Outlook: Sending/Receiving Text Messages (SMS)

Did you  know that with Microsoft Outlook 2010, you can stay connected beyond just e-mail messages? You can now send and receive text messages (SMS) via Outlook 2010!

So there are two different ways to set up text messaging in Outlook 2010. The easier path is with a Windows phone running 6.1 with an update or 6.5, and connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 account. With this particular setup, your text messages are synchronized from Outlook to your mobile device for sending. It’s also important to add that messages in which you receive are synchronized back to Outlook for easy reading in your Inbox.

If, however, you don’t have a Windows phone or an Exchange 2010 account, you can still configure text messaging in Outlook 2010 by signing up for a third-party service that sends text messages on your behalf. These services charge a nominal fee for message delivery, but there is a free trial period so you can try it out before you subscribe to see if you like it. Although the use of a third-party messaging service requires more initial setup, after connected, you can then send texts from the convenience of your computer.

For additional information and instructions on how to set up text messaging via Outlook 2010, see Introduction to Text Messaging in Outlook on the Microsoft Office website.