Akonix Launches First Integrated Instant Messaging Management Appliance.

SAN DIEGO -- Akonix L7 CM5000 Appliance Provides Simple, Easy-to-Deploy Solution for Enabling Safe, Productive Use of Instant Messaging 

Akonix Systems, Inc., the premier provider of business solutions for secure, managed and integrated multi-network enterprise instant messaging (IM), today announced the Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance, the industry's first all-in-one solution for IM management, compliance and security. The Akonix appliance provides expanded deployment options for Akonix's award-winning technology to manage, control and secure IM use across both public networks and enterprise systems. Fully deployed, it will also prevent the unauthorized intrusion of more than 50 different rogue consumer peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing applications, such as Kazaa and BitTorrent.

The Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance runs on a hardened operating system, pre-loaded and pre-configured for instant deployment. This unique new deployment option is highly secure and drastically reduces set-up time and day-to-day administration for resource constrained IT departments. The Akonix appliance leverages the company's IM management and security technology, currently deployed by more than 500 customers.

"Our customers are being challenged to comply with government regulations such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley, and they have to address the fact that IM is a written form of email that creates a written record," said Palaninswamy "Raj" Rajan, President and CEO of Vigilar, an information security consulting firm and Akonix partner. "That means it's necessary for IM records to be archived, and failing to archive has legal and regulatory challenges. Our customers need tools to meet compliance and they appreciate the simplicity of an appliance solution like the Akonix L7 CM5000. We are delighted to work with Akonix in providing an IM security solution to help customers support such a popular method of communication."

The Akonix L7 CM5000 delivers the award-winning security, compliance and management features of Akonix L7 Enterprise and Akonix Enforcer software on a 1U rack-mountable server appliance. The system provides enhanced security and includes redundant storage for critical system data.

"There is growing market demand for security and messaging companies to offer customers the additional deployment option of a single purpose appliance," said H. Dubose Montgomery, Managing Director of Menlo Ventures, one of Silicon Valley's oldest venture capital partnerships, and Director at Akonix Systems. "We believe the combination of Akonix's innovative technology and the simplicity of an all-in-one appliance will accelerate the growth of the entire IM management category."

The key benefits for enterprises offered by the new Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance include:

--Enabling organizations to gain control of their network by identifying and blocking all unauthorized users of public IM and P2P network software from more than 50 different consumer applications across ten networks

--Providing integration with existing enterprise systems by tying public IM use to corporate identities and enforcing usage policies at user, group and domain levels

--Providing IT with the tools to meet IM compliance and record retention requirements by logging, monitoring, archiving and auditing of all IM conversations across public networks, private systems and enterprise deployments

--Providing flexible, granular policy control of IM features, and defining content and usage parameters for public and enterprise IM use

--Mitigating IM based security threats by filtering IM content and file transfers for viruses, malicious content, spim and other threats

--Leveraging IT infrastructure investments through integration with directory services, email archiving and security infrastructure of the organization

--Making it easy for IT to keep up with emerging IM threats by utilizing Akonix's dynamic update capabilities to stay constantly up to date with the latest IM protocols and filters for IM security threats

"The Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance is a perfect complement to our existing software solutions," said Peter Shaw, CEO of Akonix. "We have seen substantial demand for an all-in-one appliance so that organizations can quickly meet business and legal requirements while reducing the burden for IT support, lowering the total cost of ownership. Combined with our award-winning software, Akonix gives customers the broadest choices for security, control and integration of instant messaging for enterprise use."

The Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance is a 1U rack mountable server with an Intel P4 processor, 1GB memory and redundant hard drive. Beta units are being deployed now and general availability is scheduled for March 2005 from Akonix and its authorized reseller partners. To learn more about Akonix solutions, including its new appliance, please contact [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 Instant Messaging (Sametime) and Jabber.

More than 500 customers in Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment depend on Akonix to manage, secure and enable IM for over 700,000 enterprise users. Akonix is the preferred IM management solution of some of the world's largest companies, including Cingular Wireless, 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 Red Herring. 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.