MAAWGI\’m writing this from the sky as I fly over the Atlantic Ocean, on my way back from Heidelberg, Germany where I attended a MAAWG conference. I always enjoy going to MAAWG, not only because of the vast amount of socializing and networking that goes on, but also because of the high level of knowledge and expertise there. For example, I attended a panel discussion that included the managers of the postmaster teams for both AOL and Hotmail. These people are the ones who make the decisions on how email is delivered, and whether it is bulked or blocked. From my standpoint as the one in charge of ensuring good delivery for mobileStorm, the value for attending these conferences is clear.

Overall, from the panel discussions to the hallway discussions, some fundamental truths were again reconfirmed to me. These aren\’t new concepts, and have been discussed at length in the past, but I will reiterate as they are becoming increasingly important.

  • 1. Reputation is king. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and email receivers do keep track of how well a sender manages their email communications. Complaints and list hygiene (how old the email list is), among other things, are tracked. If variables such as these are not kept in check, a sender will gain a negative reputation, which will affect the way the sender\’s email is delivered.
  • 2. Authentication is essential. More ISPs are now checking to see if sender email is being authenticated. A sender needs to authenticate email using all of the current technologies (SPF, SenderID, DomainKeys, DKIM).
  • Unless they follow these types of best practices, senders could be faced with a scenario in which, for example, they would have to \”certify\” themselves – through a third party and at an additional cost – as legitimate. However, if these practices can be embraced and followed, most delivery issues would not exist. Let\’s work together to create a friendly email eco-system, where best practices are adhered to, and email is delivered to the inbox.

    Until next time,

    Drink Responsibly, Drive Responsibly, Email Responsibly.

    Jaren Angerbauer
    Director of Deliverability
    mobileStorm