Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Google Inc. (GOOG): Scroogle This, Android!

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has made no bones about its desire to take away market share from Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) in as many tech sectors as possible when it launched its “Scroogled” campaign last fall in an effort to tout the Bing search engine as a viable alternative to Google Search. Another area where Microsoft has tried to make inroads has been in e-mail, by touting Outlook as the more private alternative to Gmail.

Now, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is making an all-out frontal assault on Gmail by hitting some native Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) territory. Microsoft announced this week the release of its Outlook.com mail client application for Android-based mobile devices – taking its e-mail client, which Microsoft claims does not scan e-mails for advertising and marketing efforts, onto the turf where Gmail generally reigns. Reports are this newest Outlook app has some nice upgraded features from past versions.

First, those who have used Outlook in the past will notice a sleeker interface that is reminiscent of Outlook on desktops and laptops and will have a look that may remind one of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 8 operating system. The new app features some organizational tools, like “threading” to read a series of emails at once; a filter to organize messages by type, and a flagging function to alert recipients of messages that would require follow-up.   There is also the ability to filter out juni mail as junk mail without needing to refer to the mobile Outlook.com website.

The one challenge, however, for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) comes from Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) when it announced earlier this year that it would not be supporting Exchange ActiveSync any longer, even for Gmail accounts. ActiveSync, Microsoft notes, enhances the experience of Outlook.com, so as a service Redmond has supplied a separate app that will be configured to the various versions of the Android platform.

And if you’d like to ask about Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS, don’t. There is no Outlook.com app for any iOS device at this point, and there has been no timetable as to if one would be introduced or when. What are your thoughts about this development – the Outlook.com “invasion” of Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) native territory with Android? Let us know of your experiences with Outlook (if any) in the past and if you welcome Outlook to Android. Drop us your thoughts in the comments section below.

DISCLOSURE: I own no positions in any stock mentioned.