Excedent Releases Version 2.0 of its Spam DNA Filtering® Technology

Enhanced Features Help More Than 1,000 Businesses Combat Spam

Vienna, VA (May 13, 2003) - Excedent Technologies, a global leader in business email outsourcing, anti-virus and Spam filtering solutions today announced the release of version 2.0 of its Spam DNA Filtering® technology. Enhancements in version 2.0 include additional filtering tests, improved false-positive prevention, per user white list and safe list controls, and Directory Harvest attack prevention.

"As the Spam epidemic continues to grow, Excedent's Spam filtering technology grows with it," explained Bill Boebel, Chief Technology Officer for Excedent. "Version 2.0 adds several powerful features, including a new security layer to block Directory Harvest attacks. This greatly reduces the chances of customer email addresses ending up on bulk mailing lists in the first place."

Excedent has strategically evolved its Spam defenses by gathering real-time Spam intelligence from a number of sources. This data is used to track tens of thousands of live email characteristics ("Spam DNA"), which are used to identify Spam. In addition, approximately 25 third-party Spam databases, several DNS checks, and a number of message-formatting tests are used when analyzing each email.

Excedent incorporates this data into over 45 constantly evolving tests, which are performed on every e-mail that enters the company's system. Version 2.0 incorporates several new filtering tests designed with the reverse approach of identifying characteristics found in legitimate email instead of identifying Spam. These tests work in conjunction with a weighting system to help eliminate false-positives.

The new release also features per-user Spam controls, an enhancement that has proven to be beneficial to both users and email administrators.

"Users can adjust their filtering sensitivity level, determine what action to take when junk email is identified, and even block email from all people whom they do not know," said Boebel. "And with the addition of 'Safe Lists', users can specify problematic email addresses that should never be identified as Spam. Offering per-user level controls lifts a huge burden from the email administrator."

Excedent currently provides world-class email and webmail hosting with integrated anti-virus and junk email protection to over 1,000 customers worldwide. Every customer is provided with a secure control panel for administering Spam filtering safe lists, sensitivity, delivery and clean-up settings, along with a multitude of other administration options.

About Excedent
Excedent Technologies is a global leader in business email hosting solutions, providing small businesses and service providers around the world with secure, reliable, Spam-free, Virus-free email. The company is privately held and serves more than 1,000 customers worldwide.