- Users of the Microsoft 365 productivity suite will soon be able to access both their Outlook email inbox.
- Microsoft is working on a web browser Edge.
- The update will be released next month.
Microsoft is working on a web browser Edge update that will aid in the development of new synergies across its product suite.
According to new entries in the Microsoft 365 product roadmap, users of the productivity suite will soon be able to access both their Outlook email inbox and their Office documents through a sidebar in Edge.
The update, which will be released next month, will make it so that workers don’t have to keep switching between windows to do their jobs. Instead, all the tools they need will be in the browser.
Even though Microsoft Edge grew quickly after its relaunch in 2020, it is still far behind Chrome and Safari, which both have a much larger share of the market, as shown by the most recent statistics.
Microsoft has unable to move the needle despite frequent feature updates, intensified marketing, and the inclusion of Edge in Windows 11.
Microsoft Edge’s own ambitions are unlikely to win over new users.
Microsoft recently reversed a feature that made changing Windows 11’s default browser too difficult after customers complained.
Microsoft was criticized for blocking links from its own services (e.g. Windows 11 widgets, the Start Menu) from opening in any other browser besides Edge.
The impending update hints to a change in tactics; the firm is now aiming to leverage the popularity of Outlook and other Microsoft 365 services to encourage a transfer to Edge, a subtler tactic less likely to raise community ire.
Business users will welcome Microsoft’s performance and security improvements. In recent months, the company improved the built-in password manager, added a VPN service, and boosted surfing speeds.
Microsoft Edge must claim a niche or use case to compete with market leaders. Perhaps it’s found one in business.
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