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Microsoft is Killing Outlook.com Premium (thurrott.com)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the moving-forward dept.

Paul Thurrott, writing for Thurrott.com: A support document describing new premium Outlook.com features for Office 365 subscribers hides the real story today: Microsoft just killed Outlook.com Premium. I wrote earlier about how Microsoft was bringing some Outlook.com Premium features, like an ad-free inbox, to Office 365 Home and Personal subscribers. That's great news, of course. But a related support document buries the lede. "The Outlook.com Premium standalone offering is now closed to new subscribers," the support document notes. "Current subscribers can renew their subscriptions to continue receiving subscription benefits." Yikes. There's also a link to another support document that continues this conversation. But there really isn't much more to say. If you're already using Outlook.com Premium, you can continue to do so. And for now, at least, you can even renew the subscription and keep using its unique features, like custom domain support.

3 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. I'm confused by IWantMoreSpamPlease · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How is closing the door to new subscribers, killing off the program?

    --
    So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
    1. Re:I'm confused by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How is closing the door to new subscribers, killing off the program?

      I imagine the author thinks Microsoft is going to follow Google's playbook here.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    2. Re:I'm confused by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How is closing the door to new subscribers, killing off the program?

      Ummm, because almost without exception "not taking new subscribers" translates into "well, this isn't working, but we've already taken your money so we have to keep up appearances as we try to migrate you to our next bad idea".

      It pretty much means "end of being an active product and being phased out". If it was viable, or what they wanted people using, they'd be gladly taking new subscriptions.

      It usually means either they're losing money, or they've pretty much discovered it was shit to begin with.