News

Microsoft Provides “Elixir” for Outlook

A year after first disclosing its internal “Project Elixir,” Microsoft has begun releasing sample code and documentation so that developers can use it as a pattern to design their own integrated front-end and back-end systems around Outlook 2003.

“Project Elixir uses Microsoft Office 2003 as the development platform and Microsoft Outlook as the familiar user interface to make data in its back-end systems more accessible to the company’s sales force,” a company spokesperson said in an e-mail to ENTmag.com this week.

Internally, Project Elixir delivers data from four company systems -- customer relationship management, customer support, as well as sales history and marketing databases -- from the back-end systems to the Outlook client via Web services.

The move is just another part of Microsoft’s push to transform Office from a group of integrated productivity applications into a “platform” that developers and integrators view as a crucial part of integrated solutions.

Microsoft has made the documentation and sample code, including that for a CRM integration “add-in” for Outlook, available to MSDN subscribers. The company says the sample code is designed to provide “guidance,” not a technology solution, enabling other companies to implement similar systems.

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

Featured

  • Broadcom Revamps VMware Partner Program Again

    Broadcom recently announced a significant update regarding its VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program, coinciding with the release of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0, a key component in Broadcom’s private cloud strategy.

  • Closeup of the new Copilot keyboard key

    Microsoft Updates Copilot To Add Context-Sensitive Agents to Teams, SharePoint

    Microsoft has rolled out a new public preview for collaborative "always on" agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot, bringing enhanced, context-aware tools into Teams channels, meetings, SharePoint sites, Planner workstreams and Viva Engage communities.

  • Windows 365 Cloud Apps Now Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft announced this week that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This aims to allow IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.

  • Report: Security Initiatives Can't Keep Pace with Cloud, AI Boom

    The increasingly fast adoption of hybrid, multicloud, and AI systems is easily outgrowing existing security measures, according to a recent global survey by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and exposure management firm Tenable.