Concomitantly with the introduction of the Windows Live Wave 3 public Beta, Microsoft has also delivered an evolved version of the Outlook add-in designed to bridge its desktop clients with its online email services. Office Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta 2 is a new example of how the Redmond giant is expanding the Windows operating system and its components into the cloud. However, the Beta 2 build of Office Outlook Connector 12.1 release is just an accessory of Windows Live Wave 3 suite of applications and services, and delivers only a small evolution.

“Microsoft has just released the Beta 2 version of the Outlook Connector – an add-in that puts your Windows Live Hotmail data in Outlook. While Beta 2 does not introduce new features, it provides several improvements aimed at making synchronization with e-mail, contacts, and the free Windows Live Calendar Beta service more robust,” explained Alessio Roic, Outlook Program Manager.

Microsoft has made Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta 2 deliverable both as a standalone product, but also as an integral part of the Windows Live Wave 3 package. Essentially, Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta 2 will synchronize email, contacts and calendars from accounts with the latest versions of Windows Live Hotmail and Office Live Mail with Office Outlook 2003 and the 2007 Office System. One aspect has indeed evolved since version 12.0 of the Outlook Connector to 12.1 Beta 2, namely using the free Windows Live Calendar service instead of the MSN Calendaring service previously available only to MSN Premium accounts.

“In order to make sure that all of your calendar items on the MSN Calendar service are correctly migrated to the Windows Live Calendar, you should follow these steps: with Outlook Connector 12.0 installed, synchronize your calendar with the MSN Calendar service one last time. After synchronization is complete, do not create new items on the MSN Calendar site. If you do, you will have to synchronize again using Outlook Connector 12.0 before migrating to 12.1 Beta. Install Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta,” Roic added.

Microsoft Office Outlook Connector version 12.1 Beta 2 is available for download here.