Instant Messaging More than Just a Consumer Toy According To Survey; Leading law firm agrees, implements Omnipod's hosted enterprise IM

Business Wire, August 15, 2005

NEW YORK -- Omnipod, a leader in On-Demand secure Enterprise Instant Messaging, announced results of a joint survey with InfoWorld, the leading provider of comprehensive IT intelligence, concerning enterprise instant messaging (IM).

The survey was fielded in June of 2005 and garnered over 500 senior IT professional respondents. The results reveal that enterprises recognize that IM is a critical competitive differentiator and should be viewed as a critical business tool and not just a "toy".

The survey identified that 43% of the enterprise respondents believe that the choice of IM provider impacts customers. Further, 36% of those surveyed responded that IM impacts partners as well.

Typically, IM has been used by enterprises to enhance communication between employees. However, these results show that users are increasing collaboration outside corporate walls using IM. As a result, functionality and usability of the IM solution is key in maintaining good business practices as well as customer service satisfaction.

Further results revealed 72% of respondents claim security as the biggest enterprise concern.

The law firm Dow Lohnes & Albertson (DLA) recently implemented IM to enhance communication with clients and offer attorneys another communication tool to support their practice.

"Clients need to be able to communicate with our attorneys in a variety of ways, including IM. This allows us to be responsive to clients and provide quality services," says Damon Collier, Director of Information Technology for DLA. "What we needed was another layer of communication between client, attorney, and staff that was fast and non-disruptive to the workflow. That's when we began looking at Instant Messaging."

"There's a 'sea change' occurring in the business world where IM is no longer looked upon as a 'toy' but as a useful 'tool'," said Evan Sohn, Chief Marketing Officer, Omnipod. "Our survey with InfoWorld and implementation with customers like DLA serve as proof points that companies are now using IM to their competitive advantage."

About Omnipod

Founded in 1999, Omnipod is a leading provider of On-Demand secure instant messaging. Omnipod's Professional Online Desktop (POD) is designed for enterprise use and seamlessly integrates collaboration features such as persistent chat, global SMS, WebEx online conferencing, Salesforce.com, file sharing and transfer capabilities, as well as numerous other communications functions into a secure presence-based messaging infrastructure. Hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, healthcare organizations, state and local governments and small-to-midsize firms across virtually every industry segment rely on Omnipod for secure IM. Omnipod's investors include Lexington Ventures, Mapleton Investments and private individuals. Omnipod offers a risk free 30-day trial of its services at, http://www.omnipod.com/html/test_drive.html.> About InfoWorld Media Group

For more than 25 years, InfoWorld Media Group has provided cutting-edge coverage and evaluation of IT products and services for technology experts in senior management. Through integrated channels, including print, online, events, and demand generation, InfoWorld reaches the most influential senior-level information technologists -- those who drive their enterprises' strategies and technology purchases. Powered by a continued investment in an independent Test Center, InfoWorld analysts and editors provide hands-on analysis and evaluation, as well as expert commentary on issues surrounding emerging technologies and products. Visit InfoWorld at http://www.infoworld.com.

Omnipod, Professional Online Desktop and POD are trademarks or registered trademarks of Omnipod, Inc.

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