A controversial new service makes it possible to send electronic messages that leave no record of their existence. VaporStream is a web-based recordless e-mail/IM hybrid messaging service. Messages sent using VaporStream can be viewed but can't be forwarded, copied or otherwise recorded. The sender and recipient information never appear on the same screen as the message, so VaporStream subscribers' identities remain completely private.
If you have a pressing need for confidential conversations with no paper or digital trail, the service could be useful, but be very careful not to run afoul of record-keeping regulations. You should also consider whether to put this sort of capability in the hands of your employees. An individual subscription costs $39.99 per year. The Enterprise edition is also $39.99 per year per user, plus a $5 setup fee per account. Mobile access is an additional $5 per user.
Read more stories about: Communications, News and trends
Like this article? Get this issue right now on iPad, Nook or Kindle Fire.
This article was originally published in the January 2007 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Off the Record.
Ed-Tech Startups Aim to Reinvent Classroom