Audio Conferencing and Web Conferencing

Product Takes Users from Audio to Web Conference in Two Clicks

PORTLAND, OR (Dec. 22, 2003) – Encounter Collaborative, an innovator in web and audio conferencing solutions, today introduced ShareItNow™ 1.0. In conjunction with Encounter’s audio conferencing services, the new 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 conference calling.

Unlike other web conferencing products, ShareItNow™ is a product designed with ease of operation and ease of use in mind. Designed, also, for people who want to share information ad hoc, Encounter’s ShareItNow™ technology lets colleagues share documents ranging from PDFs, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations to proprietary applications.

Starting with a quick download that adds an icon to the user’s desktop, presenters who want to show their applications simply click on the icon to launch Encounter’s 'Web Window,' a moveable and sizeable frame that borders the application to be shared. Within seconds, presenters can display any information on their desktops. ‘Recipients’ see whatever the presenter wishes to show them by clicking once to enter Internet Explorer. They then enter a password provided by the presenter, clicking a second time to instantaneously view whatever the presenter wants to share, always at the presenter’s discretion.

ShareItNow™ presenters can:
§ Launch a ShareItNow™ presentation without having to login directly from the web site
§ 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 photo, show audio dial information to participants, verify meeting URLs
§ Easily respond to Attend a Meeting requests
§ Create an affinity list of IDs for calls hosted by people whose meetings they attend frequently; this ‘favorites list’ expedites access to ShareItNow™

Furthermore, Encounter has integrated these capabilities so that it can provide accurate, customer-specific billing with the detail required to re-assign costs.

A CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE
As a four-time Olympian and four-time world record holder in the discus throw, Mac Wilkins is one of the greatest throwers of all-time. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Wilkins won Olympic gold and silver medals and was U.S. national champion eight times. In addition managing a successful career in technology, Wilkins has also continued to provide coaching assistance to beginners, high school contenders and Olympic throwers. He constantly seeks tools that will enable him to better communicate the intricacies of discus technique to those he coaches. As a result, Wilkins is currently serving as a “virtual coach” to America’s elite discus throwers.

To overcome the limitations of both distance and his own career obligations, Wilkins turned to ShareItNow™ to assist him in supporting the athletes’ progress. He analyzes video clips of their daily training with them and compares their progress to targeted technique models. “The goal for these athletes is to win an Olympic medal next summer in Athens. Developing the proper mental image of their performance is critical to their success. Using ShareItNow™ to analyze and discuss technique with the throwers is a powerful way for me to help them build vivid images of success. It is the best alternative to actually being there – and, in some ways, is even better,” observed Wilkins.

“ShareItNow™ was developed for users who want to make conference calling a part of their business experience – but are adverse to complex products that require substantial training to use,” stated Bruce Frydenlund, President and CEO of Encounter. “With ShareItNow™ customers, partners, suppliers and colleagues can hold an audio conference, realize there is information they want to present to one another and, in seconds and in real time, share that information. We believe this is what the marketplace is demanding – and ShareItNow™ makes ad hoc information sharing a reality,” he 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.