Windows Unplugged

Summary: Outlook.com Microsoft’s web based suite of services is migrating to a new backend server

Comments:

• Microsoft is rolling out a new version of Outlook.com web based suite of services
• All Microsoft accounts(MSA) using Outlook.com, Live.com, Hotmail.com or Msn.com email addresses will be migrated to the new backend server operating on the Office 365 platform
• Outlook.com web based services comprise of E-mail, Contacts, Calendar and Tasks
• Outlook.com was formerly known as Hotmail and in some circles/locations referred to as MSN(or My MSN)
• The new Office 365 platform and backend server will support the following email protocols
  • Exchange
  • Exchanged Active Sync (EAS) – support for EAS was discontinued effective February 2017
  • IMAP
  • POP3
• Office 365’s backend server ***does not*** support DeltaSync which was a sync-able protocol used by Windows Live Mail 2012, Windows PhotoGallery(for Photo e-mail via Live Mail), Outlook Outlook Connector and Outlook 2013.   (Note: Windows Live Mail and PhotoGallery are part of the Windows Essentials suite of products)
  • DeltaSync will be deprecated and no longer available for migrated accounts
  • The deprecation of DeltaSync means that Contacts and Calendar configured to use the DeltaSync protocol in Windows Live Mail, Outlook Connector and Outlook email will cease to sync between the web UI service and the local installed email client (i.e. no sync up or down)
    • Once an account is migrated any changes to Contact and Calendar data will need to made in both locations(web UI People service) and the local email client Contacts module).
    • The lack of synchronization also indicates a need, if using either location(web UI or local client), to maintain backups of Contact data(exported to CSV or VCF or PST files) for recommended archival purposes.
    • Photo e-mail which upload picture data to the Microsoft Account’s OneDrive will also cease to function once the account is migrated to the new backend server on the Office 365 platform
• Microsoft’s currently supported local email clients for the Office 365 backend server are Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016, Office 365(which includes Office 2016), Windows 8.1 Mail app and the Windows 10 Mail app.
  • Outlook(2013/2016) support synchronization for Mail, Contacts, and Calendar data
  • Windows 8.1/10 support synchronization of Mail(Mail app) Contacts(People app), and Calendar(Calendar app) data when using a Microsoft account to logon to Windows
  • Outlook 2013 and 2016 for the best user experience should use the Exchange protocol(both Outlook 2013 and 2016 will automatically configure an account during setup to use Exchange)
• Account migration is expected to be completed by the end of 2016 CY  First Quarter of 2017 CY.

Additional Information:

• Microsoft Office Blogs for Outlook.com(includes information on new features)
  • https://blogs.office.com/2016/02/17/outlook-com-out-of-preview-and-better-than-ever/
• Send Feedback to Microsoft – Outlook Feeback for Outlook.com(aka Outlook UserVoice)
  • https://outlook.uservoice.com/forums/284136-outlook-com

Revisions:

February 15, 2016: Initial Draft and Publish Date

June 30, 2016:  Revised content for better clarity, added new content, re-organized bullet items.

July 31, 2016:  Updated comment on completion date for account migration; Added Feedback link

February 28, 2017:  Revised ‘Comment’ section – Exchange Active Sync(EAS) support discontinued February 2017