Microsoft to build single Outlook client that works across platforms

[Ben Myers]

So I wonder how well this will fly with hospitals and other organizations that deal with HIPAA and protected health information. There are pretty detailed and strict rules involved with cloud storage and security of data transmissions.

There are other security implications, too, like for governments, companies wanting to protect IP, and on and on. This does not seem well thought out at all.

 

[woofer]

Maybe one day when it grows up, Outlook will look and act like Mozilla Thunderbird.

Be careful what you ask for - TBird on LInux has been my primary email client since SeaMonkey went into "maintenance mode" (or its lame equivalent) in the last year or so, but is way too buggy and sluggish (with large set of emails - 10K-ish for my main account on outlook.com).
Outlook on web with Linux/Firefox works more reliably, but has a much more awkward web interface, so I have to bounce around between them depending on the actions I want to take.
The Android Outlook/calendar app (now the damn thing opens up some sort of internal browser for web links in email that doesn't work nearly as well as my preferred app, DuckDuckgo - and probably without DDG's anti-tracking features), and the Windows 10 program each have their pluses and minuses, so they're a mixed bag.
I seriously doubt Monarch will consolidate all that across all platforms, and clean it all up satisfactorily without a LOT of the involuntary "public beta" testing MS has inflicted on us before, and does even now...

 

[PenguinJoe]

Outlook is really the only reason I use Microsoft office. I never use webapps for mail. I guess once the outlook app goes away there will be no reason for me to use MSOffice then. That is fine it gives me one more reason to move to Thunderbird or even write my own email app.

 

[bexwhitt]

Outlook is really the only reason I use Microsoft office. I never use webapps for mail. I guess once the outlook app goes away there will be no reason for me to use MSOffice then. That is fine it gives me one more reason to move to Thunderbird or even write my own email app.

if you have 2 email addresses or less EM Client is nicer than thunderbird, if more you can pay for it.

 

[FAngel]

So I wonder how well this will fly with hospitals and other organizations that deal with HIPAA and protected health information. There are pretty detailed and strict rules involved with cloud storage and security of data transmissions.

They have Healthcare specific Azure\O365 plans that completely cover Hippa and protected health information. They run on seperate isolated servers much like the Special government only versions of Azure\O365. They have this well thought through. If it has $$ to it, they have already thought about it. -Assimilate--We are the Bor---Err We are your friends at Microsoft.

 

[FAngel]

There are other security implications, too, like for governments, companies wanting to protect IP, and on and on. This does not seem well thought out at all.

They have government only specific Azure and O365 service clouds already built up and selling to various governments already. They have this well thought out already. Just search for Defense Department JEDI cloud-computing.