| Outlook, Microsoft's popular desktop email software | | | | contacts, and the people you connect with on |
| for professionals, has become one of the latest tools | | | | LinkedIn. You also have the ability to email your social |
| to help bring email marketing and social networking | | | | contacts directly from the mail client. When |
| under a single umbrella. This was all made possible | | | | composing a message and tying in the name of one |
| through integration with LinkedIn, the increasingly | | | | of your contacts, their information will be logged into |
| popular business-oriented social network. Thanks to | | | | the system and automatically appear just like anyone |
| an add-on by the name of Outlook Social Connector, | | | | else in your address book. If that contact happens to |
| the mail program can now provide both professional | | | | change their information on LinkedIn, it will be |
| and social context to enhance the everyday email | | | | automatically updated in Outlook as well. To make |
| experience. When users receive a message from a | | | | the deal even sweeter, the social connector add-on |
| member of the LinkedIn community, Outlook | | | | lets you invite people to join your LinkedIn network |
| automatically displays an expandable pane housing | | | | by simply clicking a button in your email program. |
| details on the contacts most recent activity on the | | | | Although the Outlook Social Connector is included as |
| social network. The partnership offers tremendous | | | | part of the Microsoft 2010 Office Suite, email |
| potential to email marketers who want to reap the | | | | marketers do not have to purchase a new software |
| benefits of LinkedIn using Outlook. | | | | bundle to enjoy the new social-friendly features. The |
| Features and Capabilities | | | | add-on can be downloaded and installed to work with |
| The social connector tool comes with a host of | | | | both Outlook 2003 and 2007. The LinkedIn Outlook |
| interesting features, the most obvious and significant | | | | toolbar has been on the market for a while now, but |
| being the connection of the two platforms. Thanks | | | | this integration represents the first major partnership |
| to this integration, you can open the Outlook client | | | | between the software maker and professional social |
| and view important information about your LinkedIn | | | | network. |
| contacts, which is pulled directly from their profile. | | | | The Next Great Email Marketing Tool |
| This includes their profile photo and the people they | | | | Considering the dependency on email and social |
| have recently connected with on the network, as | | | | networking, the Microsoft-LinkedIn partnership will |
| well as status updates. You can also view the latest | | | | likely prove valuable for both parties. Outlook |
| professional details such as the contacts most recent | | | | receives an instant boost with social networking |
| job, and where they are located. Perhaps the most | | | | features that put it light-years ahead of any webmail |
| intriguing attribute is that even if you are not | | | | system, and LinkedIn finds itself in the inbox of |
| connected with someone on LinkedIn, the add-on | | | | millions of professionals that use Microsoft's email |
| allows you to easily connect with that person via | | | | program. While Outlook may not be the tool of |
| Outlook. | | | | choice for large-scale campaigns, marketers who |
| Another added bonus is seamless synchronization of | | | | realize its value will be able to take full advantage of |
| your Outlook and LinkedIn contacts. Outlook | | | | the integration. |
| automatically consolidates the data for your existing | | | | |