EmailDiscussions.com - View Single Post - It's happening - AOL jumps into free e-mail business

**ReuvenNY** · 11 May 2005, 11:00 AM

It was discussed before, but it's happening now. Read about it here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7808436/

Excerp:

AOL jumps into free e-mail business
Accounts come with storage comparable with Google's Gmail
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:27 p.m. ET May 10, 2005

NEW YORK - Its subscription business in decline, America Online Inc. is launching yet another product on the open Web: a free, ad-supported e-mail service tied to its instant-messaging platform.

Users of AOL Instant Messenger will be able to send and receive mail with "aim.com" addresses using their existing AIM screen names.

Initially, users will need the latest version of AIM software, available as a "beta" test download for Windows computers beginning Wednesday. Ultimately, they'll be able to send and receive mail from any Web browser.

Each account comes with 2 gigabytes of storage — comparable with Google Inc.'s Gmail and more generous than the free offerings from Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.'s Hotmail and even AOL's flagship subscription service.

And unlike AOL's main accounts, which keep new messages for 27 days and messages already read for up to a week unless users actively save them, AIM mail never expires.

11 May 2005, 11:00 AM	#1
ReuvenNY Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: New York Posts: 4,272	It's happening - AOL jumps into free e-mail business It was discussed before, but it's happening now. Read about it here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7808436/ Excerp: AOL jumps into free e-mail business Accounts come with storage comparable with Google's Gmail The Associated Press Updated: 7:27 p.m. ET May 10, 2005 NEW YORK - Its subscription business in decline, America Online Inc. is launching yet another product on the open Web: a free, ad-supported e-mail service tied to its instant-messaging platform. Users of AOL Instant Messenger will be able to send and receive mail with "aim.com" addresses using their existing AIM screen names. Initially, users will need the latest version of AIM software, available as a "beta" test download for Windows computers beginning Wednesday. Ultimately, they'll be able to send and receive mail from any Web browser. Each account comes with 2 gigabytes of storage — comparable with Google Inc.'s Gmail and more generous than the free offerings from Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.'s Hotmail and even AOL's flagship subscription service. And unlike AOL's main accounts, which keep new messages for 27 days and messages already read for up to a week unless users actively save them, AIM mail never expires.