Harte-Hanks Ranked as a Leading E-Mail Service Provider by Independent Analyst Reports

RICHARDSON, TX – December 28, 2005 – Harte-Hanks, Inc. (NYSE:HHS), today announced that its Postfuture e-mail offering is recognized as a “leader” by one analyst firm report, and delivers “high value” according to a second firm’s report.

In a Forrester Research report issued December 22, 2005, The Forrester Wave™: Email Marketing Service Providers, Q4 2005, analyst Shar VanBoskirk writes:  “Harte-Hanks Postfuture provides one of the easiest self-service interfaces in the space.  [Harte-Hanks Postfuture] still provides one of the simplest dynamic content and transaction email functionality available.”  

Overall, Harte-Hanks Postfuture received a 4.03 rating of a possible 5.00 for its current offering, placing it among the top three vendors and ranking it as a “leader.”  The e-mail solution received a 4.43/5.00 rating for functionality (second highest among invited participating vendors), a 4.21/5.00 rating for its technology platform (third highest), and a 4.00/4.00 rating for strength of management team (tied for first ranking, with three other companies).  There were nine e-mail marketing vendors selected for analysis, of an initial review of 41 e-mail service providers.

In a separate report issued by JupiterResearch titled Email Marketer Buyer’s Guide, 2005, which examined 30 e-mail service providers, Harte-Hanks Postfuture was categorized as “high” for market suitability and overall business value for high-volume, newsletter-oriented e-mail service providers largely driven by features and cost.  

The JupiterResearch report states, “Although [Harte-Hanks] Postfuture has a high number of full- and collaborative-service clients, its solution is quite usable, making it highly suitable for newsletter and promotional marketers.  Postfuture’s 4.1 version boasts collapsible templates, the ability to recall content and rule associations, as well as strong dynamic content features.”

“These independent findings place Harte-Hanks Postfuture in the forefront among e-mail service providers, with specific statements about our leadership in transaction e-mail and dynamic messaging,” said Richard Merrick, managing director, Harte-Hanks Postfuture.  “With our announcement earlier this year of vertically focused e-mail service centers, and our continued integration of Postfuture services with other Harte-Hanks data-based marketing clients and programs, we look to expand our multichannel and behavioral marketing capabilities in 2006 to drive customer lifetime value for our clients.”
Harte-Hanks Postfuture® is a leading e-mail service provider (ESP) offering a patent-pending suite of tools for developing and strengthening online customer relationships.  The company differentiates from other ESPs through an enterprise-class e-marketing suite that automates e-mail broadcasting and customer service dialogues with secure print-at-home incentives, surveys and data management solutions. For more information about Harte-Hanks Postfuture, visit http://www.postfuture.com, e-mail pfinfo@postfuture.com or call (888) 419-2226.