Microsoft users say bye to Hotmail, hello to new Outlook.com. In the midst of leaving the preview stage, Outlook.com has been adopted by over 60 million people, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft has announced that its new webmail service, Outlook.com, is now set to replace Hotmail.com. The software giant said that Outlook.com is coming out of beta testing and is now ready for primetime.
The service, which was announced last July 2012, now has 60 million users and will now replace Microsoft's older webmail system. Microsoft''s Hotmail, which was originally MSN Hotmail, has been online since 1997. Hotmail users will still keep their Hotmail.com email addresses and their contacts and emails will all be moved over, they will just now get a new user interface and all the new features of Outlook.com, ABC News reports. According to the report, Outlook.com was designed with a similar aesthetic to Microsoft''s Windows 8 operating system.
It also includes new social features and a sorting option called Sweep, the report said. The Sweep feature moves newsletters, promotional messages and other recurring emails into their own folders or to the trash, it added.
Outlook.com's final release features include the ability to send large files, address books that automatically update, approximately 60 percent fewer advertisements than Hotmail and the option to connect and update through social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Accessible via web browser, Outlook.com will work on Windows and Mac-based PCs, as well as Google's Android through a downloadable application.
Email is often considered an important element in our daily lives, not only due to the expansion of mobile technology, but as a substitute for pen-and-paper communication. Businesses, however, can monetize these services through advertising placements as well as increasing brand awareness, which may make customers want to use other platforms provided by the same firm. Due to this, email service is a lucrative and expanding market -- something many tech giants want a slice of.
To try and promote the service, Microsoft intends to spend millions on an advertising campaign spanning across television, print, websites, billboards and radio. The firm expects to spend up to $90 million in the three-month campaign.