UK cable operator Virgin Media has copied Sky Broadband by moving from an in-house email platform to one based purely off Google's free Gmail service. Virgin will give customers 7GB (GigaByte's) of online storage with the service and should also be able to offer up to 10 addresses ending in @virginmedia.com.

Further features include email search, the ability to stay up to date with emails via their mobiles and anti-virus, anti-spam and phishing filters. Users accessing their email through the web-based interface will also be given Instant Messaging (IM) features and can organise emails into threaded conversations.


The new service will be available to all of Virgin Media’s Home Broadband customers, the enhanced services will be piloted by the first 20,000 new customers to sign up from today, with full launch to all new customers shortly after.

Existing customers will be migrated across to the new service at no extra cost and will be able to keep their existing @blueyonder.co.uk, @ntlworld.com or @virgin.net email addresses or choose to sign up for new @virginmedia.com email addresses.