AOL shocks tech world with Alto— the new smart email platform
It’s true—AOL has released a limited trial of a new smart email platform dubbed Alto. We know what you’re thinking…AOL? It’s been years since the once-booming web platform has contributed anything worthwhile to the internet. While the rest of us hopped on the Google bandwagon, many were indifferent and stuck with AOL. Now, hype is growing rapidly for the new email dashboard. Alto allows users to integrate their existing Gmail, Ymail, and iCloud accounts into one central, gorgeously-awesome database.
We did some digging to figure out how on earth AOL has survived the Google phenomena, and the answers surprised us. Throughout the years, AOL has spent billions in acquisitions. Ownerships range from many prominent blogs like TechCrunch and the Huffington Post to the popular community site Patch.
Now, let’s get back to Alto. The release of Alto has had strong repercussions within the web-tech community. The most significant feature of the new mail platform is what AOL calls “stacks”. This utility functions as an intelligent sorter. The proposed “daily deal” stack will organize mail from Groupon, Living Social, and other digital coupons. You can isolate your social media alerts to their own stack as well.
“Stacks” will eliminate the hassle of sifting through hundreds of emails, when you are only looking for one. When selecting your stack, the interface will show users visual previews of emails—complete with pictures—before they opt to read. You can organize your stacks manually—or, let Alto sort for you automatically. What a dream, right? This type of email integration seems long overdue.
Professionals who have gotten to test the exciting new system have great things to say. CNET loves it, as well as TechCrunch and Gizmodo. Tech reviewers all say the same thing: it’s about time we made email pretty. The Alto server claims the invitation system won’t last; for now it’s helping to track progress and eliminate preliminary bugs. At trueITpros, we’re patiently awaiting our turn to join.