Xero announced an integration with Microsoft Outlook REST API to give small business users a single view of their interactions with contacts and customers.
Users can initiate new quotes from within Xero and attach their customer’s email as a record, then when customers email to confirm an order, invoice them while remaining within Xero.
“More than 75 percent of small business communications is via email. This integration will enable small businesses to be more agile, to keep track of what their customers have asked for, what they’ve purchased recently and whether they owe money,” stated Craig Walker, Xero’s chief technology officer.
The integration follows Xero’s earlier one with Microsoft Power BI to provide business data visualization tools and reports.
“Xero’s longstanding relationship with Microsoft gives our small businesses better tools to make smart up-to-the minute business decisions,” Walker stated.
Within Office 365, a direct feed from Xero enables customers to see the financial position of a customer and tap into their Xero contact information on a single screen.
“This integration gives small businesses a streamlined view of customer interactions without having them switch between Outlook and Xero – in other words, it empowers small businesses to work smarter and more seamlessly,” stated Rob Howard, director of the Office 365 ecosystem at Microsoft.
