Juno and NetZero Introduce New E-mail System With Powerful Capabilities to
Combat Junk Mail or `Spam=92
New E-mail on the Web Focuses on Fighting Spam and Offers
Users New Levels of Customization and Management of E-mail
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 9, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- United Online,
Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD), a leading provider of value-priced Internet
services, today announced the company has launched a new version of
E-mail on the Web for its Juno and NetZero brands of Internet service.
The new E-mail on the Web gives users new weapons to fight junk e-mail
or "spam" and improves their overall e-mail experience.
Juno and NetZero users will now have the ability to customize and
configure their e-mail to defend against junk mail and unwanted
messages with the latest e-mail blocking and filtering techniques. All
levels of service for both brands will have the new e-mail system,
although additional features will only be available for Platinum,
NetZero HiSpeed and Juno SpeedBand subscribers.
"The number one complaint about e-mail is spam and junk mail," stated
Brian Woods, EVP and chief marketing officer of United Online. "The
introduction of our new e-mail system focuses on this universal issue
and implements powerful filtering and preventative technologies that
curtail spam and give the consumer the power to control their e-mail
and improve their online experience."
The market research firm Radicati Group estimates that 4.9 trillion
spam e-mails will be sent globally in 2003. With this continued
onslaught of spam and no end in sight, United Online has given its
members control of their e-mail to protect and shield themselves from
this barrage. Juno and NetZero have adopted new features that attack
the issue head-on.
New features include:
Junk Mail Filter and Folder
All members who use E-mail on the Web, including those using the free
services, will have a new Junk Mail filter. Based upon members'
preferences, United Online will either filter all junk mail directly
into a new Junk Mail folder, or delete the Junk Mail before it can be
retrieved from our servers. The new Junk Mail folder is a clear and
understandable way for members to sort new e-mail.
Block List
The Block List is a feature on the Platinum service that utilizes a
predetermined "delete" option if the person sending the message is on
the list. As soon as the system receives a message for a member, and
the sender of the message is on the member's Block List, the message is
automatically deleted before the member signs in to E-mail on the Web.
The Block List feature can be used for known spammers, unwanted
newsletters or mailing lists, or anyone else you do not want to hear
from.
Safe List
The Safe List is a feature on the Platinum service that empowers the
user to develop a list of member managed e-mail addresses. When the
e-mail system receives a message for a member, and the sender of the
message is on the member's Safe List, the message is automatically
protected from being deleted or marked as junk mail. The Safe List is
used to ensure that e-mail from specified people is never deleted or
relegated to the Junk Mail folder.
Mail Assistants
Mail Assistants is a feature on the Platinum service that acts as a
filter or sorter for all new incoming mail. Based on the logic defined
by the member, the e-mail system can move messages to specified folders
or the trash. Mail Assistants can be used in two ways: first to sort
personal mail; second, as a supplementary junk mail filter. For
example, you can set up a Mail Assistant so that all e-mail from work
goes into a "work" folder and all e-mail from a known spammer goes into
the Junk Mail Folder.
Report Junk
This feature allows users to report junk or spam directly to Juno or
NetZero via a "Report Junk" button within E-mail on the Web. Users
select a message then click on the button to report the junk mail.
United Online then analyzes the junk mail message and determines how to
handle the message for the reporting member as well as all other
members.
In addition to the spam fighting features described above, E-mail on
the Web gives users the ability to:
-- Read and write e-mail from any Internet connection, anywhere
-- Send photos & files through an improved interface
-- Maintain a personal address book
-- Customize E-mail on the Web settings
-- Check other POP e-mail accounts from one convenient location
The NetZero and Juno brands of Internet service consist of NetZero
Platinum and Juno Platinum $9.95 monthly dial-up services, and NetZero
HiSpeed and Juno SpeedBand, next generation dial-up Internet access
services that deliver up to five times faster Web surfing (1). NetZero
HiSpeed and Juno SpeedBand are $14.95 per month (2), include the
NetZero or Juno Platinum Internet services, work from any phone jack
using a standard dial-up connection, and do not require any new
hardware. NetZero Platinum and Juno Platinum Internet access services
offer easy-to-use, reliable Internet service with thousands of access
numbers nationwide, feature-rich e-mail and E-mail on the Web,
compatibility with all of the popular instant messaging products, and
serve no banner ads. NetZero and Juno also offer limited free Internet
service.
About United Online
United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD) is a leading provider of value-priced
Internet services through its NetZero, Juno and BlueLight Internet
consumer brands. The company's standard services are offered at less
than half the standard monthly prices of its major competitors and are
available in more than 6,500 cities across the United States and in
Canada. The company is headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, with
offices in New York City, San Francisco and Hyderabad, India. For more
information about United Online and its Internet access services,
please visit www.untd.com.