CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 17, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Today Akiva announced the immediate availability of the industry's first online meeting product packaged as a hardware appliance rather than as software or hosted services. Akiva WebMeeting Appliance(tm) 3.0 includes new features as well as all the hardware and software needed to run state-of-the-art online meetings. Based on their leading online meeting software, WebBoard Meeting(tm), Akiva WebMeeting Appliance 3.0 reflects the company's commitment to making its product available to a broader market by offering it at a lower price and with more flexibility in how it can be purchased.
"We know that many companies would prefer not to commit to a monthly fee, which is the pricing model used for online meeting software and services from leading providers such as WebEx and Placeware," said Eric Olinger, CEO for Akiva. "Monthly fees can result in paying a much higher price for a product than should be necessary. We wanted to give customers the option of making a one-time purchase so they can have the benefit of a set price with no usage or overage fees. With a hardware appliance there is no hassle with installation and configuration and the product is plug-and-play. We see it as the difference between Centrex and the PBX in the voice world."
Akiva WebMeeting Appliance 3.0 is priced to offer a 6-8 month ROI over traditional monthly fee or per minute online meeting services. The company offers a comprehensive, next business day replacement warrantee, and the product includes remote management by Akiva's support team or customers can have onsite management through an Akiva Integration Partner. For companies that want to use their own hardware, Akiva WebMeeting(tm) 3.0 is a software only version of the product that offers the same features and attractive pricing.
Another industry first, Akiva WebMeeting 3.0 now adds pre and post meeting web and/or email discussion forums and file archives to extend the value of the meeting product beyond the meeting itself. Akiva WebMeeting 3.0 also offers new features such as polling and quizzes, multi-session video and improved recording including export to AVI. The software product is supported on the Microsoft Windows Server platform. Pricing starts at $5,995, full pricing and specifications are available on the company's web site at www.akiva.com/webmeeting.
About Akiva
Akiva's technology and services enable organizations to collect ideas from employees, customers, partners and suppliers to dramatically improve business performance through rapid innovation. The company's enterprise products enable teams to successfully contribute, share and track ideas that produce revenue or reduce expenses. The company also publishes the number-one selling WebBoard(tm) and ChatSpace(r) products and provides professional services to assist organizations in developing effective online community applications. The company's clients include major corporate customers in financial services, manufacturing, technology and online media as well as major educational institutions and non-profit organizations. For more information, visit www.akiva.com.
Akiva, WebBoard, Akiva WebMeeting, Akiva WebMeeting Appliance and WebBoard Meeting are trademarks of Akiva. ChatSpace is a registered trademark. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.