CIO.com: 10 reasons to use Microsoft Outlook; 7 reasons not to use Microsoft Outlook
February 11 2009
CIO has run two articles in a pro versus con formula about using Microsoft Outlook for e-mail. While it's nice to see point/counter-point, both articles start from the premise that Outlook is the only corporate e-mail client. Um, I -- and 40% of the market -- beg to differ. Considering that CIO has recently run several interesting articles on Lotus Notes, it's quite surprising to see this blind spot manifest.
From the pro:
Say what you will about it (nicely--this is a professional forum), but you'll have to admit that Outlook has improved with each version. It gets easier to use, smarter and plays better with other software. To me, Outlook 2007 is the jewel of the Microsoft Office 2007 suite.... I, on the other hand, am rather fond of the current iteration, so here are a few reasons why Outlook is the best choice for your corporate e-mail client.That's a reason? Really? In fact, several of the reasons boil down to "it works with other Microsoft products". I am really, really surprised that a publication targeted at CIOs would suggest that companies embark on a vendor-led product strategy, rather than a business requirements-driven one.
1. Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Play Well Together
If your e-mail server runs Microsoft Exchange, Outlook is a no-brainer. They go together like bacon and eggs, toast and coffee, peaches and cream.
The anti-Outlook article has some key points, but they are mostly at the deep, technical level:
The reality: letting this software behemoth slip into your desktop PCs is like inviting a vampire into your house. Before you know it, everyone and everything's bled dry. ...While that certainly feels good for those on the IBM Lotus side of the fight, it doesn't sound like an article I'd bring to a CIO. Hope the next one steps it up a level.
Really, there's only one thing to do if you're considering handing Outlook to your users. Get some counseling, for starters. Then arrange some for your users base, and especially your help desk or poor Joe over there in the corner who helps people with their desktop PC problems while doing his four other jobs.
If you don't get some therapy now and you insist on moving forward with Outlook, then I suggest buying stock in antacids. You're gonna need them.
Link: CIO.com: 10 Reasons to Use Microsoft Outlook for Your Company's E-mail >
Link: CIO.com: 7 Reasons Not to Use Microsoft Outlook for Your Company's E-mail > (Thanks, Antony/David/Darren)
Updated: Link: Darren Adams takes this one head on >
Post a Comment
- 2
Mike Brown | 2/11/2009 9:58:37 PM
The utter cluelessness of 90% of so-called professional IT Journalists never ceases to amaze me.
As Darren says { Link } ‘10 reasons why people who own a toaster should buy a loaf of bread’.
Cheers,
- Mike
- 3
Colin | 2/12/2009 2:39:50 AM
Darren FTW! Nailed it.
- 4
Luca | 2/12/2009 3:30:47 AM
It was my same afterthought after reading the 10 pro-reasons.
3 of them could be grouped into the "it works well with Office, with Exchange, with Sharepoint, then with the other MS products". Is that a reason?
Now, it doesn't work well with Windows. That should be a major negative reason. It boggles down the CPU to open an HTML email with a 512KB attachment. Really, on the same machine that with no problems opened the same email in 3seconds from a server located 500Km from where I stand with Notes 6.5.x , now it takes more than 1min. Hint: The company where I'm working at just migrated to Outlook after years of testing and trying. They still aren't at the 2GB local pst size. I wonder what will happen then....
- 5
Daniel | 2/12/2009 6:25:21 AM
Ed, sorry to say that an article like that would and indeed has worked in one organisation I've been contracted to recently:
Question from development team: What is the driving reason for moving a 10K userbase and 200+ custom Domino applications from Domino and Notes to Exchange and Sharepoint?
Answer from a newly appointed pro-Microsoft CIO: Microsoft is on the desktops and servers, and the userbase all use MS Office at home as well as at work, so why not shift to Exchange?
I didn't accept a further contract at that organisation....
- 6
Darren http://www.dadams.co.uk | 2/12/2009 8:50:10 AM
@5 - I presume that CIO had surveyed the 10k users on their home computing habits so that he had evidence to back-up his expensive decision. I have an Xbox at home but that doesn't mean I need one at work.
- 7
Erik Brooks | 2/12/2009 10:40:13 AM
Interesting read, though Notes unforunately isn't exactly a wonder with HTML emails, either, which amounted to half of the "7 reasons not-to" list.
- 8
Daniel | 2/13/2009 3:20:13 PM
@6 - If he did, he didn't ask the Lotus Development Team...
Outlook does workflow? "Using Outlook's forms feature, things like requests for time off can be automatically routed to approvers, and the reply returned to the user."
BTW - So jealous you're in München; had a fab couple of days there a few years back. A place I'd really like to get back too someday..didn't drink nearly enough Hefe Weitzen or eat enough Pork Knuckle last time.