When corporations arrogantly think that customers will step in line and follow no matter what direction they take, they sometimes go too far and lose portions of their customer base or give rise to a competitor that fills in the gaps where the need is not being met.
By taking away features and offering nothing for the consumer but more complex and rigid methods of communicating in a business setting they are doing just that. This update is nothing but a means for them to simplify their code base among different OSes. This helps Microsoft hire less skilled coders, pay less, and just keep up with one code base for easier coding and updates. It does nothing beneficial for consumers but tie their hands or remove features they ahve come to depend on with no positive trade off other than over simplifying the program.
What Microsoft fails to realize is that if their customer base wanted a web based simplified version they would just use the browser version of outlook 365. IT Departments will not just fall in line if the tool becomes more difficult to support, violates some compliance rules or "breaks" internal workflows to the point where productivity takes a hit. They will give credence to a competitor that could come out with a clone or alternative that is more compatible with what Business Communication workflows expect.
Microsoft could offer this as an alternative or "Outlook Lite" for people who have the fast food mentality (my way right away) and the attention span of a gold fish, BUT if they replace their flagship Business Communication Tool with this "OMGLOOKATMYMOMSBUTTSHAKINONTIKTOK!!!!" web tool for people who need three buttons or less, icons, and form a complex thought that cannot be expressed in 3 emojjis and a bad picture of what they ate for lunch, then I think their quarterly earnings will shock them immensely.
This update is Microsoft's Bud Light moment.
Now are they going to double down and scream "Hold my beer!"
Or are they going to wise up and see that this move may not all be candy and rainbows like their marketing department will make it out to be.
If they go for it I think Short Selling their stock might make a little side money.