Hotmail replaced by Outlook.com in Microsoft shake-up

[b1gj4v]

Microsoft is overhauling its free webmail service, dropping the Hotmail name it has used since acquiring the product in 1998, and renaming it Outlook.com.

The revamped service will help sort messages as they arrive and allow users to make internet calls on Skype.

It said the move would help tackle the problem of "cluttered" inboxes.

The move may also be designed to win over users of Google's rival Gmail service.

Microsoft said that in many cases email had become a "chore" because its users accounts had become "overloaded" with material.

Its solution is to automatically sort messages into different areas to distinguish between emails from contacts, newsletters, package delivery notices, social network posts and other identifiers determined by the account holder.

In addition it is taking steps to link the Outlook account with other services the user might have subscribed to.

"We are giving you the first email service that is connected to Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google, and soon, Skype, to bring relevant context and communications to your email," the firm's Chris Jones said on its blog.

"In the Outlook.com inbox, your personal email comes alive with photos of your friends, recent status updates and tweets that your friend has shared with you, the ability to chat and video call - all powered by an always up-to-date contact list that is connected to your social networks."

Targeting Google

In what may be perceived as a dig at Google, Mr Jones added that the firm would not scan email content or attachments in order to sell the information to advertisers or others.

Large photos and video can be sent via the firm's Skydrive service avoiding attachment size limits

He also announced that web versions of the firms Office apps were built-in, potentially helping it counter competition from other web-based application suits such as Google Docs and Zoho Docs.

Outlook.com also links up with Microsoft's Skydrive cloud storage, allowing users to send photos and other documents via the service to avoid the risk of going over their attachment size limit.

This could pose a threat to the rival Google Drive service as well as Dropbox, Sugarsync and others.

'Cleaned up'

Mr Jones said the firm had built a "brand new service from the ground up". But Matt Cain, an analyst at the tech consultants Gartner, played down the suggestion of a major leap forwards.

"Outlook.com represents reverse-consumerisation - taking a ubiquitous business tool and recrafting it for the consumer market," he told BBC.

"There really is no new technology here - the filtering tools have been around for some time as well as the social network integration.

"What is new is the cleaned up user interface, and the marketing spin, and the tight integration with office web apps and Skydrive, and the forthcoming integration with Skype."

Microsoft is offering the service in a "preview" mode for the time being and has not announced an official release date

Source:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19067634

b1gj4v Reviewed by b1gj4v on 31st Jul 2012. Hotmail replaced by Outlook.com in Microsoft shake-up Microsoft is overhauling its free webmail service, dropping the Hotmail name it has used since acquiring the product in 1998, and renaming it Outlook.com. The revamped service will help sort messages as they arrive and allow users to make internet calls on Skype. It said the move would help tackle the problem of "cluttered" inboxes. The move may also be designed to win over users of Google's rival Gmail service. Microsoft said that in many cases email had become a "chore" because Rating: 5

[Jesse]

I still dislike it. Long URL structure too.

[b1gj4v]

I still dislike it. Long URL structure too.

outlook.com? You find that a long URL?

[Jesse]

When you're reading emails. The URL structure. Not the URL itself when going to outlook.com. It doesn't really matter. Just used to the short URL structure when browsing emails. Not that you ever have to type them in or anything.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox

vs

https://col002.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855&owa=1&owasuffix=owa%2f

when in a email:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/138de35d415b22ff

vs

https://col002.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855&owa=1&owasuffix=owa%2f#n=436787862&fid=1&mid=27820fc5-db64-11e1-90b3-00215abb477d&fv=2

[b1gj4v]

i get what you mean - like does a email need to really have the longest URL in the world - its like damn just keep it simple. I guess where emails are concerned it will always be like that.

[K3V]

Well i just signed up for an account and all seems quite nice

[GeeZus]

Same, it's got a windows 8 look/feel i think.

[MrOSX]

Well i just signed up for an account and all seems quite nice

Hello Kevin Adams.

[Suhel]

They're going for an simple white look as google.
Will try it out and see how it goes

[Amz]

The long URL structure is something that annoys me as well, not just just in Hotmail but SkyDrive too. The shareable links are long and don't make sense. :/