The application, FedEx QuickShip, is an add-in that utilizes web services to provide fast and easy access to FedEx shipping functions, the company in a statement said. It is available immediately for download at fedex.com/quickship, and will be available to all the company’s country offices, including the Philipines, the company said.

The company said with the FedEx add-in installed, Microsoft Office Outlook users will be able to generate labels, track packages, check rates, schedule pickups and find FedEx dropoff locations while still inside their Outlook 2003 or 2007 e-mail application.

To initiate the shipping experience, users simply right-click on an existing contact and choose "ship" from the menu, the statement said. Shipments are then stored in a task view allowing users to conveniently recall and sort previous shipments.

"We are providing FedEx customers with another convenient option to choose how they access and connect to FedEx services," said David Zanca, senior vice president e-commerce technology, FedEx Services. "Our vision is to allow our customers, whether small businesses or global corporations, to be able to work more effectively, be more productive and reduce the effort required to ship."

In late 2007, FedEx introduced the FedEx Developer Resource Center (DRC) to help developers integrate applications with FedEx technologies through FedEx Web services.

The FedEx DRC provides developers online interactive documentation, downloads, technical FAQ’s, testing resources and processes to customers.

"Customers are always telling us they want more access to more services through the interfaces they use every day. Microsoft is excited to have FedEx, with their rich heritage of innovation, providing such a compelling set of tools to help developers deliver service access into Microsoft Office," said Chris Capossela, corporate vice president for the Information Worker Product Management Group at Microsoft Corp.

"FedEx shares our mission of delivering solutions that increase personal productivity, simplify how people work, and streamline the way people do business." FedEx web services make these business solutions and many others possible for developers looking to build these capabilities in their own environments.