Google is adding two features to its Google Message Security, a hosted service for monitoring and managing e-mail systems that filters message content based on pre-established policies and protects against spam, viruses and other threats.
On Wednesday, Google will upgrade Message Security by making it possible for a copy of a message to be delivered to two different e-mail hosts and by simplifying the calibration of spam and virus protection parameters, the company said.
The new Dual Delivery feature will come in handy when organizations are migrating from one e-mail platform to another, as well as when they want to set up a secondary e-mail repository for backup purposes, according to Google.
Meanwhile, Health Check introduces a new reporting capability to assist e-mail system administrators in establishing the right level of virus and spam detection, so that it’s enough to protect the platform without being excessive and disrupting users’ workflow.
Google Message Security, which is based on technology Google acquired with its purchase of Postini, is included at no extra charge with the Premier edition of the Google Apps collaboration and communication suite.
However, organizations that don’t use Google Apps Premier can still sign up for Google Message Security, which costs US$12 per user, per year when purchased as a stand-alone service.
Google acquired Postini in July 2007 for $625 million in cash, a move directed at boosting Google’s enterprise software unit and making Google Apps a more viable product for large organizations that have sophisticated e-mail compliance, management and security requirements.