Leading enterprise software distributor AmVia has secured distribution rights for the FaceTime Communications range of technologies, which complements the capabilities of the Legato Systems range of storage management solutions distributed by the company.
Founded in California, USA in 1998, FaceTime Technologies provides enterprise software solutions that capitalise on the explosive growth of the instant messenger (IM) phenomenon. Its technologies equip enterprises to leverage the speed and power of real-time communications by delivering infrastructure and business applications that interoperate with any IM network.
AmVia director Boudje Giljam notes that IM has become the fastest growing communication channel in history. "IM is becoming the breakthrough technology for time-sensitive business communications. However, the uncontrolled growth of this communication medium in corporates poses a huge challenge to those responsible for managing IT," he says.
FaceTime`s communication solutions are based on the premise that the real-time benefits of emerging communication networks such as IM would be rapidly adopted by businesses and become as common as e-mail, and