14 DAY TRIAL // In a move designed to steal audience from its rivals on the online email market, Google has started rolling out a new feature for Gmail that will permit users to import emails and contacts from third-party competitor services. Convincing an email user to switch providers is no easy task, and Google is well aware of this. The new capabilities added to Gmail are set up to make the transition as smooth as possible, but also to allow users to migrate their content as well as contacts to the new address automatically. Google hopes that this will provide sufficient incentive for Windows Live Hotmail users for example to embrace Gmail.
“Gmail now migrates email and contacts from other email providers, including Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, and many more. It's much easier to make the transition now that you can bring along all your old email and contacts. You can even have your messages forwarded from your old account for 30 days, giving you time to take Gmail for a test drive while you make up your mind,” explained Chad Parry, Gmail engineer.
Microsoft offers similar functionality for Windows Live Hotmail new accounts. The Redmond company has been offering users TrueSwitch since mid-2007. Just as the new capabilities added to Gmail, TrueSwitch allows users to migrate their emails and address book from rival email services, including Gmail, into a new Windows Live Hotmail Account.
“This new feature is available in all newly-created Gmail accounts, and it is slowly being rolled out to all existing accounts. It'll take longer than the few hours or days that most Gmail features take to get out to everyone. You'll know it's on for your account when you see the Accounts and Import tab (formerly just called Accounts) under Settings. Sorry, businesses and schools using Google Apps won't see these new migration options,” Parry added.