Akonix Delivers Integration and New Application Capabilities for Instant Messaging.

SAN DIEGO -- Akonix L7 Builder Provides System for Integrating Presence and IM Into Enterprise Applications to Improve Productivity

Akonix Systems, Inc., the premier provider of solutions for security, control and integration of instant messaging (IM), launches Akonix L7 Builder, providing enterprise customers and developers with a system to create, manage and deploy IM applications, as well as integrating presence and IM into existing workflows and enterprise systems. Leveraging Akonix's experience as a leader in security, management and control for IM, Akonix L7 Builder creates new opportunities to improve productivity and responsiveness through real-time data access and presence.

As organizations continue to adopt IM for business communications, they are recognizing the opportunities to leverage presence information, access data via IM and enhance person-to-person conversations with business intelligence. Akonix L7 Builder provides a comprehensive solution for developing and deploying these new, high-value applications, including support for standard development environments, integration Application Program Interfaces (APIs) and a scalable runtime environment. Akonix's solution takes advantage of patent-pending natural language processing and the vXML standard to provide the easiest real-time applications for development and use.

Akonix L7 Builder provides access to key building blocks for IM integration and applications, across multiple development environments, including:

--Presence data, leveraging online status for workflows, directory and other programs

--Interaction or 'bots', utilizing IM as an interface for rapid, high-value data queries

--Alerts and notifications, leveraging IM and presence to distribute critical information to employees or customers based on automated or scheduled events

--Routing and transfer functions, supporting help desk, customer service and other interactive applications

--Natural language and support for the vXML standard, allowing companies to create interactive grammars and menus for all applications

Utilizing these capabilities, Akonix L7 Builder is being used to deliver exciting new real-time applications, some examples of these include:

--Improved customer service by integrating presence and instant access to multiple members of customer service account teams through an existing customer service portal

--Enhanced response rates and reduced email clutter from real-time alerts for time-critical, expiring events that don't get lost in email queues, and don't get delivered to employees who are not available to respond

--Increased productivity by quickly accessing internal directory data and linking to presence and IM communications immediately

Akonix L7 Builder leverages technology from the company's March 2004 acquisition of Natural Messaging, combining the award-winning core technology of Akonix L7 Enterprise with the result of almost three years in developing IM applications and integration solutions for Global 2000 organizations in the telecommunications, technology and financial services industries.

"Over the past year we have worked closely with partners and key customers on how to enable enterprises to extend the value of presence and instant messaging within their organizations," said Peter J. Shaw, chief executive officer at Akonix. "With the release of Akonix L7 Builder, Akonix now offers its customers the ability to first control and secure IM use for all employees and then go beyond person-to-person communications by integrating, developing and deploying new real-time applications."

Enterprises or developers who wish to leverage Akonix L7 Builder for creating their own applications can become a member of the Akonix Application Development Program. Akonix's professional services team and development partners are also available to provide assistance and development resources for organizations developing and deploying Akonix L7 Builder within any enterprise.

For more information on how to leverage presence and IM throughout an organization, contact Akonix at [e-mail] or visit www.akonix.com.

About Akonix

Akonix is the leading provider of enterprise-class business solutions for leveraging the power of multi-network enterprise instant messaging. Akonix's award-winning products leverage patent-pending core technology, an advanced IM application development platform, and certified strategic partnerships to deliver multi-network management, security, integration and compliance capabilities across all major IM systems, including America Online(R) AIM and ICQ, Microsoft MSN, Yahoo! Messenger, Microsoft(R) Live Communications Server, Reuters Messaging, IBM/Lotus SameTime and Jabber.

More than 400 customers in Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment depend on Akonix to manage, secure and enable IM for over 500,000 enterprise users. Akonix is the preferred IM management solution of some of the world's largest companies, including Cingular Wireless, Qualcomm, EMC and ING.

Akonix is widely recognized as the technology and market innovator with awards for its L7 Enterprise IM gateway from Windows & .NET Magazine, Network World, eWeek, SC Magazine, PC Magazine and UCSD Connect. Akonix is backed by leading venture capital firms Menlo Ventures, Mission Ventures, Palomar Ventures and Windward Ventures, who collectively manage over $3.5 billion in capital.