Microsoft adds Google Talk support to Outlook.com

By Rich Edmonds
last updated

We've previously touched on Microsoft's new email service, Outlook.com. The service has replaced Hotmail and offers advanced functionality along with a refreshed user interface to better match Windows 8 and other products. As well as checking through email, users can also chat with Facebook and Skype contacts in the sidebar. Microsoft has now implemented support for Google Talk. 

Users will be prompted to connect their Google account when opening the Messaging pane. Once logged in and permissions set, Google contacts will be displayed in the People contact manager for convenient access. It's good to see Microsoft making it easier for those who still make use of Google services. If only the same could be said the other way around.

The rollout is currently in progress so don't freak out if you can't yet get cracking. What's more is you won't only be able to chat with other Google contacts in the webmail view, but also the likes of People and SkyDrive. Especially useful for collaborating between files with colleagues for example. But don't get carried away, we know how general gossip and banter can get in the way of productivity. Hello there, procastination.

Source: PC World; thanks, digitalicecream, for the tip!

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

58 Comments
  • No 7.8 love?
  • Lol, what?
  • The force is strong in this one.
  • Hopefully that was a joke
  • You gotta be joking
  • Can't tell if brilliant or actual 7.8 crybaby?
  • bravo sir, even got a few people to bite
  • :-D I see what you did there lol
  • Dude, it's Windows 8 we're talkin about here :D Have you seen this interface on Any of WP Device?? LOL!! :D
  • No, its Outlook.com, not Windows 8 specific.
  • And Larry page announces they are dumping xmpp.
    He also called Microsoft sad for implementing this. #douche
  • As far as I understood, Page called Microsoft sad because Google cooperated with Microsoft on doing this but Microsoft refused to cooperate with Google.
  • Maybe i misunderstood, but lets face it, they don't get on do they.
  • True, they don't, which is pretty damn stupid. I understand the competition between android and WP, but why not collaborate on services that do not involve mobile OSes.
  • Here's the kicker: "He also described Microsoft's activities as "milking off" of Google's innovations."
     
