Audio Conferencing and Web Conferencing

Product Offers End-to-End Encryption; Takes Users from Audio to Web Conference in One Click

PORTLAND, Ore.(March 30, 2004) – Encounter Collaborative, an innovator in web and audio conferencing solutions, today announced the availability of ShareItNow.™ In conjunction with Encounter’s audio conferencing services, the solution allows business, government and education professionals to show any application on their desktops easily and intuitively to customers, partners, suppliers and colleagues, enabling them to derive the benefits of web conferencing faster and without the delays associated with conventional web conferencing. Concerned about the security of data being shared between presenters and participants, Encounter has also developed an encryption technology within ShareItNow™ that is a standard component of the product. That technology ensures that all data in all files being transmitted is encrypted within the presenter’s application and remains encrypted until it arrives at the viewer’s web browser.

In much the same way as computer applications were once considered secure but had to evolve quickly to higher levels of security, today’s web conferencing technology is also currently evolving. “As more companies share applications and content over the Internet, security will become an ever more critical issue – one that today few vendors are addressing beyond SSL. Even companies that use web conferencing only within the enterprise must ensure they have effective security in place, including end-to-end encryption, virus protection and identity management,” observed Melanie Turek, Principal Research Analyst with Nemertes Research LLC.

“Unfortunately many users still believe that SSL provides the comprehensive security they need. What’s lacking in SSL is that encrypted material is still not secure in the middle, somewhat defeating the purpose for which it was developed,” commented Ian Widger, President and CEO of Encounter. Because ShareItNow™ was designed from its inception for people who want to share information ad hoc (from PDFs, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations to proprietary applications) Encounter acknowledged that it was also important to provide a secure environment for information sharing.

WHY CUSTOMERS BUY
Founded in 1987 and directing the industry with its technology products in over 85,000 locations in 48 states, Buehner-Fry, Inc. (BFI) is a leader in communications, management, and occupancy solutions for the vacation rental and corporate housing industries. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to promote occupancy and enhance guest and owner relations through innovative solutions that have become the industry standard. Among its customers are many of the 36 divisions of the American Red Cross.

Prior to using ShareItNow™, BFI sales consultants traveled across the country to meet with clients and share information. As a result of changing its business model, BFI management decided to have its sales consultants provide information and conduct demonstrations via the Internet, significantly saving both time and costs. “From the time ShareItNow™ was first envisioned I believed in the benefits it would provide – not the least of which was increasing productivity,” commented Milton Buehner, CEO. Using ShareItNow™, BFI’s sales team gives approximately 100 presentations a month. “Our sales force is four times more productive now - and has learned that online presentations can help to consummate a deal with someone that they have never met,” Buehner remarked. According to Mike Newman, BFI’s Vice President, “We work with owners of companies, the decision-makers. Utilizing the ShareItNow ™ technology to communicate with our clients and prospects increases our ability to make more presentations in less time, allows us to highlight what we want people to focus on and eliminates most travel expenses.”

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Garrison Enterprises specializes in the development of affordable technology solutions for government. The company has developed an approach to e-government that provides municipalities across the country with an affordable and economical way to digitize and streamline all facets of their operations and record keeping.

“In our business, we have to qualify clients by giving them an overview of our products, primarily web-based applications. Being able to demonstrate a product online saves time and money,” commented Chad Larter, Operations Manager for Garrison. “We had initially used one of the “big name” companies for our web conferencing but found them to be very expensive.” After evaluating four companies over the course of thirty days, Garrison selected ShareItNow™. “By doing our presentations online, we have more time to work on projects, get more products to market faster and are more productive. And we have reduced our costs by 60% as well!” Larter declared.

EASE OF OPERATION AND USE
Starting with a quick presenter download at www.ShareItNow.com, that adds an icon to the user’s desktop, presenters who want to show their applications click on the icon to launch Encounter’s ShareItNow™. A moveable and sizeable window is then available to frame the application to be shared. Within seconds, presenters can display any information on their desktop. Participants click once to enter Internet Explorer, enter a password provided by the presenter, then can instantaneously view whatever the presenter wants to share.

ShareItNow™ presenters can:

• Track what participants are viewing during their live meetings
• Employ annotation tools that make it easy to pinpoint and highlight items the presenter wants to discuss
• Access ‘at-a-glance’ meeting information, upload a personal photo, and show audio information to participants
• Easily send email invitations

“ShareItNow™ was truly developed for users who realize they want to share information easily and instantaneously. With ShareItNow™, ad hoc information sharing is now a reality,” Widger concluded.

About Encounter Collaborative
Encounter Collaborative provides fully integrated audio and web conferencing solutions that enable predictable, reliable and secure virtual meetings. The company’s seamless global conferencing services enable users to collaborate spontaneously and in real time. Headquartered in Portland, OR, Encounter develops and markets its Audio Control Panel, the first integrated web page for both audio and web conferencing which offers the functionality of operator-assisted calls without the expense. Encounter’s innovative Web Window and ShareItNow™ technology are part of its APEX platform that provides levels of integration and flexibility not found in third party technologies. The platform supports a robust, scaleable and customizable product that works the way customers need conferencing technology to work. For more information, please visit www.encounter.net or call 1.800.290.5900.

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Encounter is a registered trademark of Encounter Collaborative in the United States and/or other countries. ShareItNow is a registered trademark of Encounter Collaborative. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.