Instinctive Technology Ships eRoom 1.0; Sets The Standard For Team Collaboration Software

Business Wire, Oct 14, 1997

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 1997--

Over 100 organizations conclude beta test of

innovative Web application;

Market acceptance high as worldwide deployment begins

Instinctive Technology, Inc., a developer of innovative Internet business applications, today announced the commercial availability of eRoom 1.0, a powerful new Internet software application that enhances team performance. eRoom makes its public debut following a successful beta test in which more than 100 organizations, ranging from small consultancies to global corporations, installed and used eRoom as part of their daily operations. Teams in virtually all industries can benefit from eRoom. For example, organizations currently using eRoom include Bellcore, KPMG, NYCE Corp., Premenos Corp., The Impact Group, The Reed Consulting Group and USWeb Corp.

Using eRoom, any team leader can set up a secure, shared workspace on the Web in just minutes where team members can organize all project information, share and edit documents using the desktop applications they prefer, identify and discuss issues and vote on decisions. "When I saw eRoom for the first time, I knew right away that we needed this kind of application at KPMG," said Ken Rodrigues, manager, eCommerce Group for KPMG, one of the world's largest professional services firms with more than 78,000 employees in 800 offices worldwide. "Teamwork is at the core of almost everything we do at KPMG and we plan to use eRoom for both internal as well as external communication and collaboration."

eRoom enables teams to get up and running quickly because it works right out of the box with no additional programming required. "The first thing that attracted me to eRoom was its ease of use," said Steve Robertson, director of software development for NYCE Corporation, the leading provider of electronic funds transfer services in the Northeast United States. "We currently do not use any enterprise collaborative computing products. eRoom gets us into a collaborative model without having to make large investments in product and personnel."

Because it uses the Internet or a corporate intranet as its communication infrastructure, anyone with a Web browser and Internet/intranet access can participate on an eRoom team. This makes it easy for team members to work together in one virtual place on the Web, even when they are located in different time zones, countries and companies. KPMG's teams often include members falling into each of these categories. "Internally, we'll use eRoom to share documents, such as presentations, proposals and contracts, with other KPMG offices," Rodrigues said. "Externally, we'll use eRoom to work jointly on documents with our clients. Because eRoom lets you track document versions and keep all of them in one place, it's much more efficient than using email and file attachments."

eRoom's breakthrough ease-of use is due to its unique Active Client Pages technology that enhances Web pages and blurs the distinction between the desktop and the Web. This desktop feel eliminates much of the training associated with learning a new application since it leverages the existing skills of PC users. eRoom's instinctive user interface makes it easy for team members to share documents, add and invite new members, set up discussions and put access control on files and pages.

"One of the most impressive aspects about Instinctive's eRoom is that it provides a place that makes it very easy for teams to collaborate on the Web," said David Marshak, vice president of the Patricia Seybold Group, a leading research and consulting firm. "This is one of the key value propositions of eRoom -- teams will want to use it because it is so easy to use."

eRoom allows even first-time users to be instantly productive because they continue to use their standard desktop applications and email in conjunction with eRoom. This makes it easy for companies to include outside contractors in their eRoom teams, because there is virtually no learning curve. "In the graphic arts and publishing industries, teams are generally made up of people from organizations ranging from Fortune 100 companies to solo designers working from home," said Dick O'Leary, president of The Impact Group, Chelmsford, Mass., a leading systems integrator specializing in the graphic arts and publishing industries. "We see eRoom as being a major benefit to everyone in these industries because it allows everyone in the food chain to participate. All they need is a Web browser."

In order to support today's dynamic teams, eRoom empowers teams to create, customize and modify their eRooms to suit their specific needs -- without extensive IT involvement. At the same time, eRoom satisfies the concerns of corporate IT departments by offering powerful security through authentication and support for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption and interoperability through compliance with open Internet standards.

"We designed eRoom to meet the needs both of end users and IT organizations," said Jeffrey Beir, CEO of Instinctive Technology. "As a result we've created a product that not only improves team performance, but also imposes virtually no burden on IT. It would be difficult today for a company to come up with a reason not to use eRoom."