It seems like just last week I was lamenting the seeming pointlessness of Google Buzz. (Oh, wait. That was last week.) And now, here I am, reading about Microsoft's Outlook Social Connector, an add-on for Outlook that will turn a user's email program into an integrated social network.
So, just another me-too move by Microsoft to get in on the action (even if it's unclear whether there's any action to be had in such social integration efforts)? Maybe. But -- and this can't be said very often -- Microsoft has an edge over competitors when it comes to this one.
That edge, as I see it, is simply this: Outlook is for work. Gmail is for play.
When I'm on my Gmail account, I'm already connecting with friends and loved ones, as I always have through the service. Giving me new ways to do so is thoughtful but -- for me -- highly unnecessary.
Outlook, on the other hand, is all business. My inbox is cluttered with press releases, interview inquiries, articles to edit, fires to put out -- in short, all work. So if Microsoft offers me a little respite from such obligations -- even in something as simple as a whimsical status update from a friend -- on the outskirts this otherwise no-nonsense platform, that's a welcome addition.
Much remains to be seen about how Outlook Social Connector will ultimately shape up. But it has my attention.
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