Frequently Asked Questions About Hotmail |
Q185416
The information in this article applies to:
-
The Microsoft Network versions 1.3, 2.0, 2.5
SUMMARY
This article lists frequently asked questions about Hotmail. Microsoft
acquired Hotmail on December 31, 1997. Hotmail continues to operate in
Sunnyvale, California as a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft.
MORE INFORMATION
The frequently asked questions are arranged in the following sections:
- Hotmail Service
- Microsoft's Acquisition of Hotmail
- Hotmail and Microsoft Messaging
- Hotmail and MSN, The Microsoft Network
Hotmail Service
- Q. Can I use my current Web browser to gain access to my Hotmail
account?
A. You can use any Web browser to gain access to your Hotmail account.
For best results when you read your messages, we recommend that you
use a Web browser that supports frames.
- Q. What are the advantages of using Hotmail?
A. Hotmail is a free, high-quality e-mail service that lets you gain
access to your permanent Hotmail e-mail account and up to three
other Internet e-mail accounts from any computer with an Internet
connection. The Hotmail e-mail client offers password protection,
instant mail delivery, a personal address book, a spelling checker,
and message filtering. Hotmail also supports file attachments and
Web content in e-mail messages. A Hotmail address does not depend
on your Internet service provider (ISP), geographic location, or
place of employment. You can change your ISP or job, or move to a
different country, and still access your Hotmail account from any
Web-connected device. You can access your Hotmail account from a
public Internet terminal or Web kiosk, so you do not even need to
own a computer or ISP account to use Hotmail.
To sign up for a Hotmail account, visit the following Hotmail Web
site:
http://www.hotmail.com
- Q. How can Hotmail offer free e-mail service?
A. Hotmail is advertiser-supported.
- Q. Do many Hotmail members have more than one account?
A. While it is not difficult to sign up for more than one Hotmail
account, it is not practical to maintain more than one account for
business use and one account for personal use. Only a very small
fraction of Hotmail members have more than one Hotmail account.
- Q. How does Hotmail protect member privacy?
A. Both Hotmail and Microsoft have strict guidelines to protect the
privacy of Hotmail members. Hotmail does not examine messages or
screen content in member accounts, and it does not provide private
member information to third parties. Hotmail uses only the
demographic information it gathers about members to target
advertisements.
- Q. How does Hotmail protect members from abusive e-mail messages or
unsolicited commercial e-mail messages (spam)?
A. Hotmail has a staff dedicated to preventing abusive e-mail, chain
letters, and spam. This staff maintains a list of known sources of
abusive e-mail messages and spam, and blocks the delivery of all
incoming e-mail messages from those sources. You can also use your
Hotmail account's Block Sender feature to maintain a personal list
of return addresses that you want to block. Hotmail members are
encouraged to forward any questionable messages they receive to
abuse@hotmail.com or support@hotmail.com.
Hotmail is a leading advocate of anti-spam measures in the e-mail
industry, and is actively involved in CAUCE, the Coalition Against
Unsolicited Commercial E-mail.
- Q. How does Hotmail discourage members from sending spam?
A. Hotmail has a very strong No Spamming policy. If a member sends
an excessive amount of unsolicited e-mail messages, chain letters,
or abusive e-mail messages, Hotmail may immediately terminate
their account.
Currently, less than one half of one percent of spam messages
with a Hotmail return address are from actual Hotmail accounts.
Most spam messages with a Hotmail return address are sent by
people who enter a false return address in the e-mail message.
Hotmail is developing software to authenticate Hotmail messages
and prevent people from forging Hotmail return addresses.
Microsoft's Acquisition of Hotmail
- Q. Why did Microsoft purchase Hotmail?
A. Microsoft is committed to making it easier for people to communicate
over the Internet from any location in the world.
Because Hotmail already had the necessary large-scale server and
messaging technology in place, it made more sense to buy Hotmail
than to spend the time and resources necessary to develop similar
technology.
- Q. How does Microsoft plan to change Hotmail?
A. Microsoft's goal is to provide consumers with the best combination
of free and premium e-mail services by combining the benefits of
Hotmail with Microsoft messaging technology. Hotmail continues to
operate with the same name, user interface, Web address, and support
options. Hotmail and Microsoft plan to work together to expand the
Hotmail e-mail service and quickly introduce new Hotmail features.
