One million people sign up for Outlook.com in six hours

SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has revealed that one million people signed up to its webmail replacement for Hotmail called Outlook.com in just six hours.

The firm sounded smug when it announced the statistic on microblogging web site Twitter, saying that it had already signed-up one million people to its Hotmail replacement.

One million people have signed up for a new, modern email experience at Outlook.com. Thanks! #outlookpreview twitter.com/Outlook/status…

— Outlook.com (@Outlook) July 31, 2012

Announced yesterday, Outlook.com is Microsoft's new web-based email service that will soon replace its obsolescent Hotmail.com email offering. The web site brings a slick new look to Microsoft email as it seeks to outdo Gmail with its clean-cut design and simplicity.

The Microsoft webmail service also boasts a number of innovative features such as Facebook and Twitter integration, enabling users to tweet friends and write on their Facebook walls straight from the Outlook.com web site. Skype integration will also be coming to the service soon, which might draw a few more people away from Google's Gmail, which yesterday added Google+ Hangouts for video calling.

Other features of Outlook.com include "virtually unlimited" storage, free Microsoft Office web applications for viewing documents and Microsoft Sweep, which automatically "sorts messages from contacts, newsletters, shipping updates and social updates". µ