Messagecare earlier this year launched SpamTrap, a spam filtering technology designed to be housed on an ISPs servers to reduce the amount of spam received by their users. Messagecare was founded by the founders of OzEmail.
The deal will see WebCentral support messagecare through the remainder of its current commercialisation period and collaborate on future developments.
"This acquisition represents much more to WebCentral than a spam filtering service," said WebCentral CEO, Lloyd Ernst. "The combined industry experience and knowledge of global spam trends that resides in the messagecare senior management, including former OzEmail CTO, Andrew Kent, will be invaluable to us in formulating proactive strategies for combating spam to benefit WebCentral and our customers."
Spam has been growing in importance over the past few years, and in June the number of spam exceeded the number of legitimate e-mails. The Australian Senate last week made changes to the proposed anti-spam bill, which may be rejected because they create an exemption for trade unions - which could be beneficial for the Federal Opposition.
