Wainhouse Research Forecasts That The On Demand Rich Media Market Will Grow to a Nearly $1 Billion Industry by 2007.

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Recent Report Highlights Brainshark and "5 Cs" Driving the Need for ODRM in the Corporate Sector

Brainshark, the leader in on-demand rich-media communications solutions, today announced results from Wainhouse Research forecasting the expected market for On Demand Rich Media (ODRM) and the "5 C's" driving the need for ODRM for business communications. Wainhouse forecasts that the ODRM market will grow to nearly $1 Billion by 2007, growing at a compound annual rate of 94%, or 6 times the anticipated growth rate of live web conferencing services over this period.

On Demand Rich Media communications is defined by Wainhouse as one or more forms of media such as audio, video, graphics, business documents and other visuals that are created or developed for viewing on-demand or asynchronously, rather than on a live or real-time basis. While a mix of media types has long been recognized as effective for increasing message impact and enhancing learning, it was only recently that the average businessperson has been able to quickly and easily harness multiple media types into an engaging online format by leveraging familiar tools such as voice, slides, business documents, web pages.

"ODRM is becoming a critical component in the way companies reach customers and channels and educate their employees and strategic partners," said Paul Ritter, Research Director with Wainhouse Research. "These unique tool sets are replacing more costly, less convenient, and less effective forms of communication, and in many cases helping companies expand their reach in a way that was not previously feasible."

ODRM was often considered a luxury for those who had ample lead-time, development skills or large budgets to create high-production media - which required that content have a long shelf or be used with mass audiences in order to achieve payback. Today, intuitive solutions like the Brainshark Communications Platform make it possible for companies to rapidly create effective content on a daily basis that can be seamlessly woven into their existing business processes.

"There is no question that today's organizations recognize the need for an ODRM solution that responds to the challenges of an extended enterprise while at the same time keeping pace with the rapid speed of business," said Joe Gustafson, CEO, Brainshark. "The statistics uncovered by Wainhouse reinforce this claim and Brainshark meets these challenges by providing an intuitive and cost-effective solution."

Wainhouse states that there are 5C's driving the need for ODRM in the corporate sector. They are:

--Convenience - ODRM enables participants to view content at a time and place of their choosing, where they can be focused and uninterrupted, without losing valuable productivity at peak working times.

--Customization - New technologies allow for a high level of customization, allowing content to be easily re-purposed for targeted audiences and adding a level of personalization that increases audience response by delivering a more relevant and personal message.

--Consistency - ODRM enables content to be created once, and delivered many times to ensure consistency across unlimited audiences.

--Costs - ODRM replaces many more costly forms of communications such as print materials, conference calls, live web conferencing events, and travel.

--Currency A best-in-class ODRM solution such as Brainshark provides easy methods for updating, editing, and customizing business content to keep it timely, accurate and relevant.

Wainhouse reports several core applications where ODRM is ideally suited: marketing, new product introductions and demonstrations, sales, corporate communications and training and eLearning. Brainshark, Inc. has seen adoption across markets such as compliance training for HIPAA in the healthcare market, marketing and sales in the financial services market, and eLearning and channel training in the high tech industry. The Wainhouse paper also includes two customer case studies from Xerox and Prentice Hall featuring benefits each company achieved while using the Brainshark Communications Platform. Both organizations attribute reduced costs, increased productivity and reach to targeted audiences, and enhanced quality of education and training initiatives to Brainshark's unique solution.

To hear a brief summary of the white paper by Wainhouse senior analyst Paul Ritter and to download the white paper featuring case studies highlighting the successes that Xerox and Prentice Hall have experienced using ODRM solutions from Brainshark, please visit: http://www.brainshark.com/brainsharkinc/ODRM.

About Brainshark, Inc.

Brainshark, Inc. is the leading provider of rich-media solutions that enable companies to communicate business knowledge quickly and consistently. The Brainshark Communications Platform empowers the average business professional to create, manage, and share on-demand presentations that combine voice, text, graphics, and business documents. With its enterprise-class content management, security, and standards-based API's, Brainshark is the choice of global companies to communicate faster and more effectively with their employees, customers and partners. Companies are increasing revenue and reducing cost using Brainshark solutions for sales, marketing, training, and corporate communications. For more information, visit www.brainshark.com.

About Wainhouse Research

Wainhouse Research is an independent market research firm that focuses on critical issues in rich media communications. The company conducts multi-client and custom research studies, provides strategy advice to vendors and end users, publishes a variety of reports, and delivers public and private seminars, and sponsors an annual summit on rich media conferencing. Please visit www.wainhouse.com for more information.