Planned new Hotmail features include secure password authentication
to allow MSN Premier members to use a Hotmail account to check their
MSN e-mail messages from any Web browser and notification in MSN
Program Viewer when you receive new Hotmail messages. Other planned
changes include the integration of Microsoft and Hotmail messaging
technology and the migration of Hotmail's mail servers to Microsoft
Windows NT Server.
- Q. If I need technical support on a Hotmail issue, do I contact Hotmail
or Microsoft?
A. Hotmail continues to provide technical support at the following
e-mail address:
support@hotmail.com
Hotmail and Microsoft Messaging
- Q. How does the Hotmail e-mail client compare to Microsoft's other
messaging programs?
A. Hotmail complements Microsoft's existing family of e-mail and
collaboration clients. The Hotmail e-mail client is ideal for
students and travelers, as well as people who do not own a
computer.
Microsoft Outlook Express is the messaging client for home and
small business users who need both online and offline access to
their Internet mail and newsgroup messages. Microsoft Outlook 98
is the client of choice for users who want to integrate Internet
e-mail or other messaging services with the personal information
management and collaboration capabilities that are required by
many corporate users. Microsoft Exchange Server is the only
e-mail and collaboration server to embrace Internet standards
and extend rich messaging and communication to businesses of
all sizes.
- Q. How is Hotmail different than the Outlook Web Access (OWA) feature
in Microsoft Exchange Server?
A. The Hotmail client is a full-featured, Web-based, Internet e-mail
client that you can use with any Internet mail service to send and
receive e-mail messages. OWA is not a full-featured messaging
client, and it can only be used with Microsoft Exchange Server.
Hotmail and MSN, The Microsoft Network
- Q. How is Microsoft integrating Hotmail with MSN?
A. Hotmail is an important component of The Microsoft Network of online
communication and information services that Microsoft offers free of
charge to all Internet users.
Microsoft plans to add message notification for Hotmail to MSN
Program Viewer and MSN QuickView, and Hotmail plans to add secure
password authentication to its Web-based e-mail client so that MSN
Premier members can use Hotmail to check their MSN e-mail from any
Web browser.
- Q. How is Microsoft integrating Hotmail with other free Microsoft or
MSN online services?
A. You can connect to Hotmail from the home page of a free Microsoft Web
site by placing your pointer over Microsoft Network, and then
clicking Hotmail.
To connect to Hotmail from the home page of a free MSN Web site,
click Hotmail in the The Microsoft Network box.
To connect to the home page of a free Microsoft or MSN Web site from
Hotmail, click the site you want in the The Microsoft Network box on
the Hotmail home page.
- Q. Does Microsoft plan to replace the current MSN Premier e-mail
service with Hotmail?
A. MSN does not plan to replace MSN Premier e-mail service with
Hotmail. Microsoft's goal is to provide consumers with the best
combination of free and premium e-mail services by combining the
benefits of Hotmail with Microsoft services and technology.
Hotmail provides a convenient e-mail service for free-tier MSN
customers who do not have an MSN e-mail account as well as for
MSN Premier customers who want a second e-mail address.
- Q. How does Hotmail differ from MSN Premier e-mail?
A. The following table lists the differences between the Hotmail and
MSN Premier e-mail services.
MSN Premier Hotmail
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Uses Outlook Express Uses Web-based e-mail client
Integrated login for all MSN sites Separate login
New mail notification No new mail notification
Store messages offline Limited online message store
Requires MSN Premier membership Does not require MSN account
- Q. Can I use Hotmail to gain access to my MSN Premier e-mail account?
A. At this time, you cannot use Hotmail to gain access to your MSN
Premier e-mail account. MSN uses secure password authentication to
encrypt your POP3 e-mail password. This currently prevents Hotmail
from accessing MSN Premier POP accounts. Microsoft and Hotmail plan
to add this feature to Hotmail.
- Q. Are there any compatibility issues between Hotmail features and MSN
features?
A. Microsoft and Hotmail are currently working to resolve an issue
between the Express Notification feature in Hotmail and the Friends
Online feature in MSN.
- Q. Now that MSN is offering free e-mail with Hotmail, what are the
reasons for joining MSN Premier?
A. In addition to the free services MSN offers to the public, MSN
Premier members get the benefits of Internet access, exclusive MSN
content, integrated password authentication, desktop navigation,
superior e-mail, online community and forums, and Friends Online.
Additional query words:
1.20 msnet microsoft-net hot-mail