MS Outlook format will be open

Microsoft will open the .PST specification as part of the Open Specification Promise initiative. Thus, any developer will be able to use the .PST format in client and server programs, even in Mozilla email programs, even in Google data centers, without asking Microsoft permission. This was announced by the manager of Microsoft Office Interoperability in a corporate blog.

The .PST (Personal Storage Table) format is a private service format of MS Outlook that stores all user information, including a database with letters, a diary, etc. Currently, databases are accessed via the Messaging API (MAPI) and Outlook Object Model , but after opening the .PST format, you can create and edit .PST files without installing any Microsoft software.

In the future, Microsoft will publish technical documentation with the structure of the .PST files, help with hierarchical navigation, a guide to accessing individual objects and properties. The documentation is now in the early stages of writing.