We have important information to share with you regarding your SkyBest e-mail account and your SkyBest dial-up Internet service!  We are migrating to a new platform, which will add additional security and safeguards to your service and e-mail account.  This transition will require some minor changes on your part.

The information below outlines the changes and provides you with details on how to make them.  The changes can be made any time between now and February 12.  If the changes are not in place by February 13, you will encounter problems logging onto to your dial-up account and with your e-mail.  We strongly encourage you to make the necessary changes prior to February 13, 2008.

Realm Authentication Further Protects Your Dial-up Account
For our dial-up customers, we are migrating over to realm authentication.  This will require you to log in using your full e-mail address for authentication (username@skybest.com).  Up until the migration, you could log in to your dial-up account using just your username.  After the migration, you will be required to use your full e-mail address to dial-up to the Internet.  You may begin using your full e-mail address to log in immediately.  You do not have to wait until February 13.  In addition, your password will also become case-sensitive.  All passwords will be migrated over as all lowercase.  These changes provide an increased level of security with less likelihood of accounts being accessed by password generation technology used by hackers and identity thieves. (Note:  This change does not affect high-speed Internet services.)

Changes to Outgoing E-mail
For all SkyBest.com e-mail users, we are migrating over to authenticated SMTP for outbound mail.  This will require that minor configuration changes in your e-mail programs be updated to support SMTP authentication and that you log in with your full e-mail address and password for e-mail sessions.  In order to reduce viruses and spam, outgoing e-mail servers will require SMTP authentication using the full e-mail address (username@skybest.com) and password to authenticate users before sending e-mail.    To assist you with these configuration changes, we have prepared instructions for the most popular e-mail programs.  Click here for instructions.

GreyMail Replaces Postini
Along with the outgoing mail changes, the e-mail filtering software program is scheduled to change.  Postini will be replaced with a similar service for SPAM and virus filtering called Greymail.  Greymail functions with the same principles as Postini and does not require an additional username/password.  (You will now have a single username/password for authentication, e-mail and Greymail.)  As we go through the migration, your approved and blocked senders lists will be moved over to Greymail.  Blocked senders go into the ‘blacklist’ in Greymail while approved senders go into the ‘whitelist’ in Greymail.  The settings for spam sensitivity may need to be adjusted after the migration.  Adjusting the settings is a process in Greymail very similar to that in Postini.

WebMail Platform Changes
For users who retrieve e-mail via the Web using WebMail, some additional changes will take place. Messages currently stored in your Inbox will be migrated over and viewed as ‘new messages’ after the migration. (Keep this in mind if you have not downloaded your e-mail messages from the server. You could end up with a lot of ‘new’ messages in your Inbox. We recommend that you download your messages to your e-mail software rather than leaving them on the server.) Address books created in the original Webmail interface will not be copied.  You will be able to access www.toolkitmail.com and log in with your username and password as you have always done for a few days after February 13th.  At this point, you could copy your contact information, paste the information into an e-mail, forward the e-mail to your e-mail address and then paste the information in as new contacts.

In addition to the above-mentioned changes that require action on your part, there are some changes that will not require any action from you. 

Additional Benefits of New Platform
Storage
Each e-mail account (primary and additional e-mail accounts associated with the primary account) will now have its own quota of 100 megabytes (MB) of e-mail storage space.  Previously, the primary e-mail, the additional e-mail accounts and the personal web space had a combined total of 100 MB of storage space.  After the migration, the personal web space will have 10 MB of storage space separate from e-mail storage.

Video E-mail
A new feature included with the new platform is video e-mail.  If you have a webcam and a microphone, video e-mail allows you to record video and audio and then include a link in your e-mail message that will allow the receiver to access a server to view and hear the recorded message.  There is no special software needed, and video e-mail does not include a large attachment--only a link to the files.

Other New Features & Services to Come
As a result of the migration, SkyBest Communications will be able to offer some additional features and services to our Internet customers.  Please watch for upcoming announcements!

Our technical support staff is ready to assist you.  You may contact them at 1-866-759-7591.

Sincerely,

SkyBest Communications, Inc.