    Wait, what?  Does he realize if their is no Windows Google wouldn't exsist?  What the hell is he talking about?  Hell without windows where would Itunes and Apple be?  Give me a freaking break!  
  • Delusional...
  • Apple would be out of business. MS bailed them out of it back when computers were first invented. Without apple, MS could have built a monopoly, and as he said, google wouldn't have ever tried to compete with the monopoly and would just be a search company right now.
  • I don't think that's what he was actually saying. I read it as him saying that Google has allowed for others to interoperate and Microsoft took advantage of it... and that these companies need to do more "interoperating" because people can't just milk off of (get everything from) one company. Maybe I'm wrong, but his comments just didn't come off the same way when I read it...
  • EXACTLY!!! I thought the very same thing when I saw the quote. I couldn't understand the logic.
  • and XMPP is being dumped by Google as of today. well, that was the most short lived interop service ever.
  • MS just in time as usual
  • If 3rd party messenger clients can do it, Microsoft should be able to, even if Google stops using XMPP. And wouldn't it be nice if WP8 and Win8's native messenger also worked with Google Chat?
  • And WinPhone 7.x, it'd be great!
  • is outlook quite slow or laggy for everyone. it never used to be like this when it was hotmail or outlook beta 
  • Are you serious or just trolling? Honest question.
  • im serious. i wouldnt troll something so stupid. its seriously slow for me, really slow a lot of the time, sometimes very fast. it lags when logging it, in chrome and IE10. also on my WP8 in IE10. 
  • Always been extremely fast for me, miles faster than Hotmail and all the crap it used to show.
  • Well, it's super fast for me, never experienced any lag whatsoever. I don't know what to tell you.
  • Chrome browser?
  • I can't even get into the website ut the mail app in metro is working.
  • YES. I feel it is very slow/laggy in comparison to Hotmail.com, as is IE 10. I've begun to notice this alot here lately. But nothing is slower than my old Lumia 900 with 7.8, I received the first rollout of updates in late January, then recently these past 2 updates last week. It really bugs the hell out of me when using it, as it is now my Zune music player, because I absolutely hate Xbox music on my 920. Man I really miss the smoothness of mango before 7.8 was installed.
  • And in return Google wants the YouTube app on Windows Phone removed !
  • i thought this was a joke. shocking its actually true. Google has really turned into a nasty company. 
  • Nothing nasty about it, allow their ads & they'd be happy with it. Cut off your revenue & I'm sure you'd be pissed too.
  • Bs.. Google is just doing it because..well..they're google. Bunch of pansies
  • And yet, why does Google support iOS with apps and maps but not Microsoft? You can't tell me it's not personal.
  • Awesome!
  • How IM Pro works, how it can communicate with Google services...?
  • Old news, new ones is that google trash talking about microsoft and they want to remove Youtube app, cause it "lacks of adds".
    Stupid morons, they can't create app for WP cause there's not enough users, but they can't leave app created by microsoft cause it has alot of "trafic" somehow...
    Google is an evil company, it's sad that it's getting stronger and stronger...
  • it violates their TOS thats why they want it removed.
  • This what i like about Microsoft, they are making their eco-system truly open (from a users perspective) by making sure you can choose the parts you want to use while still letting you be part of another eco-system. In fact, this whole concept of making services compatible with others is why the corporate world of IT is rules by MS. Things like apple not wanting to create itunes for windows 8'is just cutting their nose off to spite their face. From a coding point of view open source will never really be the dominating player a lot of 'geeks' would like it to be because there is not enough control on it to give it interoperability. However, if you take the idealism of open source and apply it to an eco-system it gives the users true flexibility....this is what Microsoft is doing!!
  • This really would make my day if worked on WP8. Or is it supposed to? Third party gTalk clients suck.
  • How about improving WP Message Hub?
  • This. I love that MS is opening up their service offerings and integrating more and more services across their products. I just wish they'd get around to integrating Skype, Google Talk, etc. into their messaging clients (on both Windows Phone and Windows 8). How dumb is it that I have to have three apps open to chat with all of my contacts while MS still touts their unified messaging hubs? I love the idea and the direction, but the implementation is lacking (at least so far...).
  • That will come in the fall with GDR3. Only a couple more months to wait, assuming we will get GDR3 the same time the new hardware and update is announced..................................................................................................................................................
  • I have it since yesterday here in Belgium.
  • If you want this early just log into your outlook email and paste this link to get to the activation of your google account on outlook.
     
    https://profile.live.com/cid-e243f41ce80bef69/services/connect?view=inli...
  • This link works. Do you have something to connect Skype this way?
  • So MS add googletalk, yet google ask MS to pull YouTube app. Lol
  • Im still waiting for Skype intergration to turn up consider im in the UK
    But then I sign into Skype with a MS account, so god knows when it will turn up, as seems you only get it if you have a skype account and link it to a MS account.
    Kimbie
  • Interested, yet not at the same time. Sorry Aussie friends, go to Skype.
  • Who cares about google talk
  • Google truly does not want other companies like Microsoft to interoperate with their services. That totally defeats the purpose of "free" services like Google Talk. The sole purpose is to get users addicted and dependant on the service, and then display Ads. That's how google makes money. That's also why they desperately need to control the OS and the ecosystem. If they don't, they will bleed to death. Today's cease and desist notice to the Windows Phone ScrouTube app only proves this.
  • Remove it.
  • This is the best news I've heard this week as Gtalk was the only reason why Gmail was still open together with Outlook in the browser.
     
    Finally I can get rid of GMAIL completely!!!
  • Give me a toggle to turn off, I want Nothing google on my outlook!
  • Not to sound as an marketers', but you guys can use IM+ for all these needs also. It works great to me
  • "It's good to see Microsoft making it easier for those who still make use of Google services. If only the same could be said the other way around."
    Amen to that brother!