ATTN: Business Editor / Internet Editor	For Immediate Release Wednesday, July 26, 2000
UNIQUE VIRUS PROTECTION FEATURE FOR MAKTOOB EMAIL USERS Maktoob.com launches revolutionary Auto Scan facility   Dubai: After being the first to launch the Arab world’s first fully bilingual web-based communication services, Maktoob.com has unleashed yet another trendsetting service for its growing email member base – a revolutionary Auto Scan Anti-Virus facility that automatically scans all incoming as well as outgoing email messages. Announcing this yesterday, Manal Barghouthi, Messaging Systems Manager at Maktoob.com, said that the introduction of the indigenously developed service was imperative due to the growing worldwide threat of computer viruses, which crippled major business organizations and seriously affected individual users around the world in recent times. “A majority of the computer viruses that threaten computer systems and networks today are spread through email communication,” she explained. “The rapid spread of viruses such as ‘I Love You’ and ‘Melissa’ in recent times through this method has forced many corporations and individuals to ensure complete virus protection for their computer systems from harmful incoming email.” The introduction of this facility makes Maktoob.com a leader in providing Auto Scanning and Cleaning Anti-virus for both incoming and outgoing email messages – an achievement that highlights the Middle East’s growing stature as a key player in Internet development, Barghouthi said. Designed to handle Maktoob.com’s vast membership – currently standing at 400,000 users worldwide – the Auto Scan Anti-Virus service ensures optimum security by not only cleaning harmful incoming email but also scanning all outgoing messages, in turn, protecting the recipient’s computer system. While eliminating the virus threat completely, the facility notifies both the sender and recipient in case a virus is detected and what action was taken.   Barghouthi added that Auto Scan would prove to be of great advantage in business and e-commerce transactions. “Receiving harmful email can be pretty annoying since they can wipe out extremely important information. This, in turn, can result in an organization losing business from an angry client,” she pointed out. “Auto Scan underlines the importance of a fail-safe communication mechanism that protects their systems as well that that of their recipients.” Due to the fact that new viruses are being written almost every day, Auto Scan had been designed to automatically update itself whenever it detects a computer virus. Barghouthi pointed out that the facility would prove to be an exciting alternative for many users, who previously had to spend exorbitant sums of money on constantly upgrading their anti-virus software. “We are already seeing a steady increase in users shifting to Maktoob from other email services due to this unique feature,” she said. Maktoob.com is the first Arabic / English web-based email solutions provider and leading virtual community for Arabs around the world. Launched in October 1998, Maktoob.com gained instant success among Arabs around the world. It currently boasts of a membership base of 400,000 users worldwide. Besides the free email service, the company offers a range of interactive web-based facilities including MediaRing Talk, a comprehensive business directory, Arabic music, chat, electronic greeting cards and information services.   For more details, please contact, Edward D’Mello Headline Public Relations Tel: 009714 – 3475006; Fax: 009714 – 3475013 e-mail: edward@headlinepr.com
Back