Google Inc. has announced that it is testing a preview release of its free email service, to be called Gmail. The search-based web mail service will provide each user a storage capacity of the equivalent of 500,000 pages of normal email.

According to Google, Gmail is built on the idea that users need not be burdened with having to file or delete messages, or face difficulty in locating emails that they've sent or received. Differing significantly from normal email services the key features of Gmail include:

Search: Using keywords or advanced search features users can quickly locate every email they've ever sent or received.

Storage: Gmail will come with 1,000 megabytes (1 gigabyte) of free storage, which is a hundred times more than what most other free web mail services offer.

Speed: Gmail increases the efficiency in the usage of email by eliminating the need to file messages into folders. It automatically organizes individual emails so that these messages are shown in the context of all the replies sent in response to them. Spam messages are quarantined.

Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.