Perceived as April Fool's prank at launch, 21 years later, it stands as world's largest email service

New Delhi:

The number of Gmail users is in the crores, making it the most popular email platform worldwide. Gmail was first launched on April 1, 2004. At the time, many people mistook the announcement for an April Fool's prank, especially since it fell on that humorous day. However, 21 years later, millions of users around the globe rely on Gmail. Back at its launch, platforms like Yahoo Mail, Rediffmail, and Hotmail were the front-runners in the email space, each boasting millions of users. So, what led to Gmail's rise in popularity?

Initially, many thought it was just a prank

When Gmail was announced, the timing was suspicious, and many believed it was a joke. This was because the announcement came on April Fools' Day, a day when Google’s co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, had a reputation for pulling pranks. For example, they once advertised a fake job for a research center on the moon and another time claimed to introduce a feature that allowed users to “smell” search results. 
In a discussion with AP, engineer Paul Buchheit, who created Gmail,  explained that Google had secretly developed this product under a code name. At that time, the company employed only 23 people, compared to over 180,000 employees worldwide today. Gmail quickly gained traction at its launch due to its exclusivity; Google simply lacked the computing power to accommodate a larger user base.

Here’s why Gmail took off

When Gmail debuted, users enjoyed a whopping 1GB of storage allowing them to store around 13,500 emails—a stark contrast to the 30 to 60 emails that rival services like Microsoft and Yahoo offered. Additionally, Google integrated its search technology, making it easy for users to find specific emails, photos, or other data quickly. Uniquely, Gmail also allowed users to send an email to multiple recipients at once, streamlining communications like never before.

These features propelled Gmail ahead of its competitors, solidifying its place in the market. As Android was introduced, Google made Gmail the default email app for smartphones, enabling a direct connection to users' devices that further boosted its popularity.

A Gmail account fetched a hefty price

Paul Buchheit shared that during Gmail's launch, Google had just 300 aging machines and the capacity to support only 10,000 users. The demand was so great that Gmail accounts were selling for as much as $250 on eBay. As interest surged, Google expanded its data centers, allowing more users to create accounts. By 2007, the company made significant strides to make Gmail available to a global audience.

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