Mailblocks Debuts New Free Web-based Email Service at CES; Adds Innovative Features to Premium Services [January 8, 2004]

LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA and CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS—January 8, 2004—Mailblocks, Inc. today launched a free version of its Web-based email service and announced a host of new features for both its free and premium services, furthering its goal to provide the best consumer email experience possible.

Mailblocks helps consumers manage, protect and consolidate their email. Among the service's signature features are:

• 100% elimination of spam with no false positives via Challenge/Response 2.0.
• Consolidation and management of existing Yahoo! Mail, AOL, MSN, Hotmail and POP3 accounts into one universal inbox.
• Email access from a super-fast, application-like Web interface or through desktop email applications.
• Largest storage and attachment allowances at best pricing for consumers.

Mailblocks' new free service, which is advertising-supported, features 5MB of storage, as well as Mailblocks' highly effective and patented anti-spam Challenge/Response 2.0 technology and a range of email management capabilities. The free service will deliver functionality consistent with Mailblocks' current premium accounts, with a few exceptions: free accounts will not be accessible via desktop email applications, or provide the capability to consolidate other external email accounts.

"We don't want price to be a barrier to anyone who would like access to the world's best spamfree consumer email service. Our free service will introduce even more people to the Mailblocks' experience,” said Mailblocks' Vice President of Sales and Marketing Susan Bratton. “This also communicates clearly that Mailblocks is now the hands-down best email service today with the price barrier removed.”

Mailblocks' Service Plans

The hallmark of Mailblocks' service is its patented Challenge/Response 2.0 anti-spam technology, which completely eliminates spam from consumers' inboxes while allowing all legitimate email and preventing false positives. Also central to the service is Mailblocks' Trackers functionality, which provides a mechanism for consumers to receive legitimate commercial communications, such as newsletters and e-commerce correspondence that often get lost in filtering and other Challenge/Response systems. Trackers provide extra email addresses that are customizable and disposable, which can be used for legitimate computer-generated, opt-in email communications (e.g., shopping, travel or auction sites).

Mailblocks will continue to offer premium accounts that provide greater storage, an increased number of Rules and Trackers and provide advanced email handling capabilities. Mailblocks' Basic Service provides 15MB of storage for the low price of $9.95 per year. Its Premium Service features 100MB of storage, aggressively priced at $24.95 per year. All services also offer attachment allowances of 6MB, enabling users to send and store large files. New subscribers can obtain the free or enhanced Mailblocks services at www.mailblocks.com. Additionally, a free 30-day trial of the Basic service is available at http://freetrial.mailblocks.com .

Powerful New Email Features Added
Additionally, Mailblocks today debuted a number of new features to the service, including advanced options that will help consumers take full advantage of the service while more effectively managing their email.

Highlights of the new release include:

• Getting Started Wizards – one Wizard automatically guides the set up of a new Mailblocks account, including consolidation of external accounts. Other Wizards assist in importing contact information from email clients and address lists of other Webmail accounts; establishing Tracker aliases and using Mailblocks with Outlook Express.
• Full Contact Support – provides a universal email address book and contact management tool that directly imports from Outlook and holds personal and business information. This new feature extends the existing Mailblocks address list used for Challenge/Response 2.0 and fast email addressing.
• Folder Rules – lets users define policies to manage messages, set flags based on content (i.e. create a rule to flag messages from your spouse), organize messages into folders, and to control message size.
• Multiple Domains – in addition to mailblocks.com, users now have a choice of 15 extra domains for their email address. The selection of domains available includes memorable and fun addresses such as 5starmail.com, aliveandkicking.com, easydoesit.com, gr8mail.com, luckymail.com, mail4me.com, writesoon.com and more.

Among other new features included in the release are: capability to export addresses and create distribution lists; reply-to option; email signature and enhanced support site functionality.

Mailblocks' features and functionality set it apart from the competition, particularly compared with other anti-spam solutions, according to recent studies by the independent research firm The Tolly Group.

About Mailblocks
Mailblocks, Inc. is a new class of Web-based email service for consumers. Founded in July 2002 by Phil Goldman, a former Microsoft executive and a founder of WebTV, Mailblocks started with a simple idea: improve the consumer email experience—make it better, more manageable and—above all else—free from the aggravation of spam. Using state-of-the-art technology, an assemblage of talented, passionate and experienced individuals and a customer research driven development model, Mailblocks is dedicated to helping people restore and fulfill the true potential of email communication. To learn more about Mailblocks, visit our Web site at www.mailblocks.com or contact pr@mailblocks.com.

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For More Information:
Krause Taylor Associates for Mailblocks
Jennifer Edsell Henderson
(408) 918-9085
jennifer@krause-taylor.com