AppRiver, LLC, a leading provider of e-mail messaging and Web security solutions, today announced it has been named winner of the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) International Service Excellence Award in the Small Business category. This award recognizes the importance of exceptional customer service in today's competitive global economy.

"Despite overwhelmingly strong competition, AppRiver exhibited true customer service excellence to be recognized among the top of CSIA's International Service Excellence Awards," said Brett Whitford, Secretary-General of the International Council of Customer Service Organizations. "Our judges were pleased at the level of submissions from all of the vendors entering this year's competition, so for AppRiver to be named a winner of this prestigious award it is a testament to the consistency and determination unrivaled in the service community."

Judging criteria for The International Service Excellence Awards is based on the very rigorous International Customer Service Standard (ICSS), which was established in 1999 as a benchmark and certification for customer service management systems around the world. It provides a comprehensive and practical framework to assist organizations to deliver consistently high levels of service.

"It is an honor to be named an International Service Excellence Award winner," said Michael Murdoch, CEO, AppRiver. "We attribute this recognition to our extremely loyal customer base. Companies of all sizes continue to see the value in the Software-as-a-Service model to address the e-mail and Web security challenges they are facing."

AppRiver was founded in 2002 when co-founders Michael Murdoch and Joel Smith, CTO, shared a vision to provide business-grade e-mail and Web security solutions to businesses of all sizes, without the need for software or hardware. To sustain high performance and continue superior business results, AppRiver approaches business with a focus on creating a positive customer experience from first contact to "post-op" support. This unique customer-centric methodology adds great value to AppRiver as it differentiates the company from others in the market. In fact, the AppRiver Phenomenal Customer Care™ model has become a hallmark of the company's success throughout the years.