The Evolution of Hotmail: From Humble Beginnings to Global Phenomenon

In 1996, the world witnessed the birth of Hotmail, one of the pioneering webmail services that revolutionized the way people communicated online. Founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith, Hotmail was initially backed by venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson and commercially launched on July 4th, symbolizing 'freedom' from ISP-based email and the ability to access a user's inbox from anywhere in the world.

The Early Days

Hotmail quickly gained popularity as it localized its services for different markets around the globe. By February 1999, the webmail service had grown exponentially, boasting more than 30 million active members worldwide. This rapid growth caught the attention of Microsoft, which acquired Hotmail in December 1997 for a reported $400 million.

Security Flaws and Integration with Microsoft

In 1999, hackers revealed a security flaw in Hotmail that allowed anyone to log in to any account using the password 'eh.' This incident was later dubbed as 'the most widespread security incident in the history of the Web.' To address these concerns, Hotmail integrated with Microsoft's web authentication scheme, Microsoft Passport (now Microsoft account), and tied its services with MSN Messenger and MSN Spaces.

Platform Migration and DNS Issues

In June 2001, Microsoft claimed that it had completed the migration of Hotmail to Windows 2000. However, a few days later, they retracted the statement, admitting that the DNS functions of the Hotmail system were still reliant on FreeBSD. A project was started to move Hotmail to Windows 2000.

Growth and Popularity

Hotmail originally ran on a mixture of FreeBSD and Solaris operating systems before being partly converted to Microsoft products using Windows Services for UNIX in the migration path. By December 1997, it reported more than 8.5 million subscribers. The service continued to grow, with a major incident in 1997 resulting in the loss of email for 25% of mailboxes.

Legacy and Impact

Hotmail's impact on the world of webmail cannot be overstated. It was one of the first webmail services on the Internet along with Four11's RocketMail (later Yahoo! Mail). The service's popularity paved the way for modern webmail solutions, making it easier for people to access their email accounts from anywhere in the world.

Hotmail's journey is a testament to innovation and perseverance. From its humble beginnings to its eventual integration with Microsoft, Hotmail has played a significant role in shaping the world of online communication. Today, as we look back at its history, we are reminded of the importance of security, adaptability, and user-friendliness in building successful online services.

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