Microsoft has tapped IronPort Systems to provide antispam protections for its MSN and Hotmail e-mail services, the companies announced this week. IronPort will provide Microsoft with its "bonded sender" e-mail certification program, which aims to create a list of certified senders of bulk e-mail, the San Bruno, California, company says. Microsoft has been testing the IronPort program for the past five months, according to IronPort.
To qualify for the so-called "white list," senders of bulk e-mail pay a financial bond, agree to a set of best practices for sending commercial e-mail and are monitored by TRUSTe, a nonprofit organization that monitors complaints against bulk e-mailers, IronPort says. Should senders violate any of these best practices, debts are taken against the bonds, which are calculated based on the monthly volume of mail sent, the company says.