Since the rise of internet, people began to see the importance of emails. It fast became the most popular way to talk to distant people, to send pictures or news. Even businesses adopted the emails as the best way to distribute information inside the company or to keep in touch with clients. But not everybody had a server, or access to a business email account.
The biggest internet related websites began to attract visitors by introducing a new service: free email accounts. It was available to everyone, required very little knowledge to setup an account, and the most important thing: it was free. Gmail, Yahoo mail,Hotmail were only a few of them, but their number grew rapidly.