Microsoft’s Hotmail rolled out its new service that allows streaming mail from other vendors like Gmail and Yahoo, in an attempt to make Hotmail the primary destination for email management rather than just a repository of spams.
The new service is a feature that is borrowed from Microsoft Outlook that allows adding accounts from other email services.
Dick Craddock, Group Program Manager at Windows Live Hotmail, said in a blog post: “We understand. You already have at least one email address and you probably don’t need another. You may also use your existing address for things other than just email, such as signing in to online shopping sites, which makes changing even more challenging. Also, you might have an address that you really like, but a similar name might not be available on another email service. “
The new feature requires users to validate external email addresses and allows the management of the mails through POP. To use the new feature users need a Windows Live ID, which can be availed by registering with any email id.
The roll-out of the new feature is an attempt by Microsoft to make users choose Hotmail as the primary active web mail provider rather than a repository of spam. Though Hotmail is one of the largest email providers with more than 360 million users it has been facing pressure from Gmail and Yahoo! Mail.
With Gmail scoring with its addition of Google Voice to its email feature and with Yahoo! having recently rolled out its socially integrated beta version of its mail service, Microsoft has a lot to contend with.
With most of the users averse towards migrating their records from one email address to other, influencing users to switch email vendors is difficult. Thus Microsoft’s strategy to allow an easy way to pool records from other email addresses to Hotmail is an attempt to make Hotmail a choice for users without switching.
(This is not something very new! just a reminder for you
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Taken from ibtimes