The world’s largest internet service providers, such as Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google, are striving to be the first to offer enhanced access, navigation, and input capabilities in their new email products.
Microsoft and Yahoo continue to experiment with their enhanced email systems, while Google occasionally adds new features to Gmail to maintain its lead in the race.
The latest move from the world’s number one search engine allows users to access their inbox, view, send emails, and attachments via mobile phones or by calling directly to the numbers saved in their Gmail accounts. Earlier this month, Google introduced an RSS feature called “Clips,” enabling users to update content from their favorite websites.
However, according to Microsoft and Yahoo, their upcoming email programs will offer “more than just integrated RSS links.” The drag-and-drop feature between folders, improved message navigation, and a host of other attributes are expected to keep customers logged in longer.
The changes occurring in the webmail space of these two corporations are partly due to the growing popularity of broadband and are also a response to the impressive launch of Gmail last year.
Foad Fadaghi, Research Director at Frost & Sullivan (USA), asserts that the new generation of web-based email will provide superior features compared to server-based email systems. “Many small businesses see these new products as a real alternative to server-based email technology, especially as storage issues are being addressed,” Fadaghi stated.
Recognizing this, instead of merely adding features to Hotmail, Microsoft has rebuilt the system from the ground up. The Windows Live Mail program offers more features than Outlook and includes integration with blogs and instant messaging (IM). Meanwhile, Yahoo’s beta version has garnered significant attention due to its user interface, which mimics a desktop environment within an email platform.
Nevertheless, Fadaghi notes that while the feature war is fierce among the three “tigers,” no single corporation is likely to dominate the market.
