This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
Published on November 27, 2019, Microsoft has made significant strides in its efforts to transform its services and products into Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). The tech giant has disclosed plans to convert both Outlook.com and Outlook for the webmail services into PWAs, enabling users to install the apps on various platforms.
Progressive Web Apps are a combination of traditional browser and mobile app experiences, offering users a seamless experience across devices. These web-based applications are designed to provide a native app-like experience, with features such as better caching, notification capabilities, and background functionality.
Microsoft's decision to adopt PWAs for its Outlook services is a clear indication of the company's intentions to change its other products, including Word and Excel, into PWAs as well. This transformation will enable users to install the Outlook web app on Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and other platforms natively supporting PWAs.
The move is seen as an effective substitute or alternative to the resource-heavy and cluttered Windows apps provided by Microsoft. Users can now install the Outlook web app from the address bar and treat it as a native app on Windows or macOS.
Microsoft is also experimenting with bringing Google Drive, Gmail, and Calendar support to Outlook.com, with the company confirming that it is 'experimenting with a small set of Outlook.com users' for the integration.
