Are outlok mail and hotmail the same

Outlook.com and Hotmail are related, but not exactly the same thing.

Hotmail was a popular free web-based email service launched in 1996 by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith. In 1997, Microsoft acquired Hotmail for $400 million and continued to operate it as a separate service.

In 2012, Microsoft launched Outlook.com, a new email service that was designed to replace Hotmail. Outlook.com was built on top of the Hotmail infrastructure, but it offered a new user interface, improved features, and better integration with other Microsoft services like Office and Skype.

In 2013, Microsoft announced that it would be transitioning Hotmail users to Outlook.com. This process was completed in 2013, and Hotmail was effectively rebranded as Outlook.com. Today, Outlook.com is the primary email service offered by Microsoft, and Hotmail is no longer available as a separate service.

So, while Hotmail and Outlook.com are distinct services, they are closely related. Outlook.com is essentially the successor to Hotmail, and it offers many of the same features and services. If you had a Hotmail account, you likely have an Outlook.com account now, and you can access your email and other features through the Outlook.com website or mobile app.

It's worth noting that Microsoft has also introduced other email services, such as Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online, which are designed for businesses and organizations. These services offer more advanced features and security controls than Outlook.com, but they are not directly related to Hotmail.