Microsoft's new version of Hotmail is released in China

On May 18, 2007, Microsoft MSN announced the official launch of its next-generation email service in the Chinese market — Windows Live Hotmail. This service is the next generation product of MSN Hotmail and also represents the most significant upgrade since Hotmail entered the webmail industry in 1996. Mr. Zhou Dia, Director of Product Management for Microsoft MSN Windows Live, stated that Windows Live Hotmail offers more than just an email service; it is also a Windows Live ID, which serves as an important credential for experiencing the 36 types of Windows Live services. Hotmail plays a foundational and crucial role in the Windows Live strategy and is also a key component of the online advertising business.

In an interview with Sohu IT, Liu Guorui, Product Manager of Windows Live China, indicated that Windows Live Hotmail has adopted a large amount of Ajax technology and a distributed architecture, making the new version faster to access and providing a better user experience. The new version incorporates feedback from over 20 million Beta testers and has made significant improvements compared to previous versions, ensuring that customers can access their emails anytime via the web, mobile devices, or email clients.

Regarding recent foreign surveys suggesting Gmail users are younger and wealthier than Hotmail and Yahoo Mail users, Liu Guorui believes that Gmail has not yet gained significant traction in the Chinese market, with only around 2 million users, and cannot even rank among the top ten email services globally. With approximately 280 million active users, Windows Live Hotmail is in a different league. Liu Guorui also mentioned that Hotmail will remain free domestically and reduce ad placements, with plans to upgrade mailbox capacity according to user needs at any time.

It is understood that by the end of this month, Windows Live Hotmail users will be able to freely use the new Outlook Connector Beta to access Hotmail mail through Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. Through integration with Windows Live Messenger and Spaces, Windows Live Hotmail users can achieve real-time online communication through consolidated contact information, friend status, seamless integration of mail, and instant messaging.

Microsoft stated that after the launch of Windows Live Hotmail on May 8, users can log on to http://www.hotmail.com to obtain a new Windows Live Hotmail account. Existing MSN Hotmail users can click "Free Upgrade to Windows Live Hotmail" after logging into their current account to upgrade to the new version of Hotmail.