E-Mail Boom Boosts Interest in ‘E-Post Offices’

The growing popularity of e-mail is raising the profile of some companies that function as “e-post offices,” providing technical support for group e-mail accounts so that individual businesses do not have to. Critical Path Inc., a San Francisco e-mail outsourcing company, raised $33 million from venture capitalists and customers in what it called the largest single round raised by an e-mail company to date. “The appetite was a little bit surprising,” said Critical Path Chairman David Hayden. “We were only seeking $15 million.” Critical Path supports millions of e-mail boxes. From two data centers, it hosts the e-mail of 180 corporate customers, including e-mail offered on 15 Internet portals. Other e-mail outsourcing companies that recently obtained venture funding include EGroups of San Francisco and OneList Inc. of Andover, Mass.