If there is one thing we learned from CEO Satya Nadella’s corporate restructuring of Microsoft over the last couple of years, it’s that he wants its services to be everywhere. And that doesn’t just mean apps like those in Office 365‘s suite keeping your productivity up even on non-Windows systems, but something that aims at a much deeper integration.
With today’s update rolling out for iOS and Android, the Outlook app is adding what the company calls “Calendar Apps”. While you could already see your calendar from within the dedicated tab inside the app, the new addition — which likely comes from the Sunrise acquisition — will allow services like Evernote, Facebook and Wunderlist to integrate as well…
Here’s how it works: once inside the calendar tab, swiping right to the side menu will show you how these new apps are built right into your already-present calendar, with various sub-menus that you can toggle on and off at your will. Facebook, for instance, allows Birthdays and Events to pop into your calendar view — from which you can RSVP — while Wunderlist offers a complete mirroring of your various lists, which can show up on your timeline if you set a date or reminder.
Similarly, Evernote can put your notes right into the calendar, again provided that a due date has been set. Not to make things overly confusing, Outlook offers an easy toggle for changing the color of each sub-menu, which can quickly let you identify where the calendar entry is coming from — think green for Evernote, red for Wunderlist and so on.
To get a clearer visual representation of this, check out the images below.
