Gmail Storage to Reach 2GB and Beyond

It's not an April Fool's joke: Google is once again upping the ante in the Web mail wars, announcing plans to double the storage offered by Gmail to 2GB. The news comes as Yahoo moves to match Google's previous 1GB limit. Google officials also said they will make additional storage increases over time.

The upgrade arrives on the one-year anniversary of Gmail's launch. Although less than 1 percent of users have neared the 1GB limit, Google says it doesn't want people to worry they will run out.

"Our plan is to continue growing your storage beyond 2GBs by giving you more space as we are able. We know that email will only become more important in people's lives, and we want Gmail to keep up with our users and their needs," Google says on the Gmail Web site.

Rumors had speculated that Google would use Gmail's first birthday to take the service public, but for now, Gmail remains in beta testing. However, an abundance of available invites and random signup links on Google's homepage have already opened the door for nearly everyone.

Yahoo, which is still in the process of implementing 1GB, dismissed Google's announcement as irrelevant to most users. "At a certain point beyond 1 gigabyte it just becomes a number," a Yahoo spokesperson told Reuters.