Your business can get all the features of Windows Live Hotmail i.e. 5 GB of storage, improved spam protection and customizable design, but under a distinct email address yourname@yourbusinessname.com. You can setup up to 500 email addresses on the domain initially and should cater for many medium to large business, but the number can be increased by upgrading. Uniqueness of email address matters, and reflects the identity of the person and the business using it. It also makes your business look more professional when you avoid the standard forms of free emails on yahoo.com, gmail.com or hotmail.com.

So what is the cost for this? All one needs to pay for is the domain name (you could get this for anything from $7 to $15 per year). If you have an existing domain name, you can use this so no extra costs. Instances where personalized email domains can be used are endless, but more valuable in the following situations I can think of:

·         Hosting business email for small business

·         Hosting email for family members

·         Hosting email for user groups

·         Email for chama’s, clubs etc

Custom domains service also provides for addition of friendly names in your domain that are backed by Windows Live services. For example, the domain "mail.mydomain.com" can point to the URL where you host your e-mail e.g. in cases where main domain also hosts your web page. The administrator can also see when member accounts are created and if the members have activated their e-mail accounts.

This service has been around for a while and undergone several upgrades though I still find that many people are still not aware… You can sign up for personalized email at https://domains.live.com