UK users welcomed to Gmail

Google Gmail users in the UK will soon no longer have to make do with a cumbersome @googlemail.com address.

Google announced yesterday that five years after it launched the UK version of its online email client, it has finally wrestled back the right to use the Gmail suffix, as opposed to the longer version.

Google said that 'soon' anyone with a googlemail address would be able to upgrade to the gmail.com alternative.

Greg Bullock, software engineer at Google, announced the changes.

"Since 'gmail' is 50 per cent fewer characters than 'googlemail', we estimate this name change will save approximately 60 million keystrokes a day," he wrote. "At about 217 microjoules per keystroke, that's about the energy of 20 bonbons saved every day."

Anyone signing up for a new account will automatically be assigned the new @gmail address from later this week.

Google originally had to change the name of the service in the UK as another firm had it trademarked here.

Five years ago it wrote: "We are still working with the courts and trademark office to protect our ability to use the Gmail name, but in the meantime, we want you to have an email address you can rely on."

04 May 2010