Goodmail certified email...

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi all,

I just received an email discussing the new adoption by AOL and Yahoo of Goodmail, this doesn't sound good:

America Online (AOL) and Yahoo, two of the world's largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs), have engaged Goodmail Systems (www.goodmailsystems.com) to implement a sender certified e-mail system over the next month or two. Each message sent through Goodmail is imbedded with a security token that will be read by participating ISPs, which then mark the e-mail as certified and slip it past any spam filters, directly into the recipient's inbox. AOL announced that it would receive a share of the revenue, but assured CNN that such revenue would be "modest" and used to beef up the company's anti-spam efforts.

They charge a non-refundable application fee for accreditation of $399 ($199 through July 31, 2006). Costs for accredited commercial e-mailers to send e-mail is then 0.2¢ to 0.4¢ per e-mail, depending upon volume. Qualifying non-profits will not be charged through 2006.

At those costs it would be impossible to do mailings for me and many other small businesses.  

According to the article, AOL claims they will continue to service White Listed clients:

hey are overwhelmed, though AOL insists that it will continue to maintain its own in-house whitelists after the adoption of Goodmail CertifiedEmail.

Is there a solution, according to what I got:

[list=1]

• Ask Yahoo and AOL subscribers to place you in their address book, which will get you through the spam filters directly to them.
• Observe e-mail marketing best practices so that if you have to use some kind of paid sender certification in the future, you can prove compliance of both your list and your practices.
[/list:o]

Well it seems that emailing is going to get even harder in the coming years..

[DW]

Brett,

I don't think it's going to necessarily get harder because of this.  If they still support the old whitelisting system your emails should go through just as they are now.  I think the new goodmail system will simply improve delivery for those who can afford it.

Regards, DW