Although typically utilized principally as an e-mail application, it also will bring calendar, task & email management.

It may be utilized as a stand-alone application, but can too work around conjunction sustaining Microsoft Exchange Server to provide enhanced functions for multiple users in an organization, like divided up mailboxes & calendars, public folders & meeting instance allocation.

Versions for Microsoft Windows include: Outlook 97. Outlook 98. Outlook 2000 (as well referred to as Outlook 9). Outlook 2002 (likewise referred to as Outlook 10 or even Outlook XP). Office Outlook 2003.

Microsoft too freed many versions of Outlook for the Apple Macintosh; however, virtually all mail features were disabled fallowing Professional 98. When Professional 98, Entourage replaced Outlook on Macintosh systems, nonetheless around 2001, Microsoft released Outlook 2001 for Mack to allow Classic users to access Exchange servers.

Outlook Express is a slimmed-down email, newsgroup, and email management application that Microsoft makes available at there are no charge, within conjunction by owning a Internet Explorer web browser. Differently a decoct similar title it has super little around commons using Outlook.

Security concerns
One of Microsoft's goals is for the electronic mail client to exist as easily to have. Even so, a embedded automation & deficiency of security features in comparison rival (omitted to refrain from inconveniencing unsophisticated users) use been repeatedly exploited by malicious hackers using email viruses. These generally require a form of an electronic mail attachment which executes on the user's machine and replicates itself by mass-mailing a user's or even Exchange server's location names. Examples of such viruses come a Melissa and Sobig worms. More software online stand exploited Outlook's HTML electronic mail capabilities to execute malicious code or confirm that email addresses come valid targets for spam. the noteriety of the worms & more viruses has gained Outlook a reputation as a extremely unsafe e-mail platform.

Famous Unix programmer Bill Joy has suggested that Outlook is insecure largely because it was written around C, making it easy to write computer software to exploit it. He likewise believes a far flung have of Outlook occurs as major contributory factor the proliferation of spam[http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200310/msg00034.html]. His views come shared by several leading IT agents.

When a portion of its Trusted Computing initiative, Microsoft has recently taken corrective steps to fix Outlook's reputation in its latest incarnation, Professional Outlook 2003. Among the virtually all publicised security features come that Professional Outlook 2003 doesn't automatically machine load images around HTML e-mail, & includes a built-inherent spam purification[http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/compare.mspx#EBAA]. A base code is as well said to exist as good deal extra assure.

When of July 2005, this most recent release hwhen been easily received, & regarded as a primary driver of Professional upgrades among business users. Cases of fresh worms use slowed significantly, nevertheless, due to the release of many security updates and Service Packs which have corrected a known vulnerabilities exploited by last viruses.