Many computer users who go online find themselves spending time in social networking sites, but now you have the option to combine these kinds of internet portals with email functions.

As the World Wide Web grows it makes sense that it becomes more interlinked. Portals are increasingly likely to allow users and visitors to add their own links to the sites, as this may increase the flow of visitors. Social networking websites have rocketed in popularity over the last few years and have fast become household names.

This means that some users have got used to all the functions that are added to communication hubs and use them primarily when keeping in touch with friends. This can make is a confusing experience, as you may need to send messages to several sites in order to maintain links with friends and colleagues via these portals. However, Microsoft Outlook 2010 has a new tool that allows you to combine information from several different networking sites.

The advantage of the Social Connector is that it draws together lots of information in one place, so you do not need to trawl through websites to catch up with others. This function is new to the latest edition of Outlook and can be used for specified communication portals, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, amongst others. The former is generally used in a personal way, while the latter has been making inroads to the business arena.

After activating the tool, you get to see aspects of your contacts' details that feature on the websites concerned. Information drawn from your friends' profiles in Facebook, for example will show their photos and some of their activity, such as status updates and wall posts. As well as keeping in touch with the activities of your friends via this site, you also get to see how business contacts are getting on through the data shown from the LinkedIn portal.

This feature is great for cutting the time that you would spend getting in touch with friends and colleagues by visiting each site, you simply log on to your Outlook account and activate the tool. This assists you in keeping in touch, while other functions included in the software can help you to plan events. With all the email options available on the web, you could find that you have several accounts and that data you need to plan your time is spread among them.

Calendars within accounts are a useful way to plan your time and with access to your friend's and business' associates updates on social networking platforms, you can quickly get in touch and see if they are available when you are. However, this may still be a challenge for you if you need to consult several calendars to see if and when you are free. To get around this issue, Outlook allows you to combine information from several different accounts and calendars.

This gives you the opportunity to get an accurate picture of your activities in a single location, so you do not double book yourself and have to rearrange plans. There is the option to change the views of the calendars concerned, meaning you are able to compare them and see how the weeks and months are unfolding. The outcome can then be easily shared among your contacts, giving a boost to communication links.