John, My suggestion isn't _QUITE_ an appliance, but it works very well and I've been exceptionally happy with it. It's a distribution of linux controlled via a web interface that does far more than just mail filtering (at which it is both flexible and adept). Take a look at http://www.clearfoundation.com/Software/overview.html. The hardware requirements shouldn't be too insane, and the rules updates/subscriptions for the various services are all month to month, and not a bucket of insane.
Andrew On 4/8/2011 11:51 PM, John Palmer (NANOG Acct) wrote: > OK, its been a year since my Barracuda subscription expired. The unit > still stops some spam. I figured that I would go and see what they > would do if I tried to renew my subscription EXACTLY one year after it > expired. Would their renewal website say "Oh, you are at your > anniversary date", and renew me for a year? > > No such luck: They want me to PAY FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR for which I did > NOT receive service and then for the current (upcoming year). Sorry - > I don't allow myself to be ripped off like that. Sorry Barracuda - you > get no money from me and I'll tell everyone I know about this policy > of yours. > > I posted an article about this unscrupulous practice on my blog last > year at http://www.john-palmer.net/wordpress/?p=46 > > My question is - does anyone have any suggestions for another e-mail > appliance like the Barracuda Spam Firewall that doesn't try to charge > their customers for time not used. I should be able to shut off the > unit for a year or whatever and simply renew from the point that I > re-activate the unit instead of having to pay for back-years that I > didn't use. > > Thanks > > > > >