Outlook on Windows is getting 'real-time' collaboration for attachments

Microsoft is adding a pretty interesting feature to Outlook on Windows. The company today rolled out a new update for Outlook 2016 to Office Insiders on the Slow ring with a new collaboration feature. The new collaboration feature allows users to work on email attachments in real-time which is a pretty neat feature.

This feature isn’t exactly real-time, though. When you upload a file from OneDrive via Outlook 2016 and send the email, the recipient will be able to see the latest version of that file. As a result, if you make changes to that file after sending the email, they will see the updated version. Similarly, if they update the file, you will be able to see the updated version from Outlook 2016.

In addition to the new collaboration feature for Outlook, Microsoft is adding the ability to edit objects in Word with the Surface Pen. If you happen to own a Surface device and have a Surface Pen, you will now be able to use ti to resize, rotate and move any objects on Word. At the moment, this feature seems to be available on Word only but it’ll likely arrive on PowerPoint in the near-future.

Here’s the full changelog for the update:

• Collaborate on attachments in real time: Uploading email attachments to OneDrive lets everyone work on the latest version of the file. Use the drop-down menu on the attachment to either upload a revised version or save a new version. For more information, see Attach a file to an email in Outlook for Windows.
• Use your pen to manipulate objects: In Word, grab object handles with the Surface pen to resize, rotate, move, and more. Find out how.
• Visio add-in for Database Modeling: Now available for download, the Visio Add-In for Database Modeling add-in helps while planning the creation of a new database or understanding an existing one. Download the add-in now or learn to reverse engineer an existing database into a database model.
• New education templates and diagrams: Students and teachers can use new templates and sample diagrams that cover many subjects, including algebra, chemistry, physics, and more.

Once again, these new features are only available to Office Insiders in the Slow Ring, and you can sign-up for the Office Insider program here.