Onmail

OnMail was a TV-based email service run by Ondigital via their set top boxes. It was launched on 7 March 2000,[1] and required the user to purchase a new remote control with a slideout keyboard to type on. It used the built in 2400bit/s modem in the box to connect to the Ondigital mail center. The service continued until 22 May 2002 when the phone line stopped accepting incoming calls following the collapse of the then-now rebranded ITV Digital on 3 May 2002.

Service Launch

The service became available via an OTA update to the STB which added the OnMail interface to the box. This was in addition to the already existing 'Inbox' which could be access via the main menu, which was in the end never used due to limitations of the existing software.

Interface

The onscreen interface was accessed via the Ondigital menu system (as opposed to the system menu which access the 'Inbox' described above). The interface was in a purple colour as opposed the standard green that the rest of the Ondigital software used, so that the user could distinguish it form the TV part of the box, and also because the contrast in colours made it easier to read.

Limitations

The system was obviously limited in many aspects. The main one was that it would only access onMail accounts, which had the addresses @onmail.co.uk. Also and with increasing importance there was no way of accessing attachments via the STB interface, this was not only because of the limited interface, but also because of the slow inbuilt modem.

Move to onNet

With the launch of the onNet Service in June 2000, and the replacement of the 2400bit/s modem with the plugin 56,000 modem in the onNet plug in box the on mail service was then accessible with the onMail web page which allowed access to the subscribers onMail account via the website [www.onmail.co.uk]. This caused most users to switch to access the system via onNet, however to its end, many people still used the original interface as not all users had purchased an onNet box, especially with the impending launch of broadband services, and the limited modem built into this new box.

References

  1. ↑ "ONDIGITAL ON COURSE FOR 1 MILLION CUSTOMERS". PR Newswire.
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