Managed e-mail security services company Singlefin announced today Singlefin Lite, an enterprise-class spam and virus filtering product that is unique because it is available for free.

"We're eager to shut down spammers," said Singlefin CEO Jake Jacoby, "because they're creating constant e-mail mayhem." Singlefin Lite detects spam and updates Singlefin's security server network just as the normal Singlefin product does.

"We already service about 7,000,000 e-mail users," continued Jacoby, "and adding a couple of million more through the Lite program will help us to sharpen our filters, and enhance our reputation systems."

The difference in operation between the normal service and Singlefin Lite is that the spam e-mail continues through to the user, but the messages are marked "***spam". Users have to install a control in their e-mail client to move the marked messages out of inboxes or set up a DNS or MX Record redirect that can check the message and move the spam out of the e-mail stream. Virus-carrying messages are deleted from the e-mail stream altogether.

Jacoby hopes to gain both free and paying customers through the program. "We see most enterprise candidates with spam filtering in place," he said, "but it may not be satisfactory for them, and this is a way for them to try our service." There will be an upgrade program in place.

Internet Service Providers and e-mail hosting companies can get access to Singlefin Lite immediately. Enterprise customers will be able to get the product on March 8.

Jacoby, Most enterprise companies have some type of spam filter, but it may not be satisfactory. Mayabe lots of false positives, much spam getting through. We process more mail than anyone in managed service, (7 million seats), want to increase market share through free service, but also makes our reputation filters more accurate, so we achieve economies of scale. "We expect that some portion of our users will migrate to paid services. There will be an upgrade service.