Microsoft unveiled a revamped, Facebook-friendly version of its free,
online email service on Tuesday in an attempt to reverse market share
losses to Google’s fastgrowing Gmail.
The world’s largest
software company is renaming its Hotmail service Outlook, giving it a
sharp new look, social network links, and new features for handling the
tide of junk and mass mail that swamps many users.
Hotmail
was still the world’s largest online mail service as of June, with 324
million users, or about 36% of the global market. But it is losing
customers to Google’s Gmail, the fastest-growing rival. Hotmail users
will be prompted to switch over to the new service over the next few
months.
