MSN Hotmail, which was later rebranded as Windows Live Hotmail, and then Outlook.com, has come a long way since its inception in the late 1990s. The email service, originally known simply as Hotmail, was an early pioneer in web-based email and has evolved into a modern communication hub that offers much more than just email services.
Hotmail was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched on July 4, 1996. It quickly gained popularity due to its free and accessible web-based email service. At the time, most people were using dial-up internet connections, and having the ability to access email from any computer with an internet connection was revolutionary. Hotmail was also one of the first email services to offer features such as spam filters and virus scanning, setting the standard for email security.
In 1997, Microsoft acquired Hotmail for an estimated $400 million, and it was rebranded as MSN Hotmail. The integration with Microsoft allowed Hotmail to expand its services and improve its infrastructure. Over the years, MSN Hotmail continued to grow in popularity, reaching over 30 million active users by 1999.
In 2005, Microsoft rebranded MSN Hotmail as Windows Live Hotmail, as part of its Windows Live suite of online services. The rebranding also brought about a major update to the interface and features of the email service, making it more user-friendly and adding new functionalities such as calendar integration and contact management.
In 2012, Microsoft made another significant change by rebranding Windows Live Hotmail as Outlook.com. This new iteration of the service was designed to integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft products and services, such as Office 365 and OneDrive. Outlook.com also introduced a modern and responsive web interface, as well as features such as Skype integration, real-time collaboration, and improved security measures.
Today, Outlook.com has evolved into a comprehensive communication hub that offers not only email services, but also calendar management, file storage and sharing, video calling, and more. The integration with other Microsoft products and services makes it a powerful tool for personal and professional communication and collaboration.
The evolution of MSN Hotmail into Outlook.com reflects the changing landscape of communication and technology. What started as a simple web-based email service has transformed into a multifaceted communication hub that caters to the needs of modern users. As technology continues to advance, it’s likely that Outlook.com will continue to evolve and adapt to meet the needs of its users, remaining a key player in the world of online communication.
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