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I’ve come to expect moves like this from Microsoft, but it makes no less annoying to deal with. Apparently the new version of Microsoft Outlook, Outlook 2007, will use the HTML rendering engine from Microsoft Word to display HTML email. Previously Microsoft Outlook used the rendering engine from, logically, Microsoft’s web browser Internet Explorer. What does this mean to you, dear email marketer?
Aside from having to test your existing HTML newsletter layouts in the new client thoroughly, you will also most likely need to back-date your newsletter code about 5 years. That’s right folks, its back tables galore and in-line styles! If you aren’t the person who has to code your HTML emails and you have no idea what that means, suffice it to say, there’s probably a lot of work to be done.
Why has Microsoft elected to do this you might wonder? From the links above and common sense it sounds like security is most likely the reason. There are just so many ways to exploit the Internet Explorer rendering engine that it makes Outlook a great entry way for malicious worms and viruses. But do they think that that Word rendering engine will really stand up long against the inevitable onslaught of spammers and other would be email “evil doers?” I think not.
We’ve done a few email newsletter templates for our clients that should stand up to this issue pretty well. You can check them out here and here. But who knows until we actually get to test them out. Anyone running a beta of Outlook 2007 who can run those through it for me?