want to access your Hotmail account via Outlook, the Connector won't impact the use of being connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server. Both email accounts will work without causing issues.  "You'll essentially have two folders for each module, one will sync one won't (just like you'll have two email Inboxes etc.)," Jared explained.

I also asked Jared to talk a little bit about the backend technology that the Outlook Connector uses to sync up email and contacts. The Outlook Connector Beta uses DeltaSync - a brand new protocol for syncing up with web services (such as Hotmail) that is also used extensively in Windows Live Mail.  Previous versions of the Outlook Connector employed DAV to sync up email. However, this proved to be expensive and not quite efficient enough especially with Hotmail's extremely large user base. "DeltaSync was created to boost efficiency and finally let us create a version of the connector that we can release for free," Jared said. DeltaSync is one of my favorite backend technologies to come out of Microsoft to-date.

I installed the Outlook Connector Beta on my PC and it works as advertised. It quickly syncs together email from Windows Live Hotmail into Outlook 2007 (note that this beta also works with Outlook 2003 as well!) very nicely.

 It also syncs your Windows Live Contacts as well. When installed in Outlook - you will get a new Outlook Connector Toolbar that allows you to view your server status.

Your server status includes how much space you have left in Hotmail and any errors that may have occurred during sync. I am currently not a MSN Premium, Office Live Essentials or Office Live Premium subscriber so I get a red "x" next to calendar which fails to sync since I am not paying for a service that offers that added benefit. However email and contacts sync up great.  You can still use Outlook's calendar, it just won't sync to the Windows Live.

You are able to configure calendar sharing and add more accounts to use the Outlook Connector with. If you have multiple Hotmail accounts or Windows Live Custom Domains and Office Live accounts - they all can be configured into a single Outlook profile.  I configured up to 4 Hotmail accounts in one Outlook Profile. I saw no decrease in performance in Outlook 2007 either.

In Windows Vista, since Outlook 2007 utilizes the Windows Desktop Search indexer, any email that you sync up from Windows Live Hotmail in Outlook 2007 is easily searchable through Windows Vista's Start Menu.

Special thanks to Jared Brown for taking the time to talk with me today. Remember, this release of the Outlook Connector is a beta. If you have any issues, just go to "Send Feedback" under the Outlook Connector menu in Outlook (see above screenshot). Or leave a comment and I'll be sure to forward the feedback on to the team.

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Comments

  1. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: August 20, 2007 at 2:29AM  

    Jack Lu, have you upgraded to the final version of the new Outlook Connector? This may clear up that 3206 error.

    http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2007/08/15/final-microsoft-office-outlook-connector-now-available.aspx

    markande, you are unable to use Outlook Express to sync and read your Hotmail. Microsoft has released the first beta of the successor to Outlook Express (in XP) and Windows Mail (in Vista) called Windows Live Mail. Windows Live Mail will let you sync up and read your email from Hotmail - for free. You can download the latest beta here:

    http://get.live.com/betas/maildesktop_betas

    - Brandon

  2. rvdb
    Posted on: September 05, 2007 at 11:37AM  

    Hi Brandon,

    I've got serious problems with OOC. I need version 12.4518.1047 but I only get the wong version.

    Can you help me

    Greetings from Holland

    Rob van den Berg

  3. whyjoe
    Posted on: September 09, 2007 at 2:03AM  

    Does anyone know what the sync schedule is of the Connector using Outlook 2007? The FAQ almost implies that it's on as 'as-items-arrive' (push?) basis. (It states that in Outlook 2003 items only arrive when Outlook performs a scheduled Send/Receive, as opposed to "automatically" in 2007.)

    So, what does "automatically" in that context mean? I'm using Outlook 2007, and as far as I can tell, my mail only arrives when Outlook performs a scheduled send/receive.

  4. peterawest
    Posted on: September 11, 2007 at 9:15PM  

    I'm now using Outlook Connector version 12.0.4518.1063 that was released today (09/11/2007) along with Outlook 2007. I was having trouble today getting the sync to complete, so I upgraded to the new version.

    I have a Hotmail Plus account and I noticed that as of today I now have 10 GB of space available. But in the Outlook Connector it reports that I have 5GB of space.  Could it be that the descripency has something to do with the problem?

    My wife has a free hotmail account that only has 5 GB of space and her sync is working just fine.

