Spam, Unsolicited bulk e-mail (UBE), Junk e-mail, Unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE), Call it what you will, it's become a major headache for companies. The volume of spam e-mails sent has increased exponentially during recent years, and so has the cost of dealing with that spam. While awareness of the problem has certainly increased, many companies still do not realize the significant impact which spam is having on their profits. Similarly, many do not realize that not all anti-spam solutions are created equal and that choosing the wrong solution can significantly diminish return on investment.

This paper will examine the ways in which spam can impact profits and outline the criteria that every company should consider when choosing its anti-spam solution.