AfterMail

2005 Consensus Software Awards

Product Description

AfterMail is a next generation email management platform that solves the existing challenges of archiving and compliance, while also delivering a platform for email enabling line of business applications.

Email is used by organisations of all sizes, in all industries, all of whom are experiencing issues with their existing, proprietary email systems. AfterMail was specifically designed to address these issues, ensuring the requirements of all key stakeholders are met.

As the first solution to deliver Enterprise Email Intelligence, AfterMail transforms email from being an individual communications tool into a corporate asset, enabling organisations to derive additional value from this critical knowledge store. The solution enables organisations to capture, retrieve and analyse email information and delivers a multi-faceted value proposition addressing the key business issues:

• Compliance – data retention and retrieval for discovery;

• Knowledge Management – store all email messages so knowledge can be accessed;

• Storage – manage the burgeoning email stores as a result of higher email volumes;

• Integration – the need to provide access to email communications from other line of business applications, such as CRM systems.

• Minimal impact – the need to implement a solution quickly, which has a minimal impact on other production systems, and provides a familiar user interface for users.

AfterMail is a next generation email management solution that enables organisations to transform email into a corporate asset. AfterMail solves the existing problems of archiving, compliance, storage and knowledge management while also providing a platform for email enabling line of business applications. AfterMail can be installed quickly, with minimal impact and requires no software to be installed on existing email servers or end user computers.

Innovation

Transforming the data contained within email into an enterprise asset, AfterMail’s vision is to ensure organisations can maximise the value of the information and knowledge contained within email, anytime, any where and from any application.

AfterMail leapfrogs the current archive-centric, intensive implementation, client installation-based products with a ‘low touch’ knowledge management-centric approach that unlocks email from the outdated individually-focused structures prevalent in most email server platforms, transforming email into a secure, but discoverable, corporate asset.

Technically, AfterMail delivers several key innovations when compared with its competitors, including:

• Utilises Microsoft .NET technologies to deliver a “loosely coupled” solution that will work with most mail servers.

• Transforms email into a relational form, enabling organisations to access the data and information contained within email. Typically this information is difficult to access.

• Version 3.0 enables Microsoft Outlook users to access both live and archived email messages, without the need for client software. This reduces implementation and support costs.

• Delivers other innovative features such as RSS alerting for user-defined message types, and extends the standard security model to facilitate greater sharing of information.

AfterMail has also been innovative in the way it has positioned and sold the application, developing the sales, marketing and product development streams in parallel, which have enabled it to achieve traction quickly.

The company has also been innovative in the way it has developed its overseas sources, using Internet and other “social networks” to identify and manage sales and reseller channels.

Performance

AfterMail has quickly established itself as a significant player in the “email archiving and management” marketplace with over 25 New Zealand-based government and corporate customers as well as significant customers in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Numerous customers have selected AfterMail, including fifteen New Zealand-based government and local government customers and within  numerous other industries, including law, financial services and construction.

Customers that have installed AfterMail realise numerous benefits, which fundamentally relate to better management of email. In particular, AfterMail addresses the needs of the key stakeholders:

• Risk Manager/CxO – managing email is about managing risk, especially in the areas of compliance, protection of intellectual property, and business continuity

• Knowledge Manager – email is a valuable asset but not easily accessible. Gartner estimates that 70% of an organisation’s knowledge is contained within email

• IT Manager – email is a critical system that needs to remain available, yet increasing email and attachment volumes impact system and storage availability

• Users – email is key to performing most job functions; users want to focus on their jobs, not managing email messages and staying within mailbox quota restrictions

Many of these issues are shared across roles. AfterMail addresses all of these issues. By opening up email, AfterMail also enables customers to achieve greater customer centricity, by easily accessing and understanding all email communication.

AfterMail’s growth has been achieved against stiff competition from the traditional providers in the email archival and management marketplace, largely because AfterMail’s innovative and contemporary approach to email management provides customers with the best platform to manage email as part of the corporate knowledge base.

Potential

Email is a horizontal application, used by organisations of all sizes, in all industries and in all countries. Due to its prevalent use, the opportunity for email-related products is significant.

In the wider market, AfterMail is considered an email archiving solution. The email archiving space is one of the few current growth areas in information technology as regulatory compliance and recent court cases show the inadequacies of current email storage models.  These are issues facing most local and overseas organisations, and by addressing the needs of key stakeholders, AfterMail is able to align its sales strategy with multiple value propositions.

In recent months, a number of leading research organisations have estimated the growth of the email archiving market. While the figures differ, the potential for growth is undoubted:

• IDC estimates email archiving applications revenue topped $180 million worldwide in 2004, up from $33 million in 2002, and will to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 50% through 2008.

• Radicati Group estimates that sales of email archiving products are currently growing at a rate of approximately 90% a year. Spending on email archiving technologies and services will grow to nearly US$1.5 billion by 2007 from US$164 million in 2003. In Europe, the email archiving market is expected to grow from €78.1m in 2004 to €851.8m in 2008.

AfterMail has recognised this potential, and has developed its product and positioning to meet the needs of overseas customers. AfterMail has achieved significant success in New Zealand, with in excess of 25 customers, and this has provided a foundation to move into overseas markets, in particular Australia and the United Kingdom. AfterMail has achieved success in these markets, and has recently established an office in the UK.

Other information the judges should know

Please refer to the attached collateral:

• AfterMail Brochure (pdf)

• Introduction to AfterMail (pdf)

• Supporting Discovery and Compliance with AfterMail (pdf)

• Achieving Customer Centricity with AfterMail (pdf)

• Email Archiving, Retrieval and Analysis – Key Issues (pdf)

Website: www.aftermail.com 

Content Copyright©AfterMail
Format Copyright©Consensus Pty Ltd

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