Hotmail is one of the most popular free email services in the world. Launched in 1996, it was one of the first web-based email services that allowed users to access their emails from anywhere with an internet connection. In this article, we will explore the history of Hotmail, its features, and its impact on the world of email.
Origin of Hotmail
Hotmail was founded in 1996 by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith. Bhatia, a computer engineer from India, moved to the United States to pursue his dream of starting a technology company. After working for Apple, he teamed up with Smith, a programmer and a colleague from Apple, to create Hotmail.
The name “Hotmail” was inspired by the use of HTML, the programming language used to create web pages. The idea was to create a web-based email service that was accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
Features of Hotmail
When Hotmail launched, it offered users several features that were not available with traditional email services. Some of the most notable features of Hotmail included:
- Web-based access: Hotmail was one of the first web-based email services that allowed users to access their email from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Free service: Hotmail was free to use, making it accessible to everyone.
- Large storage capacity: Hotmail offered users a large amount of storage space for their emails, which was a significant improvement over traditional email services.
- Integration with other services: Hotmail was integrated with other services like MSN Messenger, making it easy for users to communicate with their contacts.
- Spam filtering: Hotmail implemented spam filtering, which helped to reduce the amount of unwanted emails that users received.
Launch of Hotmail
Hotmail was launched on July 4, 1996. Within six months of its launch, Hotmail had over a million users. The rapid growth of Hotmail was due in part to the fact that it was free to use and accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
Hotmail’s success caught the attention of Microsoft, which acquired the company in December 1997 for $400 million. After the acquisition, Hotmail was integrated with Microsoft’s other services and was rebranded as “MSN Hotmail.”
Evolution of Hotmail
Over the years, Hotmail continued to evolve and improve its features. In 2005, Hotmail introduced its first major redesign, which included new features like keyboard shortcuts, drag-and-drop functionality, and the ability to view and edit Microsoft Office documents within the email service.
In 2012, Microsoft rebranded Hotmail as “Outlook.com” and introduced a new design that was more modern and streamlined. The new design included features like social media integration, which allowed users to connect with their Facebook and Twitter contacts from within the email service.
Impact of Hotmail
Hotmail had a significant impact on the world of email. It was one of the first web-based email services that made it easy for anyone to access their email from anywhere with an internet connection. Hotmail’s success also helped to pave the way for other web-based email services like Yahoo! Mail and Gmail.
Hotmail’s free service and large storage capacity made it accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial means. This helped to democratize email and made it possible for people around the world to communicate with each other more easily.
Hotmail’s integration with other services like MSN Messenger and social media platforms also helped to make it a more useful and versatile communication tool.
Hotmail has come a long way since its launch in 1996. From its humble beginnings as a web-based email service to its current incarnation as Outlook.com, Hotmail has had a significant impact on the world of email
