ArcMail Aims to Make E-mail Archiving Easy

Company: ArcMail Technology

Headquarters: Shreveport, La.

Technology Sector: Storage

Key Product: ArcMail Defender

Year Founded: 2005

Number of Channel Partners: 400-plus in North America

Ideal Channel Partner: Midmarket-focused solution providers

Why You Should Care: ArcMail delivers higher margins with an appliance that promises easy installation and high customer satisfaction.

The Lowdown: ArcMail Technology wants to make searching for an archived e-mail as easy as performing a quick search for information on the Web.

The ArcMail Defender is an appliance-based e-mail archiving offering that can be installed in a customer shop, making finding a long lost e-mail easy while simultaneously boosting regulatory compliance, the company says.

"Because ArcMail Defender uses an appliance model, we're able to focus on ease," said Ryan Speir, vice president of Shreveport, La.-based ArcMail.

ArcMail Defender

ArcMail Defender works with any SMTP e-mail server and doesn't require client software. As an added bonus, the technology can be integrated into a Microsoft Outlook wrapper. That way, instead of needing a terminal or interface outside of a traditional e-mail client, customers can simply search in Outlook for an e-mail.

"What made the Internet great?" asks Speir. "Remembering a specific URL to find a Website was difficult. But when search engines came along, things got easier." ArcDefender works in a similar manner. Rather than having to remember specific e-mail addresses, dates or names, customers can enter a query into ArcDefender. The interface can accommodate up to six keyword searches that can be used to track down a wayward message.

"Users can even perform wild card searches with just a keyword or two and information comes rushing to them. The search will happen quicker than sorting my Microsoft Outlook fields columns," said Speir.

Solution providers have the opportunity to use the ArcMail appliance to gain visibility into customer networks and potentially generate additional sales through add-on services. When the ArcDefender is installed, solution providers can enter into a conversation about hierarchical storage management, for example.

"ArcMail doesn't include any proprietary hooks. The information we archive is the property of the organization, and that makes it easy for solution providers to work with," Speir said.