Microsoft appears to be working on a new instant messaging app for the iPhone, acting as a kind of cross between email and instant messaging, known as Flow by Outlook. The download page, which describes the project as ‘Microsoft Confidential,’ was first spotted by @h0x0d (via ZDNet).
Use Flow with anyone, it’s email: Reach anyone with an email address and all conversations for you and others are also in Outlook. Together, you can use Flow and Outlook interchangeably to participate in the same conversations.
Fast, fluid, natural conversations: No subject lines, salutations, or signatures. Flow is designed for fast, light-weight conversations in real time.
Focus on what’s important: Only conversations started in Flow and their replies show up in Flow, not your whole inbox. Focus on your most important person-to-person conversations without the noise.
While the webpage describing the app is unprotected, the actual download link requires a login…
ZDNet suggests that the app could be a similar concept to Skype Qik, which aims to be a lightweight alternative to the full Skype app. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment on the app.
Microsoft first made Outlook available to iOS users in 2013, with the Outlook Web App, before revamping it with a new mail client based on Acompli for iOS – a company Microsoft acquired in December of last year.
Photo: arquitectonica.com
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nice
As long as they don’t use the rendering engine from Word for iOS, this will be a welcomed addition :)
Oh, man, don’t tell me that MICROSOFT, of all people, is going to be the first to “get it” with regards to messaging…finally integrating IM and email.
Apple, you should have been first! Sheesh.
We’ve been seeing a different Microsoft post Ballmer, a more proactive instead of reactive company. Since Microsoft is more of the underdog now I find myself cheering for them, if for nothing else but to keep Apple & Google on their toes.
Just what people need today, more messaging apps!
It’s not “on public internet”.
Hell, I work for Microsoft and I had to authenticate three times to download this app, so knowing the web address of our App Portal isn’t anything special.
You haven’t stumbled onto private data.
Also, Flow is really cool and I can’t wait until l can talk more about it.
welcome, seriously, nothing like the original http://gethop.com :)
We have this modern trouble these days (or at least I have): Email is one of the oldest tools around in the internet, and one of the dumbest and with less evolution all this years… I really struggle to find a reliable email client/platform (at least for OSX) for intensive email work. Big Internet related companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft should joint together establishing a new kind of email platform or language in order to give us a better and reliable tool.