MSN opts for Brightmail anti-spam defence

Yeah, but what about Hotmail?

By Linda Harrison • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 12th April 2001 22:41 GMT

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MSN has signed up with Brightmail to stop its email users getting spammed.

The ISP will offer its five million email users in the US the option of Brightmail's Anti-Spam Solution. MSN users need to opt-in for the service, which splits unwanted and legitimate emails - the spam is put in a separate area where the account holder can view them when they choose.

Brightman CEO Gary Hermansen said the filter company had seen unwanted messages grow by 411 per cent over the past year. "More than just an annoyance for ISPs, it can cost them dearly in terms of clogged networks, lost productivity and even worse, lost customers", he said.

MSN was reluctant to state why it had chosen Brightmail for its MSN email users, and not McAfee software - which it uses for its existing Hotmail account holders.

"From what I understand, though MSN mail and Hotmail are connected, they are in fact two distinct and different products and use technologies that best
apply to them," was all one MSN representative would say.

The Brightmail deal will only apply to American users as MSN does not offer Net access to users outside the US.

Microsoft also today announced plans to launch a fresh version of its Web client software, MSN Explorer. The upgraded version of the product, which combines the company's Net offerings, will include a spellcheck on Hotmail and the ability for users to access email offline. It is due to be launched next week. ®