Better Web Mail Ups Portal Loyalty At ISP's Expense

Forrester reported that Web mail usage among North American online households is changing: Compared with last year, users access Web mail more regularly and are 33% more likely to say that Google, MSN Hotmail, or Yahoo! provides the email address they use most frequently. Web mail providers are upgrading the experience too, making Web mail look and feel more like a snappy desktop application than the slow, refresh-laden experience of several years ago. But these innovations aren't aimed at customer acquisition — instead, portals will exploit a better Web mail experience to entice users to spend more time on search and other services that drive revenue.