Virgin Media to deploy Google email platform

ISP to deploy Google Partner Edition Apps for all home broadband customers

New Virgin Media customers will pilot Virgin Media's Google rollout

UK ISP Virgin Media has announced plans to move all its home broadband customers onto Google's email platform.

Initially the first 20,000 new broadband customers will pilot the service, after which existing customers will be offered the chance to sign up, if the rollout operates according to plan.

Customers signing up for the service can register up to 10 @virginmedia.com email addresses, and will also be able to use Google's instant messaging and calendar services.

Customers with @blueyonder.co.uk, @ntlworld.com or @virgin.net email addresses can keep these if they want to, and will also get 7GB of online storage with the new service.

"The move to Google allows us to centralise and simplify our email services into one platform from our existing three legacy systems. You'll be able to use POP3, IMAP email protocols and also get access from your mobile phone," said a Virgin Media spokesman.

Virgin Media is hoping the move to Google's platform will give easier management and resiliency than the three separate systems it is currently running, although Google's system platform is not immune to problems, with an outage in February causing widespread business disruption.