I’m looking for a java-based (preferable) mailing list application that allows users to opt-in/opt-out of mailing lists. Open-source is preferable but not mandatory.
This product would be used to send email notifications to subscribed people when certain events happen in another application – i.e. when a new record is saved and approved with certain attributes, a message is sent to one or more mailing lists.
It should be able to handle multiple mailing lists and must have an interface for sending new messages programatically without the need to use it’s web/gui interface.
A last resort would be to develop our own application to perform this functionality.
I would recommend using a hosted service for email marketing. Sure, you may find just the right software for the job. The main issue is deliverability. A mailing service increases the chances of your mail reaching the destination. It also provides very useful reports of how many opened and who clicked what. IMHO, the price of those services is very much justified.
I’m using MailChimp and I’m happy with their service. They have an easy to use API, so you can control your campaigns programatically. I’m invoking it from Java and I’m in the process of packing my code to post it online.