PistolStar launches collaboration bundle for small and medium businesses

New Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing Offering Built on IBM Software, Hardware

Amherst, NH, March 1, 2004 - PistolStar Inc. today announced the availability of its Facet Instant Messaging (IM) & Web Conferencing Appliance for small and medium businesses (SMB). Built on IBM Lotus Instant Messaging & Web Conferencing* (Sametime), and delivered on IBM eServer* xSeries*, the Facet Appliance features a new pre-configured design with advanced security and management capabilities.

Recognizing that SMB customers face a unique set of collaboration challenges, PistolStar designed the ready-to-run Facet IM & Web Conferencing Appliance to make businesses more flexible and responsive to change. With this solution, customers can achieve increased efficiencies, advanced automation, simplified and secured access and reduced IT costs.

"Small-to-medium businesses are in search of solutions that will streamline administration and improve productivity," said Thomas Hoey, president of PistolStar, Inc. "The Facet Appliance, which plugs into any IT environment, answers this need by improving communication functions throughout an organization.

Businesses Need to Collaborate, Require Flexible Solutions
The corporate world has witnessed rapid adoption of instant messaging - over 50 million users in 2 years. IBM Lotus IM and Web Conferencing helps organizations succeed in today's evolving business environment and facilitates several lines of business such as sales, marketing, human resources, training, engineering, project management, Help Desk, and telecommuters. The business benefits of incorporating instant messaging and Web conferencing technology can revolutionize the way companies conduct business:

• Helps organizations reduce the costs of a dispersed workforce while accelerating communication within the company;
  
• Provides companies the ability to conduct online seminars with customers and prospects;
  
• Allows the internal Help Desk to become more efficient and responsive by using awareness and chat capabilities; and
  
• Reduces travel costs by training staff on new programs or products via application's sharing and white board capabilities.

"SMB customers enjoy significant competitive advantages by using real-time collaborative technology to open lines of communication between their customers, partners and supplier networks," said Scott Cooper, vice president of worldwide channel marketing, IBM Software. "Leveraging IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing technology, PistolStar's new appliance reduces customer response time to rapidly changing market environments and allows them to make more accurate and informed business decisions."

By installing PistolStar's Facet IM & Web Conferencing Appliance, companies obtain the strengths of IBM's technology along with additional functionality such as password security, real-time data generation, reporting, and capacity planning. The Facet Appliance provides companies with added payback and further reduces the total cost of ownership of their IBM Lotus application by providing IT and line-of-business managers with these capabilities:

• Secure password management;
  
• Ensure desktops meet system requirements;
  
• Monitor conferencing services;
  
• Obtain real-time and historic views of enterprise-wide usage for identifying trends that impact IT staffing and resources;
  
• Retrieve data on server utilization for capacity planning and load balancing;
  
• Document instant messaging (IM) and Web conferencing usage for charging back costs to appropriate departments;
  
• Track enterprise-wide trends and usage for budgeting, allocating future resources and ensuring return on investment;
  
• Determine employee adaptation levels to analyze need for additional training; and
  
• Oversee compliance with corporate or government requirements.

The Facet Appliance includes an initial Sametime license for 25 end-users, as well as IBM WebSphere Application Server Express* and IBM DB2 Express* to run the Facet IM & Web Conferencing add-on components. These value-driven components are as follows:

Facet Security - Adds end-user self-registration, self-service password management, and functionality that enforces corporate securities policies, including over 30 features such as single sign on, 3- strikes, password synchronization, password quality and password expiration.
Facet Analyzer - Provides proactive monitoring, troubleshooting, utilization reports, billing, and compliance with governmental regulations and industry standards.
Facet Diagnostics - Checks end-users' desktops to ensure all system requirements are met for attending Web conferences.

About PistolStar
Since launching in 1999, PistolStar has served Global 1000 companies in several industries, including banking, finance, consumer products, media, advertising, retail, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and government.

An IBM Advanced Business Partner, PistolStar offers the following solutions to IBM Lotus middleware users: Facet IM Solutions for IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing (Sametime) and Facet Workplace Solutions for IBM Lotus Team Workplace (QuickPlace), browser-based solutions that offer enterprise-wide usage management, security, and troubleshooting functionality; ADR (Automatic Desktop Reconfiguration), a precise, timesaving solution ensuring seamless Domino server transitioning in large-scale deployments; and the Integrated Security Plug-Ins. PistolStar compliments its solutions by providing customers with immediate, advanced-level support and service.

PistolStar is a 2003 Apex Awards Finalist, a 2003 Lotusphere Beacon Awards Finalist in the Best Tool category for Web Set Password, and a 2002 Lotusphere Beacon Awards Finalist in the Rising Star category.

For more information, contact PistolStar at 603-672-5979, or visit the PistolStar Website at www.pistolstar.com.

* Denotes a trademark or registered trademark of the International Business Machines Corporation.