September 16, 2002 - Microsoft is not currently developing a Mac OS X-compatible version of its Outlook Exchange client, sources said.
Last year, Microsoft released Outlook 2001 for Mac, a milestone release which brought the Mac version of the popular corporate messaging/PIM client up to par with the Windows clients. It also helped to improve Apple's push in business environments using Exchange servers.
At the beginning of 2002, Think Secret reported that a release of Mac Outlook for OS X was unlikely, largely because of the time and resources it would require. In the ensuing months the issue became more cloudy. Microsoft, amid requests and a push from users, began considering a release and posted a survey pertaining to Mac Outlook and OS X.
In recent weeks, however, insiders speaking to Think Secret were quite clear. "There is no development on Outlook X," said one source. "Zero."
Instead, Microsoft reportedly wants to roll the Exchange compatibility into Entourage, the communications component of its four-application Office suite, which is already OS X compatible. While sources speculated that the integration of this functionality wouldn't be too difficult, security issues could be a roadblock.
This news confirms another article Think Secret posted in July, where we reported that Microsoft is toying with a new pricing scheme for Mac Office. In a survey commissioned by Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit, the company sought opinions on three possible editions of Office: a Home Edition, Standard Edition, and Professional Version. The latter, according to the survey, would include "Exchange server compatibility." Pricing possibilities for the Professional Version, as suggested by the survey, ranged from $449 to $599.
"Microsoft is in the early stages of developing an Exchange-based solution," said a spokesperson for the company, who declined to provide further details.
