Latitude Communications accelerates fast pace of global finance at ICI Show; Latitude to showcase financial research and marketing applications of MeetingPlace conference server

Business Wire, May 12, 1997

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1997--Latitude Communications, a leading provider of conferencing solutions, will showcase new, strategic financial applications of its MeetingPlace system at the Investment Company Institute (ICI) Show from May 14-16.

Industry-leading mutual fund companies, brokerage services and commercial banks have adopted MeetingPlace for instant, worldwide communication, providing the framework for successful financial investment and management.

Because of the global and competitive nature of the investment community, financial institutions must define strategies to capture the mindshare of financial advisors as well as to disseminate timely information effectively to networks of brokers and traders. MeetingPlace facilitates these essential applications by working with a company's existing communications infrastructure to transform conferencing into a significant business advantage.

Capture Broker Mindshare

In the fiercely competitive mutual fund market, capturing the mindshare of independent financial advisors is critical to accelerating fund growth. Because these brokers and advisors are dispersed worldwide, fund companies need a cost-effective means to contact them frequently, ensuring they have up-to-date fund information. Real-time voice seminars are a valuable way that mutual fund companies can expand and educate their broker/dealer network.

Unlike expensive service bureaus and in-house bridging systems, MeetingPlace automatically notifies invited participants via e-mail or fax, distributes seminar documents, and allows advisors to easily dial in to a seminar with a customized meeting ID. By recording the seminar for immediate review over the phone or via the Web, MeetingPlace gives advisors twenty-four hour access to the recording and related materials, even if they were unable to attend the seminar.

Accelerate the Flow of Research Information

By providing an elegant "morning call" solution, MeetingPlace enables leading investment banks to distribute daily market updates to dealers and brokers dispersed globally. MeetingPlace ensures that meetings start quickly, and allows superior control of the meeting process with its desktop software, MeetingTime. Attendance is simple for all international participants with the customized I.D. feature. With the integrated recording capability, the morning call is posted for access to brokers in other timezones. Companies utilize the system's managed team outdial function to immediately disseminate breaking, time-sensitive financial news to predefined lists of bankers and traders.

Guarantee Security of Proprietary Knowledge

MeetingPlace guarantees the highest level of security for its users, an important concern for the financial services industry. Through features such as announced entry and departure, managed outdial and private breakout sessions, meeting participants always know exactly who is listening to their conversations. Using service bureaus requires an outside operator to arrange calls, while MeetingPlace ensures that only authorized attendees listen to meetings.

"The financial services community has unique business application needs such as the ubiquitous morning call," said Glenn Eaton, vice president of marketing at Latitude Communications. "By enabling immediate, effective communication, Latitude's MeetingPlace helps companies quickly disseminate the financial research information needed to make superior investment decisions."

"MeetingPlace provides a secure, cost-effective way for Franklin associates dispersed globally to communicate on a daily basis," said Gordon Jones, chief information officer of Franklin Resources. "The system allows us to easily distribute timely investment information."

About Franklin Resources

Franklin Resources' primary business is the Franklin Templeton Group with more tferent locations. The company flagship producteadquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., Latitude or via the World Wide Web at http://www.latituT: Schwartz Communications

Jennifer Knapp or Todd Berkowitz, 415/512-0770

jknapp@schwartz-pr.com

toddb@schwartz-pr.com

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