Spam overload

An estimated 34.7 Trillion spam emails sent during 2009 according to Cisco's 2009 annual security survey - so approximately 5 for every person on this planet.

Distributed problem

The report goes on to further highlight the rise in the use of 'botnets ' - taking over host computers to launch attacks. This is significant, previously security focus for blocking and prevention would be on specified devices or countries, now the use of host computers (mine and yours essentially!) which are distributed around the world means repelling these attacks is ever more difficult.

Marketeers

With the problem only looking to increase, the compelling arguments for permission based marketing are stronger than ever in trying to cut through this ever increasing 'noise'.

Email is still a powerful tool - if used with a focus on 'relevance' in the context of content, frequency and timing not being nice to haves, but essential.

*Update

Analysis of 1.5% of one ' botnet ' called Storm during one month in 2008

• 35 million emails sent
• 8.2 million were delievered to mail servers - the remainder were dropped as incorrect / non existent addresses
• Of these 10,500 people clicked the link in the email, resulting in 28 purchases.
• Scaling this out to the full exposure of the botnet reach, it was estimated $3.5million in sales.

*source new scientist