When deciding on a new anti-spam solution it is critical to go through a few steps to ensure that you are making the best decision for your company. There are certain things to look for in order to properly evaluate, test and carry out a new anti-spam solution. It is extremely important not to overlook any of the key features that will make your solution a success. CopiaTECH is here to help! We have helped numerous customers with the implementation and switching strategies, making their transition as easy and stress-free as possible.

To start with, it is important to clearly define what spam means to you and then translate that specific definition to your vendor, to ensure they deliver a product that suits your specific needs. For some, spam is considered “unsolicited commercial e-mail sent to advertise a product or a service.” Others take out the commercial aspect and leave it as simply “an unwanted automated message.” And, of course, employees might have a whole different idea of what they consider spam and willingly receive a lot of emails the Corporate Policy would prefer they not.

After defining spam, you need to set clear what type of effectiveness you are looking for. The two most important factors that determine an anti-spam solution’s effectiveness are:

1. Blocking all spam (with only a 5% error factor).
• An effective solution should not let any more than 5% of spam through to your system. While it would be nice to block 100% that in itself is almost impossible.
2. Not blocking any good email.
• Even one blocked good email should not be tolerated.
• One lost good email can be detrimental to your company – do not settle for just any “solution!”

Another important part of evaluating an anti-spam solution is assessing how much overhead the solution will create for the IT staff. It is crucial to be aware of the many tasks you will be required to perform regularly once a system is in place. Common problems that IT management may encounter include administrative burden that is larger than predicted and complaints from unhappy users.

The testing methodology that should help ensure that you properly evaluate a new anti-spam solution includes a few simple tests. When testing you should:

• Test with your company’s REAL email
• Each company has unique needs so test in your environment with your email.
• Test with live email
• Test for at least two weeks
• Involve a varied set of end users
• Email patterns vary across departments
• Test multiple solutions side by side or consecutively.

Sometimes it is necessary to switch your anti-spam solution based on its level of effectiveness. CopiaTech can help you find the right implementation and switching strategies and ensure you find the precise anti-spam solution you need.