Data Kraken New Outlook: Classic Outlook Available Until 2029
The new Outlook is based on web services and transmits access data and emails to Microsoft's servers. Classic Outlook does not do this.
(Image: heise online / dmk)
Microsoft's new Outlook behaves like the mobile versions of the groupware: It relies on web services on Microsoft's servers and therefore sends access data for integrated email accounts to the company's cloud infrastructure. As a result, emails from these accounts also land in Microsoft's cloud, where they can then be processed, for example, with AI functions.
These are no new findings – At the end of 2023, the change for the desktop PC software alarmed data protectionists. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) also views the cloud compulsion critically. Similar behavior was noticed on macOS in early 2023, and the mobile apps for smartphones and tablets had also been doing this for a longer time. Nevertheless, we are currently receiving more and more reader tips on the topic – apparently, it has now been noticed by more popular YouTubers, for example.
Remedy is possible
Of course, there are ways to avoid this behavior. For example, classic Outlook is still available with a Microsoft 365 subscription or Office LTSC 2021 until October 2026. On macOS, there is then no way back from the new to the classic Outlook. Since Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC also includes classic Outlook LTSC 2024, five years of support also apply to this, i.e., even until 2029 – the version is available for both macOS and Windows. According to Microsoft, Office 2024 LTSC is intended especially for scenarios where the Office apps should remain local and do not require the functions that Microsoft 365 apps provide. "Therefore, users do not have access to real-time collaboration, AI-driven automation, or advanced security and compliance tools tailored to a hybrid work environment," Microsoft explains the limitations.
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By then, the mail client Mozilla Thunderbird may have developed into a fully-fledged alternative. With version Thunderbird 145, released in mid-November, the developers have made native Exchange support generally available. Although support is initially limited to emails. However, the roadmap also includes support for calendars and contacts, as well as future use of the Microsoft Graph API – Thunderbird currently relies on the EWS API. The Mozilla Foundation's plans are ambitious, with many of the Exchange functions to be delivered as early as the first quarter of 2026.
(dmk)
