Microsoft updates Outlook Web App with new People View

Office web apps sometimes feel left out as Microsoft concentrates on 365 and the desktop versions of the suite. It’s not true of course, as the company actually pushes frequent updates to its free version of Office, which resides within the SkyDrive ecosystem.

Today the software giant releases its latest update to the service, this time unveiling a new People View. The name may explain the functionality, but if not, let me try. It appears in the folder pane, in an effort to get you to the messages that matter most. It even provides a nice graphic image of the sender.

“The number of unread messages from each person in your list appears next to their photo. When you click a person’s photo, the email messages from that person in your Inbox are shown in the order received”, the company states.

There’s no configuration necessary, so once you get access you’ll be good to go. Getting it is another story. The company is planning one of its gradual roll outs. And this one is slower than normal, with worldwide users expected to get it “in the coming months”. It will only be available in the web app, at least for now.