Google's Postini adds dual email delivery; Tunes message filtering

Google's Postini security unit added two new features---Dual Delivery and a reporting addition dubbed Health Check---to its security services.

According to a blog post, Google's Postini Services is adding Dual Delivery, which allows a copy of email to be delivered to two different mail hosts. The feature is designed to be a backup email access point, but the real pitch here is to "support migration to a new email service."

That migration would presumably be to Google Apps. In many Google Apps implementations, companies run the search giant's services while keeping their old systems. When the customer is comfortable he does the complete cut-over.

Google explained:

By enabling incoming email messages to be copied and sent to two different mailhosts, Dual Delivery gives users the chance to familiarize themselves with a new email platform without disrupting mailflow to the existing system. It also gives IT the chance to learn from user behavior and understand the technical implications of a migration before a full rollout.

The second Postini service is called Health Check, which allows users to fine tune spam filters. Google described Health Check as a tune up that checks configurations and their impact on antispam and antivirus filters. The Postini service then lines up current settings to best practices.