Manx Telecom is investing more than £800,000 in a new email platform which it says will provide ’enhanced performance and reliability’.

The announcement comes after the Examiner contacted the telecoms provider following complaints from manx.net customers about weeks of ’woeful’ service.

A Manx Telecom spokesman said: ’Manx Telecom is investing more than £800,000 in a brand new email platform from global email service provider Atmail which will provide customers with enhanced performance and reliability, plus a range of new features.’

The email platform will be launched this summer to replace the manx.net platform, which currently hosts 30,000 mailboxes and handles more than 150m emails each year.

When the Examiner contacted the telecoms provider for a comment it didn’t apologise for the disruption but said it was investing in a new email platform.

A spokesman said: ’Following an extensive tender, testing, and development process, Manx Telecom has partnered with Atmail, a specialist and highly experienced provider that powers 170 million mailboxes in more than 90 countries. Atmail won the tender because of their exemplary record and reputation, especially their focus on customer experience and delivering a personalised, secure, email experience.

’Over the past two decades Atmail has established a strong reputation for performance and reliability, and today boasts an impressive 99% customer satisfaction rating and 99.99% uptime of its platforms.

Stephen Kane, head of product at Manx Telecom, said: ’Atmail delivers the best possible solution for our vitally important Manx.net platform which has, over the last 20 years, become essential to so many consumers and businesses on the island.’

Mailboxes will be automatically migrated with all content. Customers will receive a confirmation email when the process has been completed.

It follows reports that manx.net customers had been unable to send and receive emails and receied no notification that emails have not been delivered.

One user said: ’Is it fit for purpose?’, adding: ’It’s bad enough for personal use, but how do businesses manage?’

Former chairman of the Communications Commission Juan Watterson and Speaker of the House of Keys said government had no control over the quality of the service.

’The government regulates the prices through the Communications Commission, but not quality, meaning it has limited powers. As it’s a free market, people can switch to other providers,’ he said.

’The notion having a manx.net address supports a local business is flawed as, beyond employing locals, the profits and shareholders (of the owners Basalt Infrastructure Partners) can be anywhere in the world.’