Akonix Secures Future of Enterprise Instant Messaging.

SAN DIEGO -- -

Akonix L7 Enterprise Provides Advanced IM Compliance, Security and Management Capabilities for Users of Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Public IM Networks

Akonix Systems Inc., the premier provider of business solutions for secure, managed, compliant and integrated multi-network enterprise instant messaging (IM), is preparing Fortune 500 organizations to securely take advantage of an expected tidal wave in enterprise IM adoption, by announcing its support for Microsoft(R) Office Live Communications Server 2005 and its connectivity with the public IM networks.

With Live Communications Server 2005 able to connect to the 400 million users of AOL(R), MSN, and Yahoo! IM networks, organizations will need solutions like Akonix L7 Enterprise to help manage their public IM usage. Akonix L7 Enterprise guarantees IT managers deploying Live Communications Server 2005 the ability to fully control their employees' use of both public and internal IM, offering watertight compliance, security and management features needed for any successful and productive enterprise-wide roll-out of IM.

"Interconnectivity between the public IM services has long been a requirement for organizations looking to implement enterprise IM solutions," said Robert P. Mahowald, research manager at IDC. "Looking forward, in a world filled with more IM users, more message volume, and clearinghouses for domain authentication, the need for management, compliance and security in those corporate IM systems is poised to grow. Solving the connectivity issue is only the first step in the process of securing IM and making it a strategic business communications tool."

Federated interconnection between enterprise IM systems and public IM networks from AOL(R), MSN and Yahoo! will significantly increase the business use of instant messaging. At the same time, this will require increasing diligence on the part of IT departments to monitor their users for compliance and loss of confidential information while defending against viruses, spim and malicious content.

The award-winning Akonix L7 Enterprise gateway will extend to Live Communications Server 2005, as it does with the current Microsoft(R) Office Live Communications Server 2003 release, the ability to define detailed usage policies, active filtering for malicious content and confidential information, and logging, reporting and compliance monitoring capabilities that go beyond those available within Live Communications Server 2005.

"Federation and these new options for enterprise IM use will accelerate the already rapid growth of instant messaging as a core business communications medium for connecting within organizations and with customers and partners externally," said Peter Shaw, CEO of Akonix. "Increasing use will make addressing the challenges of security, compliance and proactive management even more critical to ensure that every enterprise can reap the benefits of

real-time communications. Akonix's pioneering solutions meet the needs of our enterprise customers for advanced solutions for security, compliance, management and integration of Live Communications Server 2005 and the popular public networks."

Akonix L7 Enterprise is the leading real-time management gateway for public and enterprise IM systems, allowing corporations to realize the benefits of managed access to IM without compromising compliance or network security. More than 250 companies worldwide have deployed Akonix's software, providing management, security and compliance for more than 300,000 users.

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's AIM and ICQ, Microsoft's MSN, Yahoo!(R) Messenger, Microsoft's Live Communications Server, Reuters Messaging, IBM/Lotus SameTime and Jabber.

More than 250 customers in Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment depend on Akonix to manage, secure and enable IM for over 300,000 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 billion in capital.

To enable secure and productive use of multi-network instant messaging in your organization, visit www.akonix.com for a free trial or to request more information.