Microsoft Outlook now has 1 million Indian users

Earlier this year, Microsoft had completely revamped its email service under the name Outlook. According to The Hindu Business Line, the company's new email service now has 1 million Indian users.

“India is an interesting market for us because it’s one of the few markets where Hotmail was number one and that really switched over to Gmail. About three-four years ago, Google search, Gmail and Orkut were very strong, not to mention Android growing like mad. It was Google’s best market in many ways,” Microsoft General Manager (Windows) Brian Hall told Business Line. “Now we see an opportunity to win people back.”

The cleaner UI is attracting more users

Microsoft had taken the help of a research firm to recruit users who used Gmail as their primary email service to sign up and try Outlook.com. According to the company, 4 out of 5 of the Gmail users on the panel said that they would switch to Outlook.com.

Even if we take these numbers at face value, since verifying them is not possible, they seem impressive for a service launched only a few months ago. Outlook.com was formerly known as Hotmail. The service was stuck in a rut for a very long time and was in dire need of a change when Microsoft stepped in and gave the email service a facelift. The new look has urged users of other email services to at least give the new Outlook.com a shot.

More from News Analysis

Microsoft went on to announce a host of new features for Outlook.com due to be rolled out within a few weeks. Ranging from colour themes and customisation options to one-click archiving and conversation threads, Microsoft is confident that these features will make the transition from Gmail to Outlook.com easier.

Outlook.com was launched in July after killing off Hotmail in favour of a swankier service. Outlook was earlier remembered for being a drab old e-mail client bundled with Microsoft Office, but that perception changed as millions signed up for the service within hours of the launch.

There are several consistent touches between Windows 8, the new Microsoft Office and Outlook.com, and every familiar icon and label has been replaced with elements of Microsoft's increasingly ubiquitous Metro interface. Outlook.com has been designed to work well on tablets and touchscreens. One more interesting aspect of the service is that Microsoft is combining many of its past offerings, such as Hotmail and Windows Live Mail, into a single, simple online service. If you already have a Hotmail or Windows Live account, you can log in to Outlook.com with the same email address, keeping your inbox, folders and contacts intact.