Return Path Acquires Assurance Systems

Deliverability Products Help Opt-in E-Mailers Fight Problem of Being Falsely Identified as Spammers by ISPs

NEW YORK, NY and SUPERIOR, CO -- 06/03/2003 -- Return Path, Inc., the pioneer in helping companies build and maintain better e-mail lists, announced today that it has acquired Assurance Systems, the leader in e-mail deliverability services. This move comes on the heels of Return Path’s recent acquisition of the e-mail strategy consulting division of GasPedal. Companies that rely on e-mail to communicate with customers now have one place to turn for e-mail performance tools surrounding better lists, better e-mail deliverability, and best-practice strategies.

More than 15 percent of e-mail sent by permission-based marketers and publishers is incorrectly blocked or filtered as spam by ISPs and system administrators, according to a recent Assurance Systems study. “Deliverability of opt-in campaigns is the single biggest challenge faced by opt-in commercial e-mailers today,” said Matt Blumberg, Return Path CEO. “While spam is a huge problem for end-users, aggressive efforts to filter and block spam have a negative impact on legitimate e-mailers’ ability to get their wanted e-mail -- things like newsletters, promotions, and even bills and statements -- into the inboxes of their customers. The Assurance Systems suite of products address this problem for e-mailers in an easy-to-use, high-impact way.”

Assurance Systems’ products -- Message Checker, Mailbox Monitor, and Blacklist Alert -- will become the Assurance Suite of products for Return Path. George Bilbrey, Assurance Systems CEO, will serve as general manager for that product line. “George was one of Return Path’s original founders and has done a tremendous job identifying and meeting the market need for deliverability tools as head of Assurance Systems in a short period of time,” said Blumberg. “We are excited to have George re-join Return Path as head of this new line of business.”

Bilbrey says, “Return Path has established a leadership position helping companies build and maintain clean, accurate and current customer e-mail lists with its innovative ECOA and e-mail list hygiene services. Filtering and blocking, along with undeliverable emails and change of address, present severe economic and operational challenges for businesses that rely on e-mail to communicate with customers. The combination of Return Path’s list services, Assurance Systems’ deliverability services, and GasPedal’s best practices consulting services will be a powerful set of tools for the e-mail industry.”

Terms of the acquisition, which is effective immediately, are not being released.

About Return Path

Founded in 1999, Return Path helps both consumers and businesses achieve extraordinary e-mail performance. Its consumer services include e-mail forwarding and an e-mail change of address registry for which12 million users have opted-in to date. Its business services help clients build better lists, ensure better deliverability, and develop better email strategy. More than 175 companies have used Return Path to improve response rates and deliverability on e-mail programs. Return Path is the official e-mail change of address service for the United States Postal Service, and its investors include Sutter Hill Ventures, Mobius Venture Capital, Flatiron Partners, JP Morgan Partners, and DoubleClick, Inc. For more information, please visit www.returnpath.net/business , e-mail info@returnpath.net, or call toll-free 866-362-4577.

About Assurance Systems

Founded in 2002, Assurance Systems helps companies increase the e-mail delivery success rates of their permission-based e-mail communications. Assurance Systems suite of solutions help legitimate, permission marketers resolve e-mail delivery problems caused by improper mail-blocks imposed by ISPs, E-mail Filters and Blacklists. Based in Superior, Colorado, Assurance Systems is a private company. For more information, please visit www.assurancesys.com.

Contact: Jennifer St. Onge
Company: Return Path
Phone: 303-642-4128
Email: jennifer.stonge@returnpath.net

Contact: George Bilbrey
Company: Assurance Systems
Phone: 303-642-4102
Email: gbilbrey@assurancesys.com