For the first time since its launch in the mid-1990s Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Hotmail service is not the world’s most-used email system.
Findings from the independent research firm ComScore indicate that in October, Google‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Gmail system, with 287 million global individual users, edged out Hotmail’s 286 million users. Yahoo‘s (NASDAQ:YHOO) mail service trailed with 281 million users.
There’s some interesting information when you look deeper, however. While Yahoo might be in third place globally, it’s tops in the U.S. with 76.7 million users — comfortably ahead of Gmail’s 69 million and more than double Hotmail’s 35.5 million.
Earlier this year, Google reported that Gmail has a monthly usage of 425 million individuals worldwide. Independent agencies have not been able to confirm that number. Also, Hotmail’s numbers could be in decline thanks to Microsoft’s relaunch of its popular Outlook email system.
Uncounted as yet in the survey is AOL‘s (NYSE:AOL) new web-based email system, Alto.
