This is an email service that was launched at a time when it was a novelty to use a free email service. Launched in the late nineties, was one of the pioneering email services that helped free up email communication from the shackles of internet service providers. Many people discovered the delight of the email that was easy to send from a free account as long as one had a working internet connection.

At the time when it was formed, it was easy to sign up for a free account. The basic steps comprised of the following:

• One had to click on the link to sign up for a free account.
• The sign up page required one to key in a username of their choice as well as a password for their account.
• There were no stringent norms in the choice of password or username; however, the username had to be unique and not already present in the database of registered users.
• There were other optional fields to be entered such as first name and last name, gender details and home address.

With the above basic steps it was enough to sign up and get a free account activated. However, there were some security concerns that came up later on as there were no restrictions in the choice of passwords, making it easy for hackers to invade the accounts of unsuspecting users.

Since the time it was formed, it was then acquired by Microsoft in whose hands the email service went through several changes. It retained its separate domain for quite some time, but was also made part of the MSN portal. Hence, those who wished to acquire an account during such times could do so by logging onto MSN and finding the login panel. Here there was provided a link through which one could sign up for an account following the steps mentioned above.

It was then made part of the Live domain of Microsoft. This was part of the integration effort that Microsoft put in to consolidate the different email and account services under a unified portal. Today when one wishes to sign up for an account they need to follow the steps mentioned below:

• The domain does not have a separate existence and one is redirected to live.com or outlook.com domain.
• Here there is a login panel for all Microsoft account users.
• There is a link provided to sign up for a new Microsoft account.
• On the account sign up page one is prompted to enter details such as choice of username and password.
• The username needs to be domain specific and one can choose to have an email address.
• The password needs to be at least eight characters long, alphanumeric in combination and comprising of case differences as well as special characters.
• The other fields that need to be keyed in are first and last name, country of residence and gender.
• On accepting the terms and conditions one completes the basic inputs for a sign up page.

There is additional security information that one is encouraged to fill in, such as an alternate email address, phone number and choice of two security questions with answers. These details help to activate the two step verification process as well as ensuring that you can retrieve your account password easily in case it is forgotten.

The above steps showcase how one can sign up for an account in modern times. These steps help one to gain access to the modern inbox and interface of Outlook service that is integrated for the account users as well.