Disappearing Inc. Makes Old Email Vanish Everywhere; Reduces Corporate Liability as well as Improves Corporate Productivity by Enabling Sensitive Communications via Email - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Oct 11, 1999

Disappearing Inc. Monday announced technology that works with any email system to encrypt, authenticate, track and delete messages, including those stored on back-up tapes or forwarded to third parties. By eliminating the permanent record of casual conversations, Disappearing Inc. is making email safe for business.

"Unprotected email is like a postcard - the wrong people can read it, there is no proof of delivery, and it stays around forever," said Maclen Marvit, CEO of Disappearing Inc. "Our email policy management system protects messages while they are in use, and then makes them expire whenever the company chooses."

Manages the Entire Lifecycle

"We want to enable people inside our company to freely engage in secure email conversations, and to control and track the use of the messages they send," said John Jendricks, CIO of Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR). "To make that possible, we need tools such as those from Disappearing Inc. that manage and secure email throughout its entire lifecycle."

Unfortunately, most other companies are routinely transmitting sensitive information via email without adequately understanding the risks. According to one study, by the year 2000, an estimated 80 percent of companies without a comprehensive information management life cycle will experience legal repercussions.

"We have been following the issue of email retention and associated liabilities for several years," said David Ferris, president of Ferris Research (www.ferris.com), a San Francisco-based consultancy specializing in messaging, directories and collaboration. "Disappearing Inc. solves a number of problems that have been expensive and intractable."

Lets Companies Universally Delete Messages

The Disappearing Inc. email policy management system encrypts each message with a unique key to prevent unauthorized access. Receivers then authenticate themselves in one of several ways before viewing a message. There is a record of all access, and when a particular key is destroyed, the associated message then becomes unreadable.

When a message is deleted, all copies - including those stored on back-up tapes or forwarded to third parties - become unreadable. This eliminates the devastating liability created by casual comments archived permanently in email.

With the Disappearing Inc. system, companies can specify and consistently enforce policies that govern how long they want to retain different types of messages. For example, a public company might require that all messages related to SEC compliance be archived permanently but that everything else is deleted after a period of ninety days.

Supports E-commerce Initiatives

In addition to enabling internal email policies, Disappearing Inc. supports online sales and service applications. For example, an Internet retailer might use the Disappearing Inc. system to send order confirmations and bills via email. Or, a financial services company might use the system to respond to customer questions where the answer contains sensitive information.

By the year 2002, more than 60 percent of companies adopting e-commerce will use Internet management and security tools like Disappearing Inc., according to recent market research reports. This eliminates the need to use more time consuming media such as the phone and certified mail. The result is increased responsiveness and customer satisfaction.

Integrates with Any Existing Mail System

The solution works regardless of what email client the sender and receiver of a message is using - including but not limited to Web Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Netscape Mail and Eudora. Unlike other offerings, the Disappearing Inc. system requires no changes to the way users read, write or file their messages. This eliminates any need for employee retraining.

IT management will also be happy that there is no required change to their existing infrastructure. The Disappearing Inc. system operates transparently with security technologies like Public Key Infrastructure and automated email response management systems from vendors like eGain and Kana.

Disappearing Inc. is a privately held company whose solutions are making email safe for business. Since incorporating in February 1999, the company has received investments from Angel Investors LLP; Compaq Computer's chairman Ben Rosen; and Red Rock Ventures (www.redrockventures.com). One of the major limited partners of Red Rock is Ernst & Young LLP. FMI: www.disappearing.com.