Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Hotmail introduces interactive email using Active Views

Starting today, Hotmail and select partners are introducing a new type of interactive and dynamic email that runs on the Hotmail Active Views platform.

Beginning in the late 90s, email services evolved from supporting just plain text and attachments to supporting rich, HTML-based email. This was a big development, and it ushered in an era of structured email templates and embedded photos and links. Today, nearly all messages sent by businesses and websites use HTML.

There are many benefits of this richer format, but also some limitations. One challenge is that the content is static, so when you open the email, the content may already be out of date. Additionally, most of these messages require you to click out of them to the sender?s website in order to complete a key action or take the next step. In some cases, this works just fine, but it can become a hassle, especially if you?re trying to get through your inbox quickly. You might want to check out that online deal, update your account, respond to a friend request, or browse products, but simply don?t because of the extra time it requires. With the average person receiving more than 200 email messages per week (outside of work), the extra time adds up, and our research shows that about 70% of people who use email regularly think that getting through their inbox takes too long.

Like the transition that took us from text to HTML, it?s time for email to evolve again to address today?s challenges, becoming more dynamic so the content is up to date when you open it, and more interactive so you can save time by taking actions from right inside the email itself.

These enhancements haven?t happened before today due to security concerns by email services. There has simply been no way to run JavaScript code within email messages in such a way that it?s isolated and not allowed to do malicious things on your computer. Hotmail is solving this problem with its new Active Views platform, technology that allows senders to run code securely in their email messages. It protects you AND gives you access to information on the sender?s website through forms and inline actions built directly into the email itself. This keeps the content up to date and provides a more engaging and time-saving experience.

Starting this week, Orbitz and Monster.com will be the first partners to pilot this new type of email message for some of their communications. Just booked travel and need a hotel? The new Active View email from Orbitz lets you get started without delay. Want to find a new job? Monster.com?s new email helps you quickly take the first step.

Hotmail Active Views video

In the coming weeks, we will introduce additional pilot partners so that you will be able to take actions more quickly and easily, like managing your Netflix accounts or accepting invitations to connect on LinkedIn, from right inside your inbox. We are also working with top email service providers like Responsys, who are taking advantage of the Active Views platform for their clients, like Orbitz.

"By partnering with Hotmail to offer Active Views for our clients, we're helping to pioneer new email technologies and innovations to give people a more convenient and flexible way to interact with email content and services they prefer."

Aaron Smith, Vice President, Campaign Services, Responsys

With these great partners and many more to come, we will continue to innovate and look for opportunities to help you save time by doing more from Hotmail.

As part of a pilot program beginning today, our partners will be sending these messages on a limited basis, and eventually, they?ll be able to use the Active Views platform to include anyone who has chosen to receive email from them. If you receive an interactive email, let us know what you think.

Dick Craddock
Group Program Manager, Windows Live Hotmail

Ana Beatriz Barros Maria Menounos Shakira Leslie Bibb Chelsea Handler

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