Microsoft Outlook Cost

Many people would like to become better at using Microsoft Outlook but may feel apprehensive about the perceived costs of taking courses for comprehensive training. While access to Outlook from a subscription to Microsoft 365 does have a cost if an individual does not have access through institutional licensing, there can also be significant costs for training to improve skills with Outlook for email communication and other functions. However, free or low-cost resources are available for beginners who would like to improve on knowledge of Outlook.

There are a variety of free resources and tutorials available to help with learning Microsoft Outlook.

What is Microsoft Outlook?

Microsoft Outlookis among the most used email servers on the planet. However, Outlook provides more than email access. Outlook facilitates email communication, setting up contact lists for your organization, and using the calendar to organize business meetings and other events. It also serves as a web app manager that allows coordinating and integrating Microsoft Office applications like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for the workplace or personal use. Also, Microsoft Outlook does not share data collected for integrating Office applications within Microsoft 365.

Microsoft Outlook began as Hotmail in 1996 without any connection to Microsoft before the company purchased the email site and renamed it MSN Hotmail and eventually Windows Live Hotmail. The product became Outlook.com in 2012. As stated, Microsoft provides Outlook as the center for managing its software applications for mainly work settings and personal use. Outlook allows users to conveniently access the software needed for establishing an efficient working environment, allowing an organization to communicate through email or share content using the Web or the cloud through Microsoft 365. This includes sharing content from the Office software bundle that offers a variety of functions for word processing, building databases, organizing spreadsheets, or designing promotional material.

Read more about what Microsoft Outlook isand why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Microsoft Outlook?

Microsoft Outlook is mainly considered an email facilitator but also functions as an application manager for Office software programs provided through Microsoft 365. Outlook allows users to control emails using filters and folders, locate names in the address book, or schedule emails to respond automatically when the user is unavailable. Outlook also provides a calendar for organizing meetings, events, or project deadlines.

With being able to interface with other Microsoft Office applications, Outlook functions for tasks as wide-ranging as accounting, data entry, word processing, or presentations through access to software like Excel, Access, Word, or PowerPoint. Outlook provides an efficient tool for any workplace, academic institution, or home.

In addition to many using Outlook for their personal email, business corporations, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations use Microsoft Outlook for getting projects done in addition to email communication and organizing schedules. Outlook provides an assortment of features and functions for getting work done efficiently:

• Outlook offers a variety of options for sending, receiving, and forwarding emails, as well as navigating the inbox and folders.
• Outlook interacts with other Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Microsoft Outlook users can collaborate with coworkers by exchanging Microsoft Office content easily.
• Companies and organizations can share Outlook calendars among staff members to optimize collaboration in the workplace.
• Users can sync personal data using Microsoft Outlook on computers, smartphones, or tablets.
• Outlook allows entering information into the calendar that syncs with a variety of devices.
• Personal data can be integrated into Outlook, including virtual sticky notes, calendars, address books, and to-do lists.
• Microsoft Outlook can integrate with other online services and apps, including Uber, Google Play, Facebook, Yelp, Skype, Boomerang, and Evernote.
• Microsoft Outlook has font options for professional-looking formatting and various color themes.
• Users can set the Microsoft Outlook calendar for daily, weekly, or monthly schedules to keep track of important appointments and meetings.
• Users can send out meeting requests to people listed in their contact list through the calendar feature.
• Outlook also provides security features, including data encryption for a user's mailbox after sending an email.
• Premium Microsoft Outlook automatically deactivates unsafe links containing viruses, malware, or phishing scams and can recover important files from Microsoft OneDrive.
• Users can run Skype directly through Microsoft Outlook for online chatting in real-time.

In-Depth Review of the Cost

Microsoft Outlook is available through Microsoft 365, a subscription version of Microsoft Office that provides the same core desktop applications and additional apps and online services for secure cloud storage, communication, and collaboration. Microsoft 365 can be purchased through several methods, including individual apps, suites, channels, and licensing for professional, educational, or personal use for work, school, or home. Options for purchasing Microsoft 365 include:

• Eligible education institutions provide students and educators with Office 365 Education at no cost. Office 365 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams, which can facilitate online meetings and training. 
• Microsoft 365 Personal is available for $6.99 monthly or $69.99 a year.
• Microsoft 365 Family costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
• Microsoft Business Basic costs $6 per user a month with an annual auto-renewing subscription.
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard costs $12.50 per user a month for an annual auto-renewing subscription.
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs $22 per user a month for an annual auto-renewing subscription.
• Microsoft 365 Apps for Business costs $8.25 per user a month for an annual auto-renewing subscription.

Why Learn Microsoft Outlook?

Microsoft Outlook is a staple in workplaces worldwide and functions for personal communication. Outlook integrates with other Microsoft Office applications like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel to perform tasks for word processing, presentations, data analysis, and basic email communication. Anyone working anywhere from a corporate office to an academic institution to a freelance agent working at home uses Microsoft Office to communicate in the workplace and organize workplace functions. Outlook provides a gateway for access to various Microsoft Office applications for composing, editing, saving, and uploading content to maintain an efficient working environment.

Learning more about Microsoft Outlook can help optimize your email inbox for home or work or integrate new contacts from an email you’ve received into your contact list. You can pick up tips more efficiently using Outlook to get projects done. Many use the calendar to set up events or to access an Outlook account from multiple devices, including a smartphone. Training may also help with using the Outlook calendar to help with organizing meetings or managing deadlines. These lessons can add up to more seamlessly integrating Outlook with other Microsoft Office apps, using those calendar features, or connecting with other features and applications, including using the cloud through Microsoft 365 or posting on social media platforms. 

Read more about why you should learn Microsoft Outlook.

Free Introductory Microsoft Outlook Course Online 

If you don't feel ready to take on a fully loaded Microsoft Outlook training course, online education providers offer free or low-cost classes for learning skills with email software. For example, Udemy offers the relatively inexpensive Get Started with Microsoft Outlook that provides step-by-step instructions for people with little to no experience with Microsoft Outlook with training on how to use the application's essential email functions or how to integrate Office applications.

You can also find YouTube channels or other video outlets to pick up lessons on fundamentals for using Microsoft Outlook.

Read about more free Microsoft Outlook videos and online tutorials.

Learn Microsoft Outlook with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re looking to improve on knowledge of using Microsoft Outlook, Noble Desktop has courses that provide training for a better understanding of the software application. This includes in-person classes available in New York City, along with live online courses offered at times that may fit your schedule at varying costs.

Noble Desktop offers in-person and live online Microsoft Office courses that provide hands-on training from expert instructors. These courses provide training that includes lessons for Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Project, and Outlook, which serves as the hub for access to this bundle of integrated Microsoft Office applications. These classes can be taken inside a classroom or live online. 

Students can enroll in Microsoft Outlook Level I for lessons on the fundamentals of the application. This one-day course focuses on teaching participants about using Outlook efficiently with lessons on setting up email folders, automating email, managing calendars and to-do lists, or organizing schedules and contact lists that can all contribute to improving workflow.

People may elect to take the Microsoft Outlook Level II class. This follow-up course builds on the training established in the Level I course. Level II emphasizes lessons for configuring email accounts, performing advanced searches, filtering spam, learning about working with advanced calendars, and handling contact lists.