If you haven’t already heard, there are some MAJOR changes coming to Microsoft Outlook. We will be getting a new ‘Outlook for Windows’ (2+ years out according to the video, but already available for opt-in testing) which will be replacing the existing mail apps (Mail, Outlook, Web Outlook, …). Some are also referring to it as ‘New Outlook’.
Karl Donaubauer made a post which explains what we know so far:
The official Microsoft announcement can be found at:
So What’s The Problem?
The alarming issue here is the fact that they announced that they will not be supporting COM add-ins (28:07) at all! This is making many of us wonder if this implies that all basic (VBA) COM programming will no longer work? Will basic Outlook Automation no longer work then? Will things like the SendObject method suddenly cease to function? This would imply millions of tools would break once this is implemented.
So the potential is that we could loose the ability from other applications to interact with Outlook, so loose the ability to do things like:
- Create and send emails (this implies Access SendObject would no longer work!)
- Create Appointments/Tasks
- Create Contacts
- Retrieve or update information from existing emails, appointments/tasks, contacts
- Work with the folder structure (create/modify)
- So on and so forth
Now, I know some are sounding the alarm bells. I’ve seen blog posts, posts in LinkedIn, … Sadly, we have no actual answers at this time! (lots of suppositions based on the video, but no formal answers from Microsoft themselves). I reached out to Microsoft, to the original authors of the video directly) and am waiting for some type of response. I also know Karl (amongst others) has done similarly at his end, via the Access Dev Team, to try and get some real answers.
That said, because of this incertitude, I created a Feedback item and would ask you all to up vote it to show Microsoft that Outlook Automation (using VBA and other languages) from our existing tools is a CRITICAL aspect that they need to ensure continues to be fully functional for any new application they deliver. So please up vote the following suggestion item:
Update 2023-09-30: I was given confirmation my email was passed on to both Margie Clinton and Robert Novitskey (authors of the original video), but no reply as of yet.
Update 2023-10-03:
The silence is deafening! They would have quickly answered our questions if there was no cause for concern, so the fact that we see no answer(s) on the official page, to private inquiries, …speaks volumes. So, based on the lack of replies anywhere and some other minor feedback received, I am getting the feeling that we may be in some serious trouble here. Either some very shortsighted people are in charge or this change is being done on purpose (perhaps without them truly understanding the true ramifications) and Microsoft just doesn’t care about our opinions on the matter. I’m still hoping for an official reply (probably naive of me). I wonder if other groups (Excel, Word, …) are aware of what is coming their way?
Currently my best guess, and that is all that it is right now, is that we will need to re-code everything to use some Web API. I further suspect that this is/will be the direction taken by all Office applications (with the exception of Access since we still don’t even have a web version of the app). We’ll see if my prediction(s) is/are correct or if Microsoft flinches and keeps COM. You wonder how long people knew about this change coming and never advised the developer community so we could prepare. None certainly did the proper homework about current usage scenario before going down this path!
Update 2023-10-12:
Sadly, another week and nothing. No reply to my private e-mail. No comments publicly that I’ve found. The only possible ray of hope came from our new Access PM who stated in a recent Access User Groups Lunchtime meeting that she was actively working on the issue and in communication with the Outlook Team. Time will tell!
Update 2023-10-28:
Well, Karl Donaubauer managed to put the question to the Access Dev Team during his recent AEK conference and wrote the following post on the subject
He states not to panic, that VBA & Access aren’t dead and that
That’s nice and all, but what about all the MS365 users?!
I also don’t particularly like the verbiage “The Access team assumes“, one shouldn’t assume things! You’re telling me the Outlook Team couldn’t confirm what they plan to release in the next release of Microsoft Office?! It has been weeks since this was flagged and you’re telling me Microsoft doesn’t know the direction they are taking, can’t provide a formal update!
You also have to wonder why this is being told to us via an Microsoft Access conference and not posted publicly on a Microsoft site for all to benefit from the information. What’s the point of the Microsoft Access Blog exactly? If Karl didn’t blog about it no one would have a clue. Why is it the Access Dev Team trying to answer rather than the actual Outlook Dev Team answering publicly for their actions, answering the questions to the video…!
Also, note that “Plan A, B, C” are solely from Karl, not anything necessarily being proposed by Microsoft/Outlook Dev Team! Anything the Access Dev Team says about them doesn’t mean that is the direction the Outlook’s Dev Team is taking. As they say, we need to hear it from the horses mouth and it should be publicly posted on the New Outlook page. A – is wishful thinking, B – doesn’t make sense (he’d need to explain) “new automation solution” would require updating every application so no solution and the same as C pretty much IMNSHO and C is the original reason why people are worried in the first place!
At the end of the day, it seems we don’t truly have any real new information on the subject besides Karl’s statement “not to panic”. Sadly, the article doesn’t provided any new reliable information for us to ‘not worry’. Nothing about Microsoft 365 users which I find very odd as they’re most likely to be the first impacted by the proposed changes that are coming, words like ‘assume’ from the people answering, … The post truly doesn’t provide anything new! I truly don’t see how the post was meant to reassure anyone.
