Managing "contacts" has been a bit of a challenge for many, especially as the number of places that contacts can be stored and the number of PCs and devices we use to access those contacts has increased. Storing contacts in the cloud for easy roaming and connectivity is a part of the solution. With Windows 8 and the new People app, we are taking cloud storage a step further by optionally connecting it to other services you already use. This brings together email contacts and contacts from your service / social accounts in one easy to access and use place that roams across your Windows 8 PCs and phone.
In this post, Jeff Kunins, a group program manager on the Windows Live team, details the People app. This is the first of a series of posts on the new service-connected apps that are currently in App Preview. --Steven
Modern devices come with an address book or contact list because the people we communicate and share with are so important to how we use those devices. Email, texting, phone and video calls, social updates and comments – these are but a few of the people-based activities we do with the phones, PCs, and tablets we use every day. With Windows 8 we set out to meet this fundamental need with a new kind of contact experience: the People app.
The People app in Windows 8 is a modern take on the flat contact lists of the past–it’s built for the way you communicate today, and it’s connected to the cloud services you already use. The People app connects to your email and social accounts, bringing together all your contacts (and what they’re up to) in one convenient place. Windows 8 Consumer Preview users have already used the People app millions of times and received millions of social notifications on its live tiles. We are proud of the
early enthusiasm for our approach, and thankful for everyone’s helpful feedback on how we can improve this early preview version. We thought we would take some time to share more of our perspective on the modern social address book, and how our point of view is driving the evolution of the People app in Windows 8.
