StarNine previews EMail-On-Demand, an automated E-mail processor for
Macintosh

Enables automated response systems and Listserver-style mailing lists

MacWorld-San Francisco, CA, 1/4/95 - StarNine Technologies, Inc. announced
a new software product at MacWorld-San Francisco called EMail-On-Demand
("eMOD"), an automated e-mail processor for Macintosh that allows users to
create and maintain automated e-mail response systems and Listserver-style
mailing lists using the Internet or Mac e-mail systems. The underlying
rules technology is specifically designed to perform mail services such as
auto-replies based on the subject of an incoming message and mailing list
management for automatically adding and deleting members from a list.
Until now, these types of systems required either a UNIX or mainframe
computer and software such as Listerv or Majordomo. The company said it
expects to ship EMail-On-Demand by the end of the first quarter.

The automated e-mail response feature ("MailBots") supported by eMOD is
similar to a Fax-On-Demand system. Instead of interacting with the
telephone keypad ("press 1 to receive product information; press 2 to
receive company information," and so forth), users simply send an e-mail
message to the MailBot with a subject such as "info" and eMOD
automatically replies with the requested data. To create a MailBot,
administrators design custom auto-replies and provide the text or binary
information to be distributed by eMOD. MailBots can be used within
organizations to distribute information such as technical support notes or
classroom schedules. Marketers can use MailBots like Fax-On-Demand systems
to provide product information or evaluation software to customers. In a
later version, eMOD will support charge-back capabilities using encrypted
transaction processing. With this capability, users will be able to setup
information "vending machines" on the Internet, providing data and even
software.

Listserver mailing lists on the Internet have been used for years by
educators in every academic field to share ideas and publish information.
The Listserver-style discussion lists supported by eMOD allow members of a
centrally managed list to send identical mail messages to all other
members of the list. An e-mail user can join these discussion lists by
sending a message to a pre-defined address with a subject such as
"subscribe" and eMOD automatically adds the user's name and address to the
appropriate list. eMOD is the first personal computer-based software that
supports Listserver-like features.

"EMail-On-Demand is a powerful mass communications tool that lets you
publish any kind of information via e-mail to highly targeted groups,"
said Tom Biddulph, founder and CEO of StarNine. "Listserver mailing lists
and MailBots are among the easiest ways to collaborate, discuss ideas, and
reach new markets on the Internet. eMOD can also be used on local area
networks as a highly efficient means of distributing information within an
organization."

The basic services supported by EMail-On-Demand, MailBots and Listservers,
are comprised of a dedicated e-mail account and a set of rules configured
by the administrator to perform automated tasks on incoming and outgoing
mail. The rules for a MailBot provide standard help messages, indexes of
available information, and auto- replies based on user-input (for example,
if the subject of the message is "product info," then reply with a product
spec sheet as either a plain text message or a binary file enclosure).
Rules for a Listserver service automatically add and delete subscribers to
the mailing list, forward mail to the members of the list, and compile a
digest of the list discussion, etc.

Because configuring rules in eMOD is easy and flexible, administrators can
create highly customized services to meet their specific needs. Using
eMOD's AppleScript support, services can act as e-mail front-ends to
information in other scriptable applications such as FileMaker Pro (for
example, if the subject of the message is "latest data", then launch
FileMaker Pro, perform a query, and reply to the sender with the found
record set). Administrative rules are also supported for tracking usage
and system monitoring.

EMail-On-Demand will ship in the first quarter of '95 in two
configurations: a LAN-mail version for QuickMail, Microsoft Mail for
AppleTalk, and POP3, and an SMTP host version. With the LAN-mail version,
individual users can create mailing lists and MailBots with
EMail-On-Demand accessing dedicated accounts on either QuickMail,
Microsoft Mail, or POP3 (UNIX mail account). The SMTP version is
configured as an independent SMTP host on a TCP/IP network. Pricing has
not been determined.

COMPANY BACKGROUND

StarNine Technologies, Inc., located in Berkeley, CA, is the leading
developer of value-added e-mail connectivity products for the Macintosh.
StarNine's Mail*Link product line includes thirteen e-mail gateways
connecting CE Software's QuickMail, Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Mail for
AppleTalk Networks, and Apple Computer, Inc.'s PowerTalk and PowerShare to
the Internet and a wide variety of e-mail systems on other platforms.
Mail*Link Directory Services provides Macintosh users the ability to look
up addresses and other information about users in heterogeneous networks.

StarNine Technologies, Inc.
510-649-4949 (voice)
510-548-0393 (fax)

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