Whatever your stance on social media is, it took another step toward being accepted as a permanent part of our lives. Microsoft has announced that Outlook 2010 (not released yet) will pull in Facebook, MySpace and maybe Twitter data. And among industry experts this is considered a must for the future survival of Outlook. As the number of companies, small and large, continues to increase it is vital for people to keep track of these web pages. In some cases just as important as an e-mail address or mailing address.

This is not the first change that Microsoft has had to make to keep up with the Internets increased prevalence in our lives. Microsoft Word was considered the best word processing software available, however this was true for printed documents. Word has undergone some revisions as more and more content is posted online.

This shift in Outlook highlights a major change in the way we communicate. And Outlook believes that in order for this software to compete with online e-mail exchanges it must make these changes.

So, if you are still hoping that social media will go away, I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s looking increasing unlikely.

I wonder how long till Gmail adds syncs with social media or maybe they are hoping buzz will replace other networks.