You’ve got mail: A look at some email milestones [Infographic]

Social media is increasingly dominating our communication patterns. Thanks to instant messaging, text messaging, social networking and email we can communicate with world without having stepped a toe outside our bedrooms.

The role email is playing in today’s communication arena is growing quite rapidly according to a new survey commissioned by Microsoft.

The software giant recruited market research firm MarketTools to conduct a new survey on email, social tools and other means of online communication. The firm polled 1 268 professionals and students all ranging from 18 and older.

“Just as email didn’t kill the telephone and video didn’t kill the radio, newer messaging tools won’t kill email,” says Microsfot’s Office corporate vice president Takeshi Numoto. “In fact, the survey tells us that the overall volume of communication is increasing as a whole.”

According to the research findings, 96% of respondents said their email either increased (45%) or stayed the same (51%) in the last year. Social media communication has increased (28%) or stayed the same (65%) for 90% of the respondents. Also the research found that 28% said their texting increased in the past year, while 65% continued to text at the same level over the past year.

As part of the research, Microsoft also released an infographic (below) illustrating the evolution of email since its inception in 1965. The infographic is a touch heavy on Microsoft and Outlook references, which is to be expected. It does however provide a worthwhile look at the historical milestones of email, including the introduction of the word “email” in 1982, the introduction of email spam in the early 90s and to my delight the worldwide release of the movie You’ve Got Mail in 1998.