Brightmail to provide anti-spam protection for any messaging device
Announcement posted by Brightmail 10 Jun 2004
Anti-spam leader to provide solutions to protect enterprises from spam in IM and wireless communication
Brightmail, the global leader in anti-spam technology, announced today that it is developing solutions to protect enterprises from spam beyond email. Through two key partnerships with FaceTime Communications and IMlogic Inc., Brightmail will be able to offer solutions to fight spam that is delivered via Instant Messaging (IM), commonly known as SPIM. Brightmail is also developing its own proprietary technology to extend its market-leading anti-spam expertise to address the needs of customers in the wireless market.
Analysts agree that SPIM is a growing problem. The Yankee Group estimates that 5 to 8 percent of all corporate IM communications in 2004 will be SPIM. Ferris Research estimates that 500 million SPIM messages were sent in 2003, with growth expected to reach 2 billion messages in 2004. Brightmail currently estimates that 64% of all Internet email worldwide is spam, as compared with 48% in May 2003 and 22% in May 2002. As more corporations install anti-spam solutions on their email networks and the effectiveness of email spam decreases, spammers will turn to other low-barrier electronic communication methods to get their messages through to end users. IM and wireless messaging are emerging as the next likely targets.
Brightmails new partnerships with IMlogic and FaceTime will offer powerful anti-SPIM solutions to organizations that use IM as a critical communications function but are facing new threats as spam crosses into new communication channels.
IMlogics solution allows organizations to secure their IM communications regardless of which IM applications employees are using. Brightmails partnership with IMlogic will also protect IM-enabled wireless devices like multi-functional phones or Blackberry devices. The FaceTime partnership will also enable enterprises to secure their IM applications, but with a specific focus on the financial sector. FaceTimes solution is particularly attractive to financial institutions, where communications are subject to many compliance and storage regulations. Eliminating SPIM means that financial institutions no longer have to store irrelevant and unwanted messages.
As more organizations begin relying upon additional communications tools IM and multi-functional wireless devices for critical communications, we must assess their vulnerability to spam and other threats to messaging security, said Enrique Salem, president and CEO of Brightmail. The threat of SPIM and SMS spam is real, and it is growing. Our customers have looked to us to provide the strongest possible anti-spam technologies for their email networks. Now as they look to protect new methods of electronic communications, we will be ready to protect those as well.
Brightmail has also witnessed a growing demand for anti-spam protection from wireless carriers to help protect their networks. Attacks of text messaging or SMS spam have been on the rise, and Brightmail has been working with wireless providers in the U.S. and in Europe to develop anti-spam solutions that would prevent Brightmail-protected mobile networks from becoming the next target for spammers. Combined with the increasing accessibility of email and IM technologies via cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices, the need to protect wireless networks from spam attacks becomes increasingly important.
Salem continued: Developing technology to combat wireless network spam is an important demonstration of Brightmails commitment to protect our customers from unwanted, unsolicited electronic messages of any kind. Just like we have with email spam, we want to force the spammers to play catch-up to Brightmail. These new initiatives are warning signs to spammers that we are already protecting our customers from IM and wireless spam and are looking to address the next threats.
About Brightmail
Brightmail, the global anti-spam market leader delivers technology that makes messaging environments secure and manageable. PC Magazines EDITORS CHOICE for best enterprise anti-spam software, Brightmail Anti-Spam protects the email networks of businesses, government agencies, and service providers, blocking unsolicited bulk email, or spam, while assuring that legitimate mail is reliably delivered. Brightmail protects over 1,800 enterprises globally, including Avaya, eBay, Bechtel, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cisco, Cypress Semiconductors, Deutsche Bank, Eastman, Lucent Technologies, Macromedia, Microsoft, Motorola, SAS and Terra Lycos. Brightmail also provides spam protection for the leading Internet service providers, including AT&T WorldNet, Cox Communications, EarthLink, MSN, TelstraClear, Xtra and Verizon Online. Brightmail now protects approximately 300 million mailboxes worldwide. For more information, visit www.brightmail.com.
Analysts agree that SPIM is a growing problem. The Yankee Group estimates that 5 to 8 percent of all corporate IM communications in 2004 will be SPIM. Ferris Research estimates that 500 million SPIM messages were sent in 2003, with growth expected to reach 2 billion messages in 2004. Brightmail currently estimates that 64% of all Internet email worldwide is spam, as compared with 48% in May 2003 and 22% in May 2002. As more corporations install anti-spam solutions on their email networks and the effectiveness of email spam decreases, spammers will turn to other low-barrier electronic communication methods to get their messages through to end users. IM and wireless messaging are emerging as the next likely targets.
Brightmails new partnerships with IMlogic and FaceTime will offer powerful anti-SPIM solutions to organizations that use IM as a critical communications function but are facing new threats as spam crosses into new communication channels.
IMlogics solution allows organizations to secure their IM communications regardless of which IM applications employees are using. Brightmails partnership with IMlogic will also protect IM-enabled wireless devices like multi-functional phones or Blackberry devices. The FaceTime partnership will also enable enterprises to secure their IM applications, but with a specific focus on the financial sector. FaceTimes solution is particularly attractive to financial institutions, where communications are subject to many compliance and storage regulations. Eliminating SPIM means that financial institutions no longer have to store irrelevant and unwanted messages.
As more organizations begin relying upon additional communications tools IM and multi-functional wireless devices for critical communications, we must assess their vulnerability to spam and other threats to messaging security, said Enrique Salem, president and CEO of Brightmail. The threat of SPIM and SMS spam is real, and it is growing. Our customers have looked to us to provide the strongest possible anti-spam technologies for their email networks. Now as they look to protect new methods of electronic communications, we will be ready to protect those as well.
Brightmail has also witnessed a growing demand for anti-spam protection from wireless carriers to help protect their networks. Attacks of text messaging or SMS spam have been on the rise, and Brightmail has been working with wireless providers in the U.S. and in Europe to develop anti-spam solutions that would prevent Brightmail-protected mobile networks from becoming the next target for spammers. Combined with the increasing accessibility of email and IM technologies via cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices, the need to protect wireless networks from spam attacks becomes increasingly important.
Salem continued: Developing technology to combat wireless network spam is an important demonstration of Brightmails commitment to protect our customers from unwanted, unsolicited electronic messages of any kind. Just like we have with email spam, we want to force the spammers to play catch-up to Brightmail. These new initiatives are warning signs to spammers that we are already protecting our customers from IM and wireless spam and are looking to address the next threats.
About Brightmail
Brightmail, the global anti-spam market leader delivers technology that makes messaging environments secure and manageable. PC Magazines EDITORS CHOICE for best enterprise anti-spam software, Brightmail Anti-Spam protects the email networks of businesses, government agencies, and service providers, blocking unsolicited bulk email, or spam, while assuring that legitimate mail is reliably delivered. Brightmail protects over 1,800 enterprises globally, including Avaya, eBay, Bechtel, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cisco, Cypress Semiconductors, Deutsche Bank, Eastman, Lucent Technologies, Macromedia, Microsoft, Motorola, SAS and Terra Lycos. Brightmail also provides spam protection for the leading Internet service providers, including AT&T WorldNet, Cox Communications, EarthLink, MSN, TelstraClear, Xtra and Verizon Online. Brightmail now protects approximately 300 million mailboxes worldwide. For more information, visit www.brightmail.com.