Published: September 6, 2006 | Updated: June 9, 2008

E-mail has become more than just a fast, easy way to communicate. It is now a mission-critical tool, both inside and outside of businesses. Young and old alike have come to rely on e-mail to connect with friends and family members. Marketers, support staff, and sales organizations all rely on e-mail to maintain customer relationships and increase sales. Unfortunately, as the power of e-mail has increased, the abuse of e-mail has become ever more destructive. Junk e-mail and phishing schemes are increasingly prevalent, and people are justifiably wary of the messages in their inboxes. People's trust and confidence in the Internet have been shaken.

Maximize Deliverability to Windows Live Hotmail Users

Microsoft recognizes that legitimate organizations need to communicate with their customers and that Internet service providers (ISPs) need better tools to ensure that their networks are not being compromised or used to send undesirable messages to Windows Live Hotmail users. Windows Live Hotmail is one of the largest and most widely used Web-based e-mail systems in the world; as a result, it is heavily targeted for abuse.

During the past several years, Microsoft has invested research and development resources into implementing various technologies and services that reduce the threats of unsolicited e-mail and thwart potential spammers. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to protect users while ensuring that legitimate e-mail is delivered. These technologies and services have been very effective—in fact, they block over 5 billion spam and phishing e-mail messages from reaching Windows Live Hotmail users every day.

However, reputable e-mail marketers and individuals can pay the price when legitimate messages are mistakenly blocked or placed in the junk mail folder. Furthermore, these technologies do not help ISPs stop spammers from exploiting their networks to send abusive and deceptive e-mail. For e-mail marketers and ISPs, the damage to a company's reputation can be serious.

That is where Windows Live Postmaster Services (WLPS) comes into the picture. WLPS is a suite of programs and services that helps ISPs and e-mail marketers understand how Microsoft antispam and anti-phishing technologies work, and it helps them understand what is being sent from their networks. WLPS provides information about how users treat e-mail messages that come from a specific network. It offers tools and guidance on best practices that can help ensure that messages reach Windows Live Hotmail users. WLPS also provides information about how ISPs and marketers can get help from a support professional if they have deliverability issues.

How Postmaster Services Can Help

WLPS provides the tools you need to stay in touch with Windows Live Hotmail users and to reduce the amount of spam that comes from your networks. WLPS was designed with flexibility in mind; organizations that need a complete solution can use all of its components, and companies that need only one or two services can pick what they need. Whatever your needs, WLPS offers an end-to-end solution for helping you stay in touch with Windows Live Hotmail users. Furthermore, WLPS will continue to provide state-of-the-art tools and information to help you stay on top of evolving spam and phishing threats.

Windows Live Hotmail Postmaster Services
The Postmaster Web site is the starting point for finding answers to your questions about delivering communications to Windows Live Hotmail users. It is a simple online guide that shows you how to use and sign up for services. The Postmaster site is currently available in 15 languages, with more coming soon. It will help you get a clear overview of policies and requirements no matter where you are located.

•	Get more information about Windows Live Hotmail Postmaster Services

Junk E-Mail Reporting Program
Users of Windows Live Hotmail can use the "Junk" and "Mark as Unsafe" buttons to provide instant feedback about a message they believe is junk. With the Junk E-Mail Reporting Program (JMRP), you can get data about which of your e-mail messages, or e-mail messages originating from your network, are reported as junk by specific users. This provides you with information that you can use to clean and maintain your mailing lists. JMRP is a no-charge service and helps you be CAN-SPAM compliant. Registration is simple, and ongoing membership is subject to your responsible handling of the junk mail reports and your proactive maintenance and purging of mailing lists.

•	Get more information about the Junk E-Mail Reporting Program

Smart Network Data Services
Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) provides senders, network operators, and ISPs with broad reports on all the messages that come from their networks. This service reports how Microsoft antispam technology and other filters processes your messages and shows how frequently users report messages as junk. E-mail marketers can use this report to measure deliverability each day. ISPs also benefit from detailed traffic data that enables them to clamp down on systems that are being used to send unsolicited e-mail. The service is provided at no charge with automated signup and authorization.

•	Get more information about Smart Network Data Services

Sender ID Framework
The Sender ID Framework (SIDF) is an e-mail authentication technology protocol that has been adopted by more than 12 million organizations around the world, including Windows Live Hotmail, to address the problem of spoofed e-mail and phishing exploits. It works by verifying the domain name from which e-mail is sent and then validating the IP address of the sender against the owner of the sending domain. Senders who implement Sender ID and maintain good reputation typically achieve enhanced deliverability rates.

•	Learn more about Sender ID

Sender Score Certified
Windows Live Hotmail uses the Sender Score Certified Mail safelist program, one of the most widely accepted accreditation and reputation monitoring services available today. Sender Score Certified is based on various reputation criteria, including Windows Live Hotmail Junk E-Mail Reporting and Feedback Loop User Reputation data. It requires that senders adhere to a high level of certification, be CAN-SPAM and SIDF compliant, and allow continual volume monitoring and auditing to ensure ongoing compliance. Ultimately, it gives marketers a way to warrant the quality of their e-mail and improve deliverability and open rates.

Support
If you are having difficulties sending legitimate e-mail messages to Windows Live Hotmail users, WLPS offers education about best practices and in-depth support, including the ability to submit online inquiries. Support teams are dedicated to working with you to help resolve problems quickly and reasonably while maximizing our user's online experience and safety.

Put Windows Live Postmaster Services to Work for You

Microsoft is dedicated to helping promote a trustworthy e-mail ecosystem. We also recognize that putting trust back into e-mail requires a collaborative effort. We would like to work with you to help make e-mail a safer, more efficient way to communicate. To find out how you and your company can benefit from using WLPS, visit the MSN Hotmail and Windows Live Postmaster Services Web site.

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