Hotmail has rolled out a new alias feature to help Windows Live Hotmail users manage their online identities, allowing them to add email addresses (aliases) to their accounts and create aliases on the fly.
The new feature helps users to create alternative email addresses that link to their primary Hotmail account, so instead of having to create a brand new email address when signing up for something which may send someone spam, users can rely on Hotmail’s alias feature, sign up, get the email, and delete the alias when they’re all done.
The company said aliasing allows Hotmail users to manage multiple email aliases within one account, and add up to five aliases a year up to 15 in total, which can be turned on and off easily.
In addition to helping users to eliminate clutter from their inbox, the Alias feature allows all emails to arrive in one inbox or can be easily routed into different folders using message rules or marked with a different coloured symbols for easy identification.
Hotmail product manager Bryan Saftler said that in the past, people had to open up totally separate accounts in a bid to manage the potential spam that may result from signing up.
"In another situation, we might also use multiple email addresses to keep your messages organised by topic, like one for online shopping and one for your child’s sport’s team," Saftler said.
"With Hotmail’s new Alias feature, it is easy to create an alternate email associated with your primary Hotmail account to manage these activities, and simply turn the alias off when you are done with the activity – keeping your inbox better organised, and giving you peace of mind that your online identity is safe."
