InterMute - Messenger Service Pop-Up Ads Stop with InterMute's MessageSubtract

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Messenger Service Pop-Up Ads Stop with
InterMute's MessageSubtract

InterMute is first web filtering company to defeat new Pop-Up technology

BRAINTREE, MA. November 27, 2002 -Broadband and LAN users no longer have to deal with the annoyance of Windows Messenger Service ads popping up on their computer screens, thanks to InterMute's MessageSubtract. InterMute, Inc., developer of award winning AdSubtract web-preference software, today announced the availability of MessageSubtract, a free software utility that blocks the latest type of pop-up advertising: Messenger Service pop-ups.

By exploiting an often-enabled Windows protocol originally intended to send network administration messages, Messenger Service ads (also known as DirectAds) are now popping up on computer screens, even when no Internet browser is open. This new online ad hybrid combines the annoyance of pop-up ads with a delivery mechanism much like that used by spammers to send unsolicited junk emails. The first wave of pop-ups from this new ad-serving technology began appearing worldwide in October, 2002, with open ports on "always-on" broadband and LAN-connected computers being exploited. Marketing company's like DirectAdvertiser and Broadcast Marketer are providing software to launch of millions of desktop pop-ups, and Internet users have become subject to yet another form of unwanted ad intrusion.

InterMute's MessageSubtract software allows Internet users to block Windows Messenger Service ads by enabling and disabling the protocol as they wish. MessageSubtract is the latest product to be added to InterMute's award-winning family of Internet ad blocking products, which includes AdSubtract PRO and the recently announced PopSubtract. AdSubtract is widely distributed from InterMute's web site and by industry leading OEMs who bundle AdSubtract with their products, including cable modem and DSL modem manufacturers, and by over 85 percent of retail modem manufacturers in North America.

"It seems the three constants in life are death, taxes and the ability for online marketers to find new ways to annoy Internet users and invade their privacy. The idea behind Messenger Service ads is to give overly aggressive marketers a way to force-feed advertising to broadband users, via a backdoor exploit. This new ad invasion has the potential to wash over the Internet like a tidal wave, thus InterMute felt compelled to quickly develop a defensive tool. Now there is a simple and free way to block these ads with MessageSubtract," said Ed English, CEO, InterMute.

English continued: "InterMute, already the most trusted name in Internet ad blocking software, understands that giving users control of their computers and privacy cannot stop at simply blocking browser-based pop-up ads. Our customers want to decide for themselves what they see on the Internet, as well as how visible they are on the Internet. That means being able to block all types of Internet ads and user-tracking technologies. MessageSubtract was designed to continue helping our customers and to show that we are keeping pace with new ad technologies being deployed by online marketers."

Availability
MessageSubtract is available immediately, free of charge. The software can be downloaded from www.messagesubtract.com.

About InterMute, Inc.
InterMute, Inc. develops and distributes Internet software to make the web more productive, pleasant, and private. Based in Braintree, Massachusetts, InterMute's software 'Subtracts the Ads' and protects online privacy. For further information, visit the InterMute web site at www.intermute.com.