America Online is opening their services to non-members in an attempt to become a major online portal like MSN or Yahoo. Their first step was earlier this week when they announced that their AIM instant messaging service was opening up to third party software. Now they announced that AOL would start a webmail service for both members and non-members called AOL Mail on the Web.
The new webmail service will work with their instant messaging service, just like Hotmail does now with MSN. Here are a few more features it will contain: Along with AIM presence, specific usability enhancements AOL has added to its Web mail include: rich text for styled e-mail composition; natural drag and drop capabilities between folders; automatic inbox refreshing and real-time audible new mail notification; and convenience features like an auto-address too that fills known contacts into the address field. Users can also set an automatic away message that sends a return message when they are unable to access e-mail, as well as unsend unread e-mail sent to other AOL members. The unsend feature has been available in the AOL client software since version 5.0. AOL has included server side antivirus using McAfee definitions and spam detection elements to protect its members’ security and privacy.
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