MCI Delivers Four-Way Protection With Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus Solution For Businesses

MCI's Managed Email Content Service Stops Spam, Viruses at Network Border

ASHBURN, Va., March 30, 2005 - MCI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCIP) today announced it is enhancing one of its fastest growing security services, Managed Email Content, to include content control. With MCI's newly enhanced anti-spam, anti-virus email scrubbing solution, businesses of all sizes can benefit from stronger security controls aimed at helping them better manage spam and keep their networks free from Internet threats. By stopping unwanted email at the network border, businesses also can protect against lost productivity and lower network costs by reducing bandwidth, storage and computation costs associated with managing spam and destructive viruses.

"Security is top of mind for every CIO in America," said Mark Sitko, MCI vice president of Security Services Product Management. "With our rapidly expanding managed security services suite, MCI customers have peace of mind knowing that we can help them strengthen their defenses and protect their critical information assets."

MCI's Managed Email Content Service now delivers four-way protection with the addition of content control, expanding its anti-spam, anti-virus and image control capabilities. By scanning email before it reaches a customer's network, MCI's Managed Email Content shields company users from unwanted or offensive content, and protects a corporate network from receiving harmful, damaging and inappropriate content. Companies also can prevent unwanted content from leaving its network, which can help to alleviate legal issues due to email misuse. A comprehensive network-based solution powered by MessageLabs, companies do not require additional hardware or software to take advantage of this service.

According to research firm IDC, the volume of spam messages sent daily worldwide has jumped to 23 billion in 2004 from 7 billion in 2002. IDC's ROI calculator for spam and anti-spam solutions calculates that spam costs a typical firm of 5,000 email users $4.1 million per year in productivity for email users, IT staff and other resources spent dealing with spam.

"We rely on MCI's Managed Email Content Service to keep our network free from spam and viruses," said Danny Nichols, director of Information Technology at Hilex Poly Co LLC, a leading manufacturer of plastic bag and film products. "With MCI's network-based solution, our employees have experienced a dramatic reduction in the number of spam messages received from more than 60 a day to two or three a week, which has led to a huge boost to employee productivity."

Utilizing MessageLabs patented Image Composition Analysis (ICA) technology, MCI can detect inappropriate, malicious and confidential content. ICA technology uses artificial intelligence to scan the subject, body and attachments of a user's email by monitoring key words and phrases. The service can also utilize block and approved lists to stop users or domains from sending or receiving email to or from certain organizations. Depending on the customer's preference, intercepted messages can be completely blocked and deleted, or quarantined and viewed using a Web-based management tool.

Through MCI's Web-based security portal, Managed Email Content customers can gain online access to a wide variety of Web-based tools for account and network management. Customers can perform a number of functions, including updating configurations and security policies, submitting policy change requests, opening trouble tickets, and viewing daily performance and utilization reports to ensure their network is secure and is running at optimal performance.

Companies of all sizes can fulfill critical security and regulatory requirements through MCI's extensive suite of Internet security solutions, including managed network protection, intrusion detection, vulnerability assessments, and remote scanning solutions, as well as new managed and professional security capabilities gained through its recent acquisition of NetSec. As a result, organizations can offload the burden of managing their security by outsourcing the consulting and design, configuration and installation, maintenance, software upgrades, 24/7 management and monitoring, backup and restoration services to MCI.

About MCI
MCI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCIP) is a leading global communications provider, delivering innovative, cost-effective, advanced communications connectivity to businesses, governments and consumers. With the industry's most expansive global IP backbone, based on the number of company-owned points of presence, and wholly-owned data networks, MCI develops the converged communications products and services that are the foundation for commerce and communications in today's market. For more information, go to www.mci.com.