Welcome to our blog reviewing the eventful year of 2022. As we look back on the past 12 months, it is clear that this has been a significant year for the email industry. There have been a number of major events and trends that have shaped the sector, and it is important to consider these developments as we look toward the future.
The past year has presented numerous challenges, including economic downturns, the war in Ukraine, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The bleak economic outlook has led to divestment in various industries, including the email sector. In recent years, we have observed a trend of email infrastructure vendors shifting their focus towards SaaS offerings and discontinuing the development of on-premise email infrastructure solutions. This can present business continuity risks for their clients and may limit their ability to communicate confidentially with their vendor. Additionally, we have observed that some email services experience limitations in their current email infrastructure software that hinder innovation and growth, as well as prevent them from leveraging cloud scaling to optimize costs. By adopting a modern, cloud-ready email platform, businesses can overcome these risks and unlock new growth opportunities. Halon is committed to helping businesses navigate these challenges and remain competitive in an increasingly dynamic market environment.
Security continues to be a significant challenge in the email industry. ProtonMail was subject to an attack where spammers hijacked their email delivery reputation. They created a ProtonMail account and sent a few spam messages to themselves in order to acquire a spam digitally signed (DKIM) in ProtonMail’s name. The bad actors then resent the signed spam to a very large number of Gmail recipients. This is called a DKIM replay attack. At one point, 98% of emails received at Gmail with ProtonMail’s signature were spam, which destroyed ProtonMail's reputation and deliverability. After this incident, DKIM replay attacks became a widely discussed topic in 2022. We released a blog post on how to prevent a DKIM replay attack, which was well-received by the industry.
On the topic of digital signatures, verified brand logos (BIMI with VMC) which help users determine the sender of a message are being widely adopted as Apple added it to their devices such as iPhone, iPad and Mac. It improves the authenticity and trustworthiness of email and is an important step towards increasing the credibility and reliability of email. We are pleased to have been able to assist our clients in activating BIMI since August 2021.
As we move further into the post-pandemic era, one of the most notable developments has been the return of in-person conferences. After months of lockdowns and social distancing, people are finally able to gather safely again. This is impactful and important to the email industry, as in-person meetings are still key to the working group engagements which drive innovation and evolution. Halon has actively participated in a number of in-person events, including M3AAWG, JPAAWG, CloudFest, Inbox Expo, Deliverability Summit, Cloud Expo, FIC Lille, ETIS, and the ANA Email Evolution Conference.
Despite the challenges of the past year, we remain optimistic about the future of the email industry. According to our newly published email trend report, 20 industry experts predict continued growth in email personalization, AI, and BIMI. The email marketing industry is set to reach $10 billion in 2023, indicating a strong demand for email services and solutions. This is a testament to the continued importance of email as a primary means of communication and marketing for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
We appreciate you joining us for this year in review, and we hope that you will continue to follow Halon as we explore the exciting possibilities that the future holds. On behalf of the whole Halon team, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. We look forward to continuing to serve you and supporting your email needs in the coming year.