Microsoft has added IMAP support to its revamped Outlook.com platform, allowing users to access email on a remote mail server and sync the look of their inboxes across multiple platforms.
The Outlook team announced the news while participating in a AMA (Ask Me Anything) Q&A session on the popular message board site Reddit.
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"It wouldn't be an AMA session without an IMAP question," the Outlook.com team wrote. "I’m excited to announce that starting right now we DO support IMAP, and we wanted you folks to be the first to know."
Now, users can access messages stored remotely and make changes to their inbox, so updates made on a mobile device will show up in real time on other email client software .
Outlook.com already supports Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), which is available on most smartphones and tablets, but the addition of IMAP will bring the experience to even more platforms. For example, Mac computers do not support EAS.
"While we believe that EAS is the most robust protocol for connecting to your email, with syncing in near real time, and superior battery and network efficiency, there are still some devices and apps that haven't made the upgrade to EAS," the company said in an official blog post. "As an older protocol, IMAP is widely supported on feature phones and other email clients such as those on a Mac. We heard your feedback loud and clear that this was important."
The company also announced via Reddit that it is now supporting OAuth, so third-party apps and services can integrate with the platform. Some of the partners include TripIt, Sift, Slice, motley*bunch, Unroll.me, OtherInbox and Context.IO.
For example, TripIt will detect emails with travel confirmations and automatically import them into a TripIt itinerary. Meanwhile, Unroll.me lets users cut down on inbox clutter by allowing you to unsubscribe from email subscriptions or you can opt for a daily newsletter that combines the content.
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