London, UK, 31 October 2002 - GFI MailEssentials for Exchange/SMTP, GFI's anti-spam product, can virtually eliminate spam from corporate networks, saving organizations' time, money and bandwidth. GFI MailEssentials blocks spam at server level while adding essential email tools to Microsoft Exchange Server and other mail servers - like disclaimers, mail archiving, Internet mail reporting, server-based auto replies and POP3 downloading.

The cost of spam
Spam currently accounts for about 36 per cent of all corporate email as opposed to 8 per cent just one year ago (ZDNet, August 2002). It costs roughly US$8.8bn a year, according to a 2001 European Commission survey. Spam protection must therefore form a key part of a company's network security strategy.

Server-based anti-spam solution
GFI MailEssentials for Exchange/SMTP is a server-based anti-spam solution that installs at the gateway and eliminates the administrative headache presented by client-based anti-spam products. Desktop-based anti-spam products must be deployed on all the network's workstations and each machine must be updated individually every time the anti-spam rules need changing. Another disadvantage of client-based systems is that, unlike server-based products, they do not prevent the mail server's message stores from clogging up with spam.

Advanced spam detection technology
GFI MailEssentials employs advanced spam detection technology that tackles spam in three ways:

• Analysis of email content - GFI MailEssentials checks for keywords both in the email body and subject and allows the administrator to use conditions to refine the anti-spam rules.
• Analysis of email header - GFI MailEssentials intelligently analyses the email header and identifies spam based on message field information.
• Tracing the source of the mail - GFI MailEssentials checks if the sender domain is valid and if the sending mail server is on the ORDB list (a database of open relay mail servers).

Advanced spam handling
GFI MailEssentials gives administrators the flexibility to choose what to do with spam. They can delete it, move it to a folder or forward the spam mail to a public email address or folder, allowing users to easily review mail that has been flagged as spam. This way, spam rules can be further tuned and valid emails can be redirected.

A white paper about dealing effectively with spam may be viewed at: http://www.gfi.com/mes/mespapers.htm.

About GFI MailEssentials
GFI MailEssentials enables administrators to block spam at server level; add a corporate message to all outgoing email; archive mail; create reports on email use; download mail from POP3 mailboxes and direct it to one or more Exchange mailboxes; and send server-based auto replies. GFI MailEssentials installs on the Exchange Server 2000 machine and integrates seamlessly without requiring extra configuration. GFI MailEssentials also supports Exchange 5.5, Lotus Notes and SMTP mail servers.

Pricing, specifications & availability
GFI MailEssentials 7.1 is available from distributors around the world or online at the GFI site. Pricing starts at US$225 for 10 mailboxes. More information about GFI MailEssentials is available at: http://www.gfi.com/mes/.