On June 30, 2025, the old functionality (Outbound) in Customer Insights will be permanently discontinued. To prevent communications and customer journeys from being interrupted, everything must be migrated to the Realtime module.

Do you have any questions about the phasing out of the old features?

Get in touch – we can help you transition from Outbound to Realtime

In December 2022, Microsoft announced an upgrade to the marketing module in Customer Insights - Journeys. The Realtime module provides new and improved functionality that makes it easier to take a more data-driven, relevant, and effective approach to customer journeys.

What's new?

Realtime Marketing enables real-time communication based on customer behavior, not just predefined times. Here are the 5 key benefits for marketers:

1. Real-time response to customer behavior

Realtime lets you respond immediately to customer actions—for example, when someone opens an email, clicks a link, or submits a form. This makes it easier to send more relevant messages at exactly the right moment, resulting in better engagement and higher conversion rates.

2. Advanced segmentation and AI integration

Segments are built using customer data from Customer Insights - Data. This gives you segments that are updated in real time based on all available data. You also get AI-powered insights that help you identify the right target audiences (without having to export/import lists).

3. Modern and more flexible journey editor

The new journey editor in Realtime features visual logic, flexible triggers, A/B testing, conditions, and the ability to merge multiple customer journeys—providing greater control and scalability and allowing you to build more complex and personalized customer journeys than was possible in Outbound.

4. Support for multiple channels (SMS and app push notifications)

Realtime supports multiple communication channels, such as SMS, push notifications, and Teams notifications, in addition to email and forms. All of these can be combined in a single customer journey, making the work more cohesive and manageable.

5. Built-in reporting and measurement in customer journeys

KPIs such as opens, clicks, goal completion, and completion rates are displayed directly in the journey editor. This makes it much easier to understand what works—and make adjustments along the way. Outbound had simpler reports and often lacked the context of the entire journey.