So, it remains a wait and see situation.
Update 2024-07-11:
Mike Wolfe posted an extensive review of this whole situation and I think it sums things up quite nicely:
Upvoted! I don’t build new projects anymore, but I still support clients with databases going back 20-some years that rely on Outlook to send and receive mail, among other things. Microsoft, please don’t break this feature, or if you do at least still keep classic Outlook around for those of us who need it. Introduce something new, sure, but keep the old version available.
From the video, I did get the impression the classic Outlook wasn’t going anywhere in the near future!
I think the issue will be the effect on Access by the knowledge that it will lose the functionality. I can see Access being severely damaged as confidence will be lost and it will be a downward slope.
More damaged than with all the crap we’ve been experiencing for the last 10-15 years (loss of features, bugs and more bugs, no new features or very few, …)?! Lol.
Yes, if we start to loose automation capabilities with other Office applications, then there truly won’t be any reason to stick with Microsoft Office as a whole. That is one of its biggest features, always has been. It would definitely damage Microsoft image, BIG Time! If they suddenly break existing mission critical solutions because of this, they could also be facing serious lawsuits, maybe even class action.
That’s why I find it hard to believe that this will be the case and want an official statement from Microsoft on this rather than speculation and our interpretation on the limited information the video provides.
Upvoted.
Thank you John.
Please try not to focus just on sending emails from Outlook. Its is pretty inconceivable that a programmatical method of sending emails wouldn’t be provided by the New Outlook (eventually).
Let us not forget that you can do so much more with Outlook in VBA via COM like working with the folder structure and using events to monitor/track emails displayed by our application for the user to edit before sending.
We need to ensure that the New Outlook provides a complete interface, not some half baked and ill-conceived subset as has happened with the new web browser control.
No disagreement from me.
I mention sending e-mail, as one example, because it is the most fundamental automation used in millions of automated tools. Heck has it built-in to it’s own VBA via the SendObject method.
That said, no, the objective here is that we loose nothing! Anything short of that is failure.
Furthermore, if Microsoft truly decides to breaks VBA, then for me at least, there will no longer be any reason for Office! Also, you can be sure that if they have made this decision to kill VBA (which hasn’t been confirmed), it will be rolling out to the rest of the Office apps in due time.
You know, “I told you so”, doesn’t quite say it! You and others have criticized me for several years with things like I am fear mongering, but the reality is undeniable as to Microsoft’s actions and inactions with respect to Access and Desktop Office. Don’t hold your breaths waiting for Microsoft’s response, they have already responded. Start migrating your Access customers or you will continue to lose them to other solution providers.
Not even worthy of an actual reply. Take care Frank.
Upvoted.
Question:
In a worst case scenario, what other technology can we start looking at to replace Microsoft Access?
There is still time, so why not use that to our advantage?
Years ago now, suffering from the non-stop bugs …, I went down the road of learning true Web Application development. In my case, I went the route of open-source technologies, no longer wanting to be at the mercy of a company and continually burnt by them. So I learnt PHP and MySQL (although I had already been using MySQL for years). All I can say is I don’t regret that decision in the least!!! Learn PHP, implement one of many available frameworks and development time, in many instances, is very similar. The beauty is it run on any web browser, on any device! The Framework I am using enables me to switch back-end technologies by simply changing a single line of code. So MySQL, Azure SQL Database, PostgreSQL, … I can use them all. I’ll also add that my clients for whom I’ve made this conversion for have been thrilled with the change. Better performance, more modern look/feel, accessible from anywhere, …
The issue with any choice you make is the learning curve. It takes time to learnt and properly master anything, then add to that the time to convert existing solutions. I have systems that will take years to convert fully.
Also, there is no other tool like Access. You can find low code/no code options, such as:
sure, but they can’t do what Access allows and pricing can be prohibitive! You also have to be careful with some of these offering as you are using proprietary software where you own nothing and even your data may be hard or even impossible to retrieve should you wish to switch away from their service (I mention this because I’ve had people approach me with this issue on a number of occasions now).
True web technologies, although complex, can offer some of the power that Access offers. For instance, with PHP my system generates Excel workbooks, Mail Merges and we found a way to create e-mails with attachments… via Outlook (Desktop). Of course, it requires programming, lots of it. No drag and drop here, its coding, testing… but the end results can be most impressive.
Thank you for the update and link to Karl website. After reading I find not much information? What the article say that is new or that you didn’t say already?
That was somewhat the point of the commentary I provided in the update, there is no real new information provided. Karl’s article doesn’t provide new insight into the future of VBA automation with Outlook in any way. We are today at the same point we were when this issue was first brought to our attention and we all have to wait and see what eventually is decided by Microsoft/Outlook Dev Team.