Why did Google launch Gmail via invites?
There are many theories as to why Google chose to launch Gmail via invites. The web marketers hailed it as a great way to generate a lot of interest in the service while keeping things relatively hidden. Data analysts considered the invitations the best method to collect a lot of “meaningful” email addresses – remember invites were sent via email. There were also some wild speculations of Google trying “rake it in” by selling invites on auction sites. Anyway, I readily accept Google’s explanation for the requirement of invitations for Gmail. The company wanted to test and monitor the free email service with a gradual increase in user base. Opening Gmail to everyone at the very start would have most likely caused a server crash and, thus, a big embarrassment to Google.