  5. mngray
    Posted on: September 26, 2007 at 7:55AM  

    Does anyone know how to clear the Hotmail server when using Connector? Once I have downloaded e-mails to Outlook, they are still all on the Hotmail server when I next log onto the web based version.  Thanks

  6. KFern
    Posted on: July 24, 2008 at 12:08PM  

    Hi,

    I've been using MS Office 2007 (outlook) with outlook connector (12.0.4518.1068) for the past 6 months without any issues.

    However, all of a sudden as of last week my mail stopped synchronizing. When i check the server status, all fields indicate "Connecting" and has not changed (despite re-booting the computer, repairing OC, and uninstalling then re-installing OC).

    The following is the detailed report:

    Outlook Connector Version 12.0.4518.1068

    Account: -------@live.com

    Signed in successfully at 24/7/2008 02:26:49

    Mail:

    Calendar:

    Contacts:

    I have searched the web for solutions, but few people seem to have the same problem. Nothing in my setup has changed since it worked fine. Any suggestions?

  7. mirtai4
    Posted on: July 28, 2008 at 3:00AM  

    I am also having the same problem as KFern. It was working just fine and then all of a sudden it stopped. If anyone has any solutions it would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks.

  8. Mosesmurthy
    Posted on: November 15, 2008 at 7:46AM  

    Hi Brandon,

    This is Moses from India. I am facing a different problem with outlook connector. I am using Windows Live Hotmail plus  with Outlook Connector Version 12.0.6407.1000. I running my own business due to the size of the mail box and other advantage using  Hotmail plus  service for my business purpose. Here my problem is I cannot send more than 5 MB attachments from my outlook. Once in a while I am facing a problem in mail sync.

    When I face a mail sync problem.  I have to delete my Hotmail account then I have to add that to rectify to this problem. Now my mail box size is 1.5 GB. This week I have faced mail sync problem 2 times. Now again the same problem. But it is not saying any error number. If I delete the email account then Add it again, It will take one day to download all the mails because we have only 512 Kbps internet connection speed  only.

    Report says like this

    Outlook Connector Version 12.0.6407.1000

    Account: murthy@hotmail.com

    Signed in successfully at 11/15/2008 5:27:06 PM                                                                        

    Mail: Error at 5:44 PM.                                                                                                

    Calendar: Last successfully refreshed at 5:44 PM.                                                                      

    Contacts: Last successfully refreshed at 5:44 PM.                                                                      

    Errors :

    Time: 11/15/2008 5:29:20 PM

    Error in Mail

    Server request timed out

    Time: 11/15/2008 5:31:49 PM

    Error in Mail

    Server request timed out

    Time: 11/15/2008 5:44:04 PM

    Error in Mail

    Server request timed out .

    I cannot find any solution from Internet for this problem.

    Here my kind request is Help me Help me Help me to solve this problem

  9. Mosesmurthy
    Posted on: November 15, 2008 at 9:32AM  

    Hi Brandon,

    I am using Outlook 2007. One more significant information I have noted. When I was trying to send big attachments like 5 MB, 7 MB, 10 MB from my outlook usually it will fail after this I am facing mail synchronization  problem.  For example last Monday I was trying to send 6 MB attachment but it was failed after that I cannot synchronization  my hotmail account with my Outlook. Today also the sample situation. I was trying to send 5 MB  attachment it failed. After that I cannot Sync with my hotmail account. Without outlook I cannot do anything.    

    Help Me ASAP

  10. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: November 16, 2008 at 6:55PM  

    Mosesmurthy, I am going to pass your information regarding your problem on to the Outlook Connector Team. Please be sure you have Private Messaging turned on in your profile here on this site so that folks may reach you if further information is needed.

    We'll see about getting your issue taken care of!

    Thanks,

    Brandon

Trackbacks

  1. Posted by: Microsoft Office Outlook Connector Beta Now Available  »Technology News | Venture Capital, Startups, Silicon Valley, Web 2.0 Tech on June 11, 2007 at 11:01PM
  2. Posted by: TenBrink Tech on June 12, 2007 at 12:28PM

    From the Windows Vista blog this morning, news that the Outlook Connector is back in beta form. The Microsoft

  3. Posted by: David Overton's Blog on June 14, 2007 at 4:39AM

    Don't you love the way the title of a product described what it is? While this product does what

  4. Posted by: The Windows Experience Blog on August 15, 2007 at 4:20AM

    Today, the Microsoft Office Outlook Team has made the new version of the Microsoft Outlook Connector

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