MCI WORLDCOM ADDS MANAGED EMAIL TO COMPREHENSIVE PORTFOLIO OF MESSAGING, INTERNET AND E-BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
ATLANTA, April 3, 2000 -- MCI WorldCom today announced the
availability of MCI WorldCom Managed Email, a complete suite of turnkey
solutions to provide mid- and large size businesses and organizations
fully managed email systems ranging from Internet email to hosted
Microsoft Exchange. Together with Critical Path Inc., a leading global
provider of business-to-business Internet messaging and collaboration
solutions, MCI WorldCom will provide global businesses with managed
e-mail services, including hosted mailboxes and integration of
internally managed mail servers.
Managed Email is the next evolution in messaging services for MCI
WorldCom, and builds on its experience and innovation in email services
dating back to 1983. In addition to MCI WorldCom core data and
messaging services, Managed Email is designed to work with networking
and messaging services of MCI WorldCom's UUNET Internet and SkyTel
wireless operations.
With email gaining increasing significance with both enterprise and
non-business users, it has become a key component of intra-company and
customer communications, as well as an important e-business tool.
"Many organizations are focusing their e-business strategy on
web-enabled business processes and sales, and the integration of
back-office systems, but are forgetting that email is the most common
communication tool within the enterprise," said MCI WorldCom's Ron
McMurtrie, vice president, business product marketing. "MCI
WorldCom Managed Email allows companies to focus on their core business
and leave the rest to us."
"Critical Path delivers the most secure, comprehensive and
integrated platform of messaging services available to meet the
mission-critical communication demands of companies worldwide," said
Doug Hickey, CEO of Critical Path. "MCI WorldCom has built its
reputation by providing its customers with leading communication
services, and Critical Path's Allsourcing strategy for Internet
messaging will further enhance MCI WorldCom's ability to deliver
messaging solutions to the corporate enterprise."
With the service, organizations retain control, as network
administrators are able to manage the tools to add, delete or modify
users while turning over all, or part of, email management to MCI
WorldCom. Managed Email customers can take advantage of Internet
messaging solutions including Web-based email with integrated
calendaring, POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3), and IMAP4 (Internet
Messaging Access Protocol 4) email, as well as hosting of Microsoft
Exchange's full-featured email and collaboration capabilities.
Other features include unlimited Internet email, use of vanity domain
names, and SPAM control. Virus scanning, content filtering,
distribution lists and delivery of messages to non-email devices are
some of the many optional features.
Growing Trend
According to the Gartner Group, companies are finding that the cost
of running their own servers is increasing and uses resources that
deflect from day-to-day business. This is leading some enterprises to
consider outsourcing all, or some of their messaging network. Results
of a survey conducted by Creative Networks show that 19 percent of
Fortune 500 and Forbes 100 companies are outsourcing at least some part
of the management of their messaging systems, up from about eight
percent in the third quarter of 1999. And the market potential is
increasing as well. The Gartner Group estimates that the market will
grow to $1.3 billion by the end of 2000.
Critical Path Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTH) is the dominant global provider of
complete end-to-end Internet messaging and collaboration solutions for
corporations, Internet service providers (ISPs), Web hosting companies,
and Web portals. Critical Path has built an industry-leading global
infrastructure with data centers connected to key Internet exchange
points, and currently reaches more than 50 million end-users through
its customer relationships. Critical Path provides reliable, secure,
and scalable email, and a flexible suite of enhanced messaging services
to partners such as E*TRADE, CompuServe, Network Solutions, ICQ, France
Telecom and British Telecom. Critical Path is headquartered in San
Francisco, with offices in locations nationwide and in the United
Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Argentina and
Denmark. More information on Critical Path can be found at
www.cp.net.
MCI WorldCom (NASDAQ: WCOM) is a global leader in "all-distance"
communications services with operations in more than 65 countries.
Revenues in 1999 were $37 billion, with more than $15 billion from
high-growth data, Internet and international services. MCI WorldCom and
Sprint have announced a merger agreement, which the companies expect to
close in the second half of 2000 after regulatory and shareholder
approvals. For more information go to http://www.wcom.com.