By bbr

by Sarah Warlick, Copywriter and Editor

The next version of Microsoft Office, due out next year, will sync your LinkedIn account seamlessly to the productivity suite’s functions. When you sign in to Outlook using your LinkedIn username and password you’ll be able to access status updates, profile pictures and contact information from all of your LinkedIn connections. Along with the emails you receive, you’ll be getting contact cards and profile data about those who sent the emails.

Currently, you can get the same results by downloading a separate application to integrate the platforms, but with Office 2013 the experience will be part of the standard user package. David Breger writes in the LinkedIn Blog, “We know many of you spend a lot of your professional hours working in email, and we believe the integrated Outlook Social Connector for the new Office will help you be even more efficient and productive. Not only will you be able to keep track of what your LinkedIn connections are discussing and sharing, you’ll have easy access to photos, contact information and LinkedIn profile details right at your fingertips – without ever leaving Office. “

It’s an interesting development, and one that’s likely to benefit the networking site. With the automatic integration, most people will be more likely to monitor their LinkedIn updates in an ongoing way. Will it become like the ever-present Facebook page that so often requires a pause in our labors to Like or comment on a particularly relevant (or goofy, or controversial) post? It might. The change should at least help to generate more discussion on work-related news articles and posts as they appear. Skeptics may finally be convinced to create a profile, since they’re in Office all day anyway and with a LinkedIn account they can keep up with industry news as they work. Others who have a profile but never check it may find themselves engaging in conversations as a regular part of their workday routines.

There’s not a lot of likelihood that this new setup will transform Office and LinkedIn into the time-sucking power combo of Facebook and Angry Birds, but it could certainly add new life to Office and more cachet to LinkedIn as the networking site for grownups to spend hours on during work. Because admit it: you feel just the tiniest bit guilty doing what we know you do on Facebook all day, even though social media is a legitimate part of your job. Just imagine – all of the stalking potential with none of the guilt!