Norwegian Internet Service Provider (ISP) Altibox has recently announced its partnership with Alinto, a leading player in the global email industry, to enhance its email services for its 180,000 subscribers across the Nordic region. This strategic move is aimed at modernizing Altibox’s email infrastructure and providing its clients with secure and reliable communication options.
Altibox had previously operated its own communications network, but when the platform began to require extensive maintenance procedures, the ISP recognized the need for a change. Marius Ekeland, Altibox’s email and security product manager, explained the options they considered, stating: “We had two options: outsource our email services as we didn’t have any in-house capacity to design a new solution, or discontinue the service. and delete all emails, which was not acceptable from the customer’s point of view.”
Considering that its main focus is on providing high-quality broadband, IPTV and VoIP services, Altibox decided to outsource its email services to a trusted third party. Thomas Lunde, Head of Hybrid Cloud Services at Altibox, emphasized their commitment to providing a fully functional and secure email service, stating: “Our core business is not email service. The only thing left to do is deliver it correctly and safely.”
Altibox undertook a rigorous selection process, including the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP), to identify the most suitable partner for its email modernization project. Ultimately, they chose Alinto’s offerings, which are based on Alinto’s hosted SOGomail server and Cleanmail security service. Altibox appreciated the operational reliability and simplicity of the Alinto solution, as well as the inclusion of a management, information and support portal. In addition, the data centers that host the services are GDPR compliant and adhere to excellent ecological standards, an essential factor for Altibox.
180 terabytes of data
Security remains a top priority for Altibox, and the Cleanmail capability Alinto offers would align with the ISP’s ongoing efforts to improve the security of its services. Marius Ekeland noted: “Cleanmail’s capability is a great advantage for us as, as an ISP, we are always working to improve the security of our services.”
Migrating existing mailboxes presented a significant challenge during the transition process. Altibox had to migrate 180 terabytes of data, a task that required meticulous planning and execution. The Alinto team provided invaluable support during the relocation, ensuring a smooth technical transition. Thomas Lunde expressed his satisfaction with the result, stating: “The technical transition went smoothly. We moved compressed data files without being sure of the volume that would remain once uncompressed. Alinto had to make some last minute changes and they proved to be quite responsive.”
Altibox, known for its extensive fiber network connections, operates approximately 35 local networks in Norway and 6 in Denmark. With over 750,000 fiber connections in Norway alone, Altibox has established itself as a major player in the ISP and fixed broadband market. The email services provided by Altibox are available to its customers as an additional offer.
Alinto has been a major player on the global email scene since its founding in the year 2000. The company offers various products, including webmail hosting services, antispam software, and email servers. Two of its notable offerings are SOGomail, a carrier-grade mail server that caters to businesses looking for a reliable European solution, and Cleanmail, which uses advanced email filtering technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to protect communications from possible risks and threats. The collaboration between Altibox and Alinto would be an important step forward for Altibox’s messaging services.