Microsoft is set to shutter the Windows 11 Mail and Calendar apps by the end of 2024.
The move appears to intend to encourage Windows 11 users to adopt the Outlook app instead of Mail and Calendar by December 31, 2024. They will no longer provide security or bug updates to the apps following that date, but users can still download the apps in the meantime to leverage the service if they are not yet fans of Outlook.
The tech giant will also drop the apps from the Microsoft store.
It is likely that users will receive a notification from Microsoft over the subsequent weeks and months encouraging them to try out Outlook, which is one of the company’s traditional ways of transitioning users from one app or client to the next — as they did with the new Teams app late last year.
What Else Has Microsoft Been Up To This Week?
Tata Communications and Microsoft partnered to empower voice calling in Teams for India-based enterprises this week.
The Tata Communications GlobalRapide platform oversees seamless PSTN voice calls for Indian enterprise users and multinational companies operating in India. This service enables users to make and receive carrier-grade calls using Teams devices from any location worldwide, leveraging the Operator Connect platform.
Tata wasn’t the only business that Microsoft collaborated with to expand Teams cloud calling with in India.
New Teams Phone solutions are now generally available through Airtel, Tata, and Tata Tele Business Services. The new partner solutions grant Teams customers in India with provisioning, easy-to-manage solutions, local support and billing, full-featured calling, and compliance with local regulators.
Microsoft also introduced the Microsoft 365 Document Collaboration Partner Program to empower eligible platform providers to integrate Microsoft 365 apps. As a consequence, external platform users can share, edit, and co-author Microsoft 365 presentations, spreadsheets, and documents.
Lastly, Qualcomm recently said that the “next version” of Microsoft’s Windows software is expected to be released later this year, prompting speculation about whether it was a reference to Windows 12.
As first reported by PC Mag Australia, Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, discussed the release schedule for the company’s ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite during a recent earnings call. Amon stressed that the product’s release would be tied to the “next version” of Microsoft‘s Windows service, which is set to be embedded with AI capabilities
