SKYLIST Takes Email Authentication Beyond SPF

StormPost(TM) Application Continues to Thunder Ahead of the Curve With Emerging Authentication Standards and Regulatory Compliance

Fulfilling its role as an early adopter of emerging authentication standards designed to curb spam and "phishing," SKYLIST today announced its StormPost(TM) email marketing system is a 100% SPF (Sender Policy Framework) compliant service with plans to support the Microsoft SenderID and Yahoo! Domain Key standards.

According to a Q1, 2004 study published by ReturnPath Assurance Systems, over 18% of legitimate mail is not received by subscribers. Spam continues to be a growing challenge that experts estimate at more than 60% of total email volume. The overarching goal of authentication programs is to further separate good senders from spammers in order to increase the deliverability of good email and provide better tools for deterring spam. By introducing authentication programs early -- with an integrated cross-ISP approach -- SKYLIST ensures clients' email deliverability remains high as emerging industry standards roll out.

SPF is an open standard supported by America Online that, like Microsoft's SenderID and Yahoo Domain keys, allows receivers to verify (authenticate) that other mail servers are allowed to send mail from a particular domain name. SPF requires senders to reveal in DNS records the IP (Internet Protocol) addresses of the servers they send messages from. Starting in August 2004, AOL will require SPF compliance for their whitelist program. Clients using StormPost are assured that all email messages sent are SPF compliant and will validate delivery to the growing number of receiving domains that check SPF records.

The StormPost application is a web-based email marketing database management and campaign creation, testing, and reporting system that helps marketers reach audiences with highly targeted email campaigns. The StormPost application has been in development for 10 years and gives businesses of all sizes access to enterprise-class technology and industry leading customer support.

The Project Lumos framework introduced by the Email Service Provider Coalition (of which SKYLIST is a steering committee member) defines four tenets of a spam solution:

--  Authentication
--  Accreditation
--  Reputation
--  Enforcement
    

SPF, SenderID, and DomainKeys all attempt to address Authentication. Once Authentication is in place, the industry can develop Accreditation programs to certify and classify email senders and Reputation systems to distinguish good senders from bad ones. Only then will effective Enforcement options be available -- whether based on successful delivery, financial cost, or legal action.

"I have been involved in Internet standards development for almost 10 years and have yet to witness a movement with such tremendous momentum," said Joshua Baer, CEO and founder of SKYLIST. "Email authentication is not the solution to the spam problem, but it is clearly the first required step to a solution and it brings immediate, noticeable improvements to the current spam and virus epidemic."

About SKYLIST:

SKYLIST, developer of the StormPost(TM) email marketing platform, has been providing organizations with email marketing software and hosting services since 1996. SKYLIST has been rapidly gaining attention due to its technology merits, customer service levels, and CAN-SPAM compliance leadership. SKYLIST's client service approach to providing email marketing technology solutions that maximize the speed, reach, reception, response, return, and accountability of email marketing communications has led to rapid adoption by leading organizations in the online marketing, retail, financial, and entertainment industries. For more information about SKYLIST, please visit http://www.skylist.com.

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