Microsoft unveiled three new apps targeted to small to
medium-sized businesses on Monday at the company’s annual Inspire partner event: Microsoft Connections, Microsoft Listings and Microsoft Bookings.
Microsoft Connections, soon to be
available in Office 365, offers a series of templates marketers can use to customize their own email newsletters and promotional campaigns.
Connections also provides detailed performance
metrics, such as open rates, new customers and purchases generated.
Once small businesses revamp their email-marketing efforts, they can leverage Microsoft Listings to manage their online
presence on Facebook, Google, Yelp and Bing.
Listings also offers tools for business owners to monitor their online reviews.
Finally Microsoft Invoicing helps small businesses
create invoices and collect payment with easy-to-use templates and an account management dashboard. The product can also be integrated with PayPal, so businesses can collect credit-card payments and
offer QuickBooks compatibility.
A centralized dashboard will connect the three new business apps with the existing tools available in Microsoft’s Office 365 cloud subscription
service.
Microsoft Connections, Listings and Bookings will be rolling out this week in preview form to Business Premium Subscribers in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Microsoft
plans to launch the products globally by the end of the year.