eFax.com Launches `Messenger Plus', Free Document Delivery Software That Optimizes Email Attachments

Business Wire, Feb 29, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 29, 2000

Senders and Recipients Can View, Edit, Digitally Sign, Annotate

by Voice or Text, Print and Highlight Virtually Any Digital File

Format

eFax.com (Nasdaq: EFAX), a leading provider of Internet communication services, today unveiled `Messenger Plus', a free software product that adds a new dimension to email document delivery over the Internet. Messenger Plus makes documents more portable than ever -- over thirty common formats, like fax, PDF, AutoCad, PowerPoint, etc., can be easily sent to any email recipient for instant viewing and printing in the highest possible resolution.

Messenger Plus software allows users to send large color and black-and-white documents, created with nearly any common application. Using eFax.com's proprietary compression technology, Messenger Plus sends fax and email documents in a format up to 2-3 times smaller than their original size. Additionally, Messenger Plus enables users to send text-annotated faxes and voice-annotated emails from their computers and then hyperlink these annotations to other documents or even websites. Other features include personal signature stamps, highlighting tools, and the ability to combine, re-order or delete pages from existing fax or email documents using the "thumbnail view" function.

"Messenger Plus is an incredibly simple way for any business person to deliver faxes or documents as email attachments and ensure that they can be instantly accessed by the person on the other end," said Ron Brown, president of eFax.com. "It adds innovative features to enable business professionals to exchange ideas on a document using voice and text annotations, highlighting, and hyperlinks. For example, a user can send a contract and highlight changes in a specific paragraph by creating a voice annotation. Or they can use a `stamp' of their signature to approve a document and return it, all electronically."

Mr. Brown added, "New products like Messenger Plus offer tools and solutions that simplify the exchange of business documents, whether they start as a digital or paper original. We'll continue to offer new products and services to our user base as a way to build use of our eFax Plus service. The premium ad space available on the Messenger Plus viewer has created additional advertising opportunities for us, and with our Live Update technology our users continually have the latest eFax applications on their desktop."

How Messenger Plus Works

Both eFax Free and eFax Plus customers are encouraged to download the Messenger Plus software to maximize their eFax service functionality and performance. The Messenger Plus software is available for free download at the eFax.com website (www.efax.com). Upon installation, the Messenger Plus software enables a Live Menu feature that conveniently places an easy-to-access "Send" button on the menu bar of most popular software programs. When a user wants to send an email document or fax using the Messenger Plus software he/she simply creates the document using a common application (i.e., MS Word, Powerpoint, etc.). Once the document is created, the user simply clicks the "Send" button and designates how the document should be sent -- "as a Fax" or "as an Email". At this point, the user can then choose to text or voice-annotate the document, highlight key points within the document, hyperlink annotations within the document and/or add a personal signature or rubber stamp to the document. Once the type of document being sent is designated, the user simply clicks the "Send" button and the fax or email document is sent.

Use of Messenger Plus for sending attachments via email and receiving fax-to-email documents is free, but users will need to sign-up for the eFax Plus service if they want to send a document to a traditional fax machine. The eFax Plus service costs only $2.95 a month plus slight usage fees, with a one-time $10.00 activation fee. eFax Plus subscribers can also choose local phone numbers for receiving traditional fax documents as email attachments, or toll-free numbers.

In recognition of the Messenger Plus launch, eFax.com is offering a "Try Two on Us" promotion that allows non-eFax Plus subscribers the opportunity to send two faxes, anywhere in the U.S., for free. For a limited time, all eFax Free subscribers and non-eFax subscribers will be able to "test drive" the fax sending portion of the eFax Plus service by faxing two documents via email to the recipient of their choice. This promotion is currently included in the free download of Messenger Plus at www.efax.com.

About eFax.com

eFax.com (Nasdaq: EFAX) is a leading provider of Internet communication services, and has provided unique telephone numbers to more than 1.8 million members. The Company continues to expand its range of solutions beyond its initial offering of the world's first free fax-to-email service. The Company markets its Internet services via its own eFax.com web site and through affiliates and co-brand partners, including Phone.com, Microsoft, Network Solutions, WebTV, fortunecity.com, FindLaw and AllBusiness.com. eFax.com is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. For more information, call 1-877-EFAXCOM; fax (650) 326-6003; or visit: www.efax.com.