Perhaps very few know or remember that several years ago Microsoft allowed to use third-party mail accounts in your instant messaging client Messenger / Windows Live Messenger, which was enough to register your current email account even if this were not Microsoft on its website passport.net .

Now Microsoft has extended that capability to your Hot mail email web client allowing users to access their accounts from any existing POP mail from the Hot mail interface putting it on par with its Outlook software.

It is worth mentioning that Google with its Gmail service offers the same functionality for several years so this offering from Microsoft is late to market. But apparently the initiative has proved profitable for Google and MS does not intend to waste the opportunity to generate more revenue by displaying ads on the Hot mail interface.