Microsoft releases Invite app for iPhone

After it put in an unexpected appearance during Apple's iPhone 6S reveal, Microsoft has come out with another standalone iPhone app, Invite.

The app from Microsoft's experimental "Garage" team, Invite would make it easier for people to schedule meetings, regardless of what type of email account they had.

Connecting the app to one's email account allows users to start sending meeting invitations to coworkers and colleagues, even if they all worked at different companies.

According to Microsoft, the app "works best" for people with Office 365 subscriptions, but was compatible with Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.com email accounts as well.

Meeting invitations are sent as emails and  attendees can check off the time that worked for them from their browser. With the app, users can easily keep tabs on everyone's responses and can sync meetings arranged within the app to their main calendar.

The invitees need to have the app to respond, enabling them to add the finalised times to their calendars and exchange messages about the meeting within the app.

Microsoft Garage, attempts to build ''wild ideas'' into real products, and its new app for the iPhone has been billed as the ''easiest way to organize meetings on the go.''

''Invite is designed to overcome the biggest obstacle when scheduling meetings - not being able to see the calendars of attendees outside your organization,'' Microsoft said in a statement.

It explained further, ''As a result, your proposed meeting can be repeatedly declined until you find a time that works. Invite simplifies this by letting organisers suggest multiple times that work for them and attendees can pick from those suggestions. Invite also shows everyone what times other people have said are good for them.''

According to Microsoft the app would hit Windows Phone and Android ''soon,'' but it was currently limited to iPhone users in the US and Canada.