Microsoft's Latest 'Garage' Project Is A Dead-Simple Email App for iPhone

Microsoft’s Garage – New Email App `Send’

Microsoft is back with another application of the Microsoft unit Garage and has now launched a new standalone email app which would presently be available only for iPhone users in Canada and the U.S. The latest app from Microsoft is a new email app known as `Send’, which has its focus in reducing the time taken to check and respond to email while on your phone.

With the Send app the idea is in making email perform just like instant messaging and do away with more formal email. The company has described this app as an `in-and-out’ email solution which emphases on simplicity and brevity and seems more like a messaging app.

 There could be instances when one would need to send a quick short note to their colleagues. Send app provides a quick messaging experience. This Microsoft Garage project is simple and fast wherein users could refer to past messages in Outlook.

Though one can use Outlook for this purpose, the latest app through the Microsoft Garage is built specifically for these brief communications. The Send feature enables to send message without the need to open the inbox or a new compose message window.

Turn Ideas Into Real World Project

Microsoft’s internal creativity enables employees and team to turn ideas into a real world project most of which have been cross-platform mobile applications. It tends to work on something which could be compared to an incubator within the company as project which tends to arise could be just perceptions trying to find options in achieving product market fit.

With the use of the app one could send a message directly to the contact, with simple conversations which is like sending a quick email to a friend or a colleague. Though tools like text messaging and IM are good for short messages, one does not often have co-workers’ cell number or an IM app on the work phone. `Send’ helps in sending quick simple text messages while it enables you to reach all co-workers and also have all your communication in Outlook.

 The Outlook team had mentioned in a blog post that `the app gives a simple quick text message like experience enabling the user to reach all co-worker with all communications in Outlook for later reference. This Microsoft Garage project is simple and fast to use and helpful in sending quick instant email messages when the need arises.

App – New Project for Mobile Platform

With the app, you can just send a message straight to the contact and keep the conversations brief. It is a good option of sending quick email to a friend or colleague without the subject headline, salutations, and signatures, necessary in the mail.

This app is the new Microsoft Garage project for mobile platforms. Send for iOS is now available for download while the Android version would be made available very soon.Microsoft has made it clear that it does not want to cannibalize its main Outlook email app with the latest and the company is said to be looking to focus on those situations when one would need to send quick messages to their co-workers.

`Send is tied deeply into Office 365 at launch, and people using an Office 365 business or school account could utilise the app. Office 365 links is used to surface the contacts emailed recently and most often. One will not see your full inbox in Send on the contrary the app will only contain conversation that one has started within it.

Microsoft has informed that with Send, with no signatures, subject line or salutation needed, their design principle was to make conversation fluid and fast for the app while keeping the people of importance to you at its core. It is all geared in short form conversation.

Meets With Organizations’ Compliance Policies

Instead of sending notes from meetings, it more on sending key facts or asking quick questions like `Where is the meeting being held?, or I’m running 10 minutes late’. Connection with Office 365 would mean that conversations are synced with Outlook enabling the user to continue the conversation from anywhere.

One can message anyone with an email address just like regular email. Only the messages that have been sent through this app will tend to be visible within Send though in Outlook all the messages will be visible from across both the services.

The need to exchange numbers, remember usernames or split conversation across platforms is not essential. Moreover one can even see when someone is typing a reply and there has not been a quicker way in reaching someone over email. Send does not show all the emails but only the ones started in the app thus keeping you in control.

Send messages meet the terms with the organization’s email compliance policies and are treated like any other work email. As for IT Pros, work is in progress in bringing more IT control to the app soon.

Send – Only for Office 365 Business & School Email Accounts

This is one of the efforts of Microsoft Garage that the company has promised and will be seen on Windows Phone and Android. Microsoft is said to be testing a new launcher app which would replace Android users’ home screens. Known as Arrow, it is a product of the company’s Garage program enabling employees work on interesting side project and release them to the world. Presently the app is in private beta and will be available only to members of private Google+ community.

Not much is being said about its existence by Microsoft and though a spokesman of the company had confirmed that the app is a Microsoft Garage project, he had refrained from sharing specific details of the same.

 Microsoft News, a blog unaffiliated with the company, tried to get its hands on a copy of the app and had published a run-down on its operation. Besides initial geographic as well as platform limitations, the Send app will be working only for Office 365 business and school email accounts. However once Microsoft tends to gather the feedback, plans are on in opening thing up in the forthcoming months. It would also be launching for Android as well as Windows Phone very soon.