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Google is not fooling around with Gmail. Yesterday things got a little more competitive when Google partnered with TrueSwitch to support importing email and contacts from AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail, and dozens of other email providers.

Gmail users can be a passionate bunch. Many of us have, at one time or another, encouraged or cajoled friends and family to join us @gmail.com. But switching email accounts can be pretty painful. It’s like getting out of a relationship. You have so much baggage — years of emails and contacts, memories of past Christmases and Valentine’s Days — so the easier your new email account can make it, the better. My wife flirted with the idea for two years before she finally took the plunge with Gmail. The reason she finally made the switch might also convince your friends that it’s a good time to adopt a shiny new Gmail address.

Gmail now migrates email and contacts from other email providers, including Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, and many more. It’s much easier to make the transition now that you can bring along all your old email and contacts. You can even have your messages forwarded from your old account for 30 days, giving you time to take Gmail for a test drive while you make up your mind. #

Right now the feature is only enabled on new accounts, but Google promises that they will roll-out (at a considerably slower than normal pace) the feature to all GMail users.

Hmmmm, First ActiveSync support for contacts and calendaring (Hopefully mail too!) now easy migration tools. Is Google trying to become the de facto email provider?