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First Virtual Communications Delivers Click to Meet Integration for Microsoft LCS and IBM Lotus Groupware Environments

Posted on: Monday, 15 November 2004, 09:00 CST

New Click to Meet 4.1 and Conference Server 7.3.100 offer enhanced Microsoft Live Communications Server (LCS) and new IBM Lotus integration, for adding rich media communications to groupware and messaging platforms

First Virtual Communications, Inc. (Pink Sheets: FVCC), a premier provider of infrastructure software and solutions for real-time, rich media communications, today announced the latest version of its award-winning Click to Meet(TM) real-time, rich media communications solution. Building upon its integration capabilities, Click to Meet 4.1 and Conference Server 7.3.100 provide new IBM Lotus groupware integration as well as enhanced Microsoft integration via Microsoft Live Communications Server (LCS). The Click to Meet Software Development Kit (SDK) has also been enhanced to support the new features.

"An effective communications solution should be easy to use and readily accessible within applications people commonly use, such as calendaring, scheduling, instant messaging and e-mail. It also needs to leverage, not duplicate, existing infrastructure such as directory services," said Mike Gotta, senior vice president at META Group, a leading provider of IT research, advisory services and strategic consulting. "Integration with existing collaboration environments from IBM and Microsoft are often key prerequisites for decision makers to sanction introducing new applications that reduce costs and improve productivity."

"Click to Meet 4.0 has made a huge impact on our organization, both in terms of cost-savings and productivity," said Paul Hester, Senior Client Support Specialist for Liebert Corporation, an Emerson Network Power company and the world leader in mission critical power and cooling technology. "The cost-savings from using Click to Meet have been substantial. Before it was installed, we incurred $30,000 per month in teleconferencing costs. Currently, Click to Meet has allowed us to drive those costs down to $1,000 per month."

"Click to Meet has also produced significant gains in productivity," Hester continued. "For example, our design engineers use Click to Meet to collaborate in real time with their counterparts around the world. They especially like how Click to Meet's application share feature empowers them to collaborate on project designs using computer-aided design (CAD) applications. Before Click to Meet, it took engineering teams months to complete the design process. With Click to Meet, the design process takes just weeks, and in some cases only 24 hours."

"We are also very excited about the new features in Click to Meet 4.1, especially the automatic dial-out to H.323 systems," said Hester. "It streamlines the conference call set-up process, freeing me to focus more time on training new users and to extend Click to Meet's benefits as widely as possible throughout the organization. The bottom line is that if real-time collaboration and low cost of ownership are critical to your business, Click to Meet is essential for your organization's success."

Click to Meet provides a fully integrated rich media communications platform that allows multiple users to communicate in an on-line meeting with audio, video, data and text through a client-server software solution. Through a web browser, Click to Meet allows people to attend meetings and classes, see and hear everyone in the conference, and do it all through a single windowed interface. With the enhanced integration features, access to Click to Meet is now possible through commonly used desktop applications:

-- IBM Lotus integration (optional) - provides IBM Lotus Instant Messaging users with the ability to create a rich media conference directly from their existing Instant Messenger, leveraging contact list and presence capabilities widely used and deployed today. Additionally, the IBM Lotus integration option allows users to log into Click to Meet using their Domino directory usernames and passwords simplifying administration and access to Click to Meet's rich media communications capabilities. Administrators don't need to manage multiple directories when deploying Click to Meet; end users can access the system with the same credentials they use with other applications using Domino directory services.

-- Enhanced Microsoft Outlook and Live Communications Server (LCS) integration - expands upon the available (optional) Microsoft integration of Microsoft Live Communications Server (LCS), Outlook and Active Directory integration by enabling multipoint conferencing including conference creation and initiation, directly from Windows Messenger.

Now, users can utilize Windows Messenger, MSN Messenger and IBM Lotus Instant Messaging (Sametime) as launching points for web meetings. If contacts are online and can participate in a web meeting, Click to Meet sends an instant message invitation. From there, contacts can participate in web meetings within seconds.

"With Click to Meet 4.1, we continue to improve the integration of Click to Meet rich media communications technology with groupware and messaging environments," commented Duncan Campbell, vice president of marketing for First Virtual Communications. "With the ability to add real-time voice, video, and data communications to either Microsoft LCS or IBM Lotus groupware environments, we leverage the directory and messaging systems already deployed to simplify conference set-up, scheduling, and participation."

Pricing & Availability

Click to Meet 4.1 ships worldwide on November 16th with a list price starting at $7,400 US. All inquiries including additional pricing can be obtained from First Virtual Communications and its authorized reseller channel by sending email to salesinfo@fvc.com.

About First Virtual Communications

First Virtual Communications is a premier provider of infrastructure and solutions for real time rich media communications. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, the Company also has operations in Europe and Asia. More information about First Virtual Communications can be found at www.fvc.com or by calling 1-800-728-6337 or +1-650-801-6500 outside North America.

Cautionary Statement:

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words, "believes,'' "anticipates,'' "expects'' and words of similar import. Such forward-looking statements have known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of First Virtual Communications, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: any adverse impact arising from our de-listing from The Nasdaq SmallCap Market including any adverse impact on our commercial relationships, your ability to trade our securities or the value of such securities; the Company's need to raise additional capital to fund its operating requirements; any adverse impact arising from the continued delay in filing required periodic reports including the inability to meet the listing requirements of the OTC Bulletin Board or the Nasdaq SmallCap Market; any adverse impact arising from the class action securities complaints that have been filed against the Company and two of its officers; the aggregate value of and impact on the Company of the investigation described in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 17, 2004, including any possible expansion of the investigation and any possible restatement of previously announced financial results; the risk that sales of the Company's Click to Meet(TM) and Conference Server products will not increase or that new versions will not be released on a timely basis; the Company's variability of operating results; market acceptance of web conferencing technology; potential inability to maintain business relationships with integrators, distributors and suppliers; rapid technological changes; competition and consolidation in the web conferencing industry; the importance of attracting and retaining personnel; and other risk factors referenced in First Virtual Communications' public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003.

All trademarks recognized.

Source: Business Wire

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