Yahoo! is rolling out a faster, sleeker and better-designed email services, with CEO Marissa Mayer behind its back. Mayer joined the company after helping to make email one of the biggest successes with her former employer, Google.
The new Yahoo! Mail services were announced on December 11, 2012, in a post by Mayer on the Yahoo! corporate blog, touting their redesigned interfaces and more intuitive features for mobile and desktop computing platforms from Android to Apple's mobile products to Windows 8.
"Email is the ultimate daily habit. It's often the first thing we check in the morning and the last thing before going to bed. Why? Because it's one of the simplest and most basic forms of communication. And since it's such an important part of our daily lives, we're making a few improvements to Yahoo! Mail," wrote Mayer in the post. "
The changes come in response to user requests and because Yahoo! had to keep up in a changing email world where companies like her former employer, Google, continue to make their free email offerings even better for their users.
In October, Google's Gmail service added capabilities for its users to compose multiple emails to different people at the same time, which wasn't possible in the past using Gmail. That limitation was one of the most frustrating things about using Gmail in the past.
Microsoft has also been busy updating its free email services to take on competitors. In August, Microsoft announced a refresh of its 16-year-old Hotmail services with a new name, Outlook.com, and a streamlined interface, key improvements and the integration of social media connections.
Yahoo!'s Mail services aren't staying on the sidelines, according to Mayer's post.
"You've told us loud and clear that you want fewer distractions when it comes to email," wrote Mayer. "You want to quickly log in, communicate, and get on with your day. And we've listened. Starting today, the new Yahoo! Mail is fast, easy and available anywhere you go.
The revised mobile iPhone and Android Yahoo! Mail apps were available immediately, followed by the desktop version rolled out in a few days.
"We've redesigned the new version of Yahoo! Mail with speed in mind - getting through your emails is faster than ever before," she wrote. "We've also made your inbox more intuitive and easier to navigate, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your messages. And, because mobile is everything these days, Yahoo! Mail now has a consistent look and feel across devices."
The new Yahoo! Mail changes summarized:
- Better designed inbox that enable users to act on emails faster.
- Infinite scrolling for quicker scan.
- Logging in brings users directly into the inbox.
- Speed improvements.
- Improved search with auto-complete for webmail and universal search across for mobile apps.
- Reduced number of buttons on mobile apps with simplified ability to view, send and resize photos.
- Windows 8 users can see new incoming messages via Live Tiles and can keep the Mail app open along with other apps using Snapped View or Fill View."
Marissa Mayer assumed the reins at Yahoo! as the President and CEO of Yahoo! on July 17, 2012, where she faces a tough battle to restore morale, confidence, and profitability from declining stock prices, layoffs and slowing ad revenue. Mayer is the company's eighth CEO, the third in a year, and the fifth in the past 5 years. She is also one of only 20 women running a Fortune 500 company.