INTERNET WIRE -- EchoMail Inc., a leading e-mail relationship management (ERM) application service provider to Fortune 500 companies, has bolstered its service offering and dramatically down-sized its hardware needs by integrating a powerful combination of IBM servers featuring the copper-fueled RS/6000 S80 and Shark Enterprise Storage Server.

EchoMail is a provider of outsourced Web-based e-mail communications that allows its customers who are engaged in e-commerce to more effectively manage their customer relationships. With powerful software tools running on IBM's Unix and storage servers, EchoMail is helping companies such as JC Penney, Nike and Calvin Klein, to increase productivity and improve customer service. The service also prevents virus-infected e-mails from entering its customers' inboxes.

The United States Senate, one of EchoMail's largest customers, uses its services to manage the 10,000 to 20,000 e-mails it receives daily. By using EchoMail's service, e-mails are sifted through and automatically delivered to the appropriate United States Senate office for response. It also can delineate, collate and tabulate e-mail responses to provide polling feedback on issues. In effect, this service expedites response time and provides faster feedback to senators on constituent issues.

To improve the speed and delivery of its service, EchoMail recently overhauled its IT systems, as part of a migration strategy which displaced the database and e-mail server functions from Windows NT servers to the RS/6000 servers. The IBM server, attached to the S80, will be used as the central repository to house the business-critical data of its customers. The migration will consolidate the number of Windows NT servers from 100 to about 10, based on the IBM server consolidation. Both IBM servers were selected for their scalability, reliability and high availability.

"We needed to be able to ensure that our services improve productivity and bottom line," said Gene Deans, Database Administrator. "The combined IBMRS/6000 and Shark Storage servers answered the challenge -- while neither Sun nor EMC could match their price and performance."

EchoMail also selected IBM because it found in one vendor the ability to provide leading solutions of hardware, software, operating systems and services. The alternative would have been a solution from four vendors, which Deans described as problematic, especially when technical issues needed to be resolved quickly.

"We selected the Shark because of its price and function," said Deans, "and weren't persuaded by EMC, especially since it was unwilling to provide performance specifications for the Symmetrix."

The Shark Enterprise Storage Server is the high performance disk storage solution from IBM, the world leader in storage systems, software, services, and technology. Built on the foundation of IBM's Seascape (1) Storage Enterprise Architecture, Shark works with Windows NT, UNIX, Novell NetWare, the entire IBM eServer family -- and with a variety of interfaces, including Fibre Channel, Ultra SCSI and ESCON. Shark incorporates IBM unique technology such as Parallel Access Volumes (PAV) currently unavailable in competing systems from EMC, Hitachi Data Systems and others.

(1) Seascape is IBM's storage enterprise architecture, a blueprint for comprehensive storage solutions optimized for a connected world. The Seascape architecture outlines next-generation concepts for storage by integrating modular "building block" technologies from IBM, including disk, tape and optical storage media, powerful processors, and rich software. Integrated Seascape solutions are highly reliable, scaleable, and versatile, supporting specialized applications on servers ranging from PCs to supercomputers.

*The IBM eServer brand consists of the established IBM e-business logo with the following descriptive term "server" following it.

IBM and Enterprise Storage Server are registered trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective companies. Note to editors: EchoMail, Dr. E-Mail, and XIVA are registered trademarks of EchoMail, Inc.

For more information on the Enterprise Storage Server and its performance advantages over competing products, visit www.ibm.com/storage.

About EchoMail, Inc.
EchoMail, Inc. is a privately held technology company with headquarters in Cambridge, MA. Since 1994, EchoMail led by Dr. E-Mail; (Shiva) has provided customer relationship management to major companies and the Fortune 500 and to major brands via an ASP platform. These companies include AT&T, Allstate, Gateway, IBM and Sprint PCS, among others. EchoMail helps companies manage large volumes of inbound customer E-Mail by automatically receiving, processing, responding, storing and tracking those E-Mails. Customers can also manage mailing lists and execute outbound E-Mail Campaigns using EchoMail Direct Mail platform. EchoMail's patented technology helps customer-focused enterprises launch multi-media E-Mail campaigns that build brand loyalty through improved customer relationships.

For more information about EchoMail, Inc., visit the company's World Wide Web site at www.echomail.com or contact Anne Hardy, 66 Church Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; phone (617) 354-8585, e-mail: Press@EchoMail.com