WebEx Launches IM

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- WebEx (NASDAQ:WEBX), the leading provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications for collaborative business on the web, today announced the general availability of the industry's first enterprise-class on-demand solution for enterprise instant messaging (EIM). WebEx AIM Pro Business Edition combines the scale, flexibility and zero-maintenance of the on-demand model with the security, compliance, hygiene and centralized administration controls organizations required to make instant messaging (IM) a viable productivity tool for the enterprise.

According to The Radicati Group, a leading market research firm, instant messaging has become a mission-critical collaboration tool for 135 million workers in organizations of all sizes. That number is expected to grow to more than 477 million by 2009.

"There is a reason EIM software hasn't taken off, companies simply don't want to buy and maintain complex IM servers. Instant messaging belongs on the web," said David Knight, vice president of messaging solutions, WebEx. "WebEx AIM Pro combines the reach and productivity benefits of web-based IM, the administrative controls of an on-premise EIM solution and the cost advantages of on-demand. WebEx AIM Pro Business Edition is a prime example of an evolving class of business applications that leverage the web to make businesses smarter, more productive and better connected."

WebEx Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: WEBX)