SKYLIST Invites Industry Feedback and Beta Testing of StormPost 2.4 Email Marketing Automation System

New Campaign Automation Features and Deliverability Alerts Help Email Marketers "Weather the Storm" and Improve Customer Communication

AUSTIN, TX. March 29, 2005 - SKYLIST, an industry-recognized deliverability leader in the email service provider (ESP) space, has announced the 2.4 beta release of the SKYLIST StormPost™ email marketing automation system. The StormPost 2.4 software includes leading-edge campaign features including StormAlerts, a real-time deliverability monitoring feature never before seen in the industry. SKYLIST is inviting email marketers to beta test and provide industry feedback of the software, which was rolled out to the StormPost customer base last month.

In today's stormy email climate, marketers need the best technologies and partners available to deliver effective, complex campaigns with powerful results. The StormPost 2.4 software helps marketers achieve these goals by allowing them to send highly personalized messages that are optimized for delivery. Marketers using the software should expect to see a significant increase in the percentage of email that is received by their members and improved return on investment associated with email campaigns.

"Email marketing automation is not just a technology purchase, it's a key business decision," said Julie Keywell, senior vice president of iParenting Media. "Getting big returns out of email marketing is challenging these days, but not since we've been working with SKYLIST. The company is in tune with our needs and develops solutions that allow us to rely on email as a revenue-generating channel."

Real-time Deliverability Alerts Help Marketers Improve Customer Communication
Despite efforts to tackle false positives (i.e., opt-in email marked as spam), 60% of marketers say spam filters are reducing the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns?. With the StormPost 2.4 platform, marketers receive real-time StormAlerts-reports of delivery problems or issues as campaigns navigate their way to the inbox. Also, users will be able to distribute highly personalized campaigns using dynamic content and messages that can be automatically triggered by time and user events. Customers can benefit from the advanced delivery and tracking features of the StormPost platform using a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) relay without making any changes to their current infrastructure.

"We listen to our customers and pride ourselves on offering solutions that solve the email challenges of today and tomorrow," said SKYLIST CEO Joshua Baer. "The StormPost toolkit is continually reviewed by analysts and customers and I'm proud of the new features, especially StormAlerts, which no other product offers."

Savvy Consumers Demand Relevant Email, Less Volume
According to leading analysts, email marketing is reaching a plateau and email marketers need to take steps to separate themselves from the herd. To further complicate matters, consumers believe there is far too much advertising out there and they are wary of promises of data security. Consumers are demanding personalized, relevant and proactive messaging. Marketers must show respect and restraint when it comes to volume and email should be used to exchange a dialogue with customers by providing the most targeted and relevant campaigns. In addition, marketers must track real-time performance to ensure they are getting the most out of each and every email conversation?. These ever-evolving needs were the driving force behind the campaign automation and deliverability enhancements in the latest version of the StormPost software.

"Without having to make big changes to their infrastructure, SKYLIST customers exchange one-to-one, personalized communications with their customers and prospects while closely monitoring their campaign performance. Senders are starting to feel in control of their lists again. We're encouraging more leading marketers to take advantage and generate more revenue from email today," Baer said.

After a free deliverability assessment, qualified beta testers will easily and quickly deploy complex campaigns, leveraging the new tools and features. If you are interested in improving your email marketing programs, please contact Lana McGilvray, vice president of sales and marketing for SKYLIST by sending an email to marketing@skylist.com. The StormPost 2.4 email marketing automation system will be generally available in Q2 2005.

About SKYLIST:
Founded in 1996, SKYLIST is a top-ranked email service provider and email deliverability leader. SKYLIST gives companies that rely on email marketing a distinct competitive advantage by enabling them to efficiently deliver highly targeted, optimized, and measurable opt-in email campaigns. The SKYLIST StormPost email marketing automation system, available in license and hosted-form, is in use by eDiets.com, Sybase iAnywhere, the Ad Council and Anheuser-Busch Credit Union. For more information, please visit www.skylist.com.

Media Contact:
Kathleen Bagley Formidoni
blast! PR for SKYLIST
919-833-9975
kathleen@blastpr.com