Viatel frees up inboxes with launch of MailControl, 15th April 2004

LONDON, 15 April 2004 - Viatel frees up inboxes with launch of MailControl. Fully managed answer to the spam and virus worries of businesses

Viatel, the pan-European communications company, today announced that it has partnered with email security services company BlackSpider Technologies to launch Viatel MailControl, a new email filtering service designed to protect Viatel\'s business customers against the growing tide of email viruses and spam.

Roberto Bonanzinga, SVP Marketing and Business Development for Viatel said, "Spam already costs European businesses $2.5 billion a year in wasted time and this is set to grow.* Whereas yesterday a simple keyword filter would be enough, today you have to throw everything at spam to keep it out of your business."

Viatel MailControl consists of a managed spam and anti-virus service eliminating 98% of unsolicited emails, in turn freeing up around 30% of customer bandwidth for business use. Viatel MailControl is based on the principal that no single technique can effectively filter spam and viruses. The system uses nine separate filtering techniques to remove spam, and industry leading anti-virus engines to inoculate against viruses.

By removing the burden of updating virus signatures and monitoring email traffic, Viatel MailControl frees IT staff and resources from the daily grind of firefighting, allowing them to concentrate on their core business. Customers are provided with a fully managed service, requiring no new hardware or ongoing software updates. Guaranteed service levels and 24 hour support are provided from Viatel\'s two independent network operations centres in the UK and The Netherlands.

Bonanzinga continued, "One man\'s spam is another\'s marketing, so it is important that our customers are given choice in what they receive. Delaying or stopping legitimate emails can be extremely damaging to a business."

Viatel MailControl offers users a fully configurable service accessed through an online customer portal. This provides businesses with the ability to create black and white lists, as well as offering access to quarantined emails and control of spam policies. Viatel MailControl uses adaptive filtering that learns end-user behaviour to minimise quarantining of valid emails.

Bonanzinga commented on the partnership: "BlackSpider have proven themselves an effective barrier to the evolving threat of unsolicited email. Their managed approach fits well with our desire to help customers lighten the burden of unwanted email and keep their business secure."

John Cheney, BlackSpider CEO, commented: "Companies today are increasingly turning to their service providers for protection against spam and email viruses having found that in-house solutions eat up huge amounts of time. We are delighted that Viatel has chosen to work with us to provide the highest levels of email security to their customers."

* Ferris Research 2003

 

About BlackSpider

BlackSpider Technologies (www.blackspider.com) is a managed services provider, focused exclusively on the provision of high-performance e-mail security solutions. BlackSpider delivers e-mail content filtering services to organisations, enabling them to block the growing tide of spam and e-mail borne computer viruses before they enter company networks.

BlackSpider\'s MailControl service requires no software or hardware and combines leading-edge technology with a world-class infrastructure and coverage 24 x 7. Customers choosing MailControl enjoy demonstrably higher levels of protection; retaining full control of their e-mail security whilst at the same time realising significant cost savings against managing alternative solutions in-house. www.blackspider.com BlackSpider recently received £4.6m in funding from Cazenove Private Equity to fund its European expansion.

 

About Viatel

Viatel is a pan-European data and internet services company delivering services in communications to European businesses, regardless of size.

 

Operating across the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Switzerland, Viatel is a communications service provider operating a pan-European network. Headed by Lucy Woods, formerly of WorldCom EMEA and BT, the company employs 180 people throughout Western Europe to provide services including broadband, Virtual Private Networks, Managed Firewall, Managed Hosting and Co-location.

For further information on Viatel, please visit www.viatel.com

For further information please call:

James Ralph or Neil Daugherty on +44 (0)207 730 5575

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