Kyberpass Corporation announced that they are working with IBM to offer a fully integrated online trusted e-payments solution designed for Identrus member banks. This joint e-Payments offering will enable banks and other financial institutions to adopt the standards-based Identrus framework to provide secure solutions to its customers using the Eleanor payments specification. The Kyberpass TrustPlatform for the Identrus System includes a number of Identrus Compliant and Identrus Ready components, such as Kyberpass Trust Services Manager, performing the functions of an Identrus Transaction Coordinator and OCSP Responder for Issuing and Relying Participants and Kyberpass K2 Email Agent Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, performing the function of an Identrus Secure Email Plug-in for Subscribing Customers and Relying Customers.

CASAHL Technology announced a Rapid Application Development system for developing data integration applications using Web services as part of its software, ecKnowledge. This new capability simplifies use of Web Services to integrate information in various systems within the enterprise or with business partners. CASAHL’s Web Services Connector is built on industry standard technologies such as UDDI, SOAP, WSDL, XML Schema, and .NET framework. The connector will be available in third quarter of 2002.

First Virtual Communications announced its next generation Web conferencing solution. The company’s completely updated Click to Meet product family adds video and audio conferencing capabilities for desktops and conference rooms. First Virtual’s solutions integrate with existing tools and methodologies, extending the advantages of instant messaging and collaboration environments such as Microsoft Exchange, Outlook and MSN Messenger.

Software Shelf International today announced the release and shipment of Exchange Reports Plus for Microsoft Exchange. Software Shelf Exchange Reports Plus analyzes all the messages exchanged through Microsoft Exchange Server from inside and outside the Exchange organization and monitors email traffic, mailbox and Public Folder properties as well as user and group membership. Data is exported from Exchange servers and Windows 2000 domain controllers into either Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL Server databases. This data is then used to generate a variety of analytical reports through the Exchange Reports Plus user interface.

ZDNet reports that Trend Micro issued a yellow (medium) alert for what it refers to as Worm_Fretheme.E. Worm_Fretheme.E is similar to other worms, in that it’s an email propagated .exe attachment. With this worm the subject line reads "Re: Your password!" The attachment is Decrypt-password.exe.

Reuters reports that there’s a new virus on the loose that can corrupt digital images. The virus, W32/Perrun, can corrupt .jpg files but is considered low risk because it has not spread, and was not expected to spread, across the Internet.

Vnunet.com reports that Microsoft has signed telecom company Colt as its first partner to offer hosted messaging services to corporate customers. Microsoft will announce further ASP partners across Europe to provide outsourced messaging services to customers. Colt’s service will be rolled out across France and Germany over the summer.

Infoworld has this review of Appmail, an email collaboration tool. Appmail works with a variety of email clients, including Eudora, IBM/Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, and Netscape Messenger, or any other mailer featuring HTML support.

Critical Path is hoping to attract companies to its Web-based messaging technology. According to this article in Information Week, the vendor’s Critical Move initiative is focused on letting companies looking to reduce messaging costs migrate from Domino or Exchange to Critical Path, but the company also recognizes there’s a potentially huge market in supplying a messaging product that can easily be extended to employees for whom email is not critical.

Critical Path announced its Critical Move initiative. The new Critical Path messaging solution includes a presentation framework that can provide centralized access to its services via Microsoft Outlook, the Web, wireless devices and voice. The framework also lets the suite to be easily integrated with application servers such as BEA’s WebLogic, as well as with enterprise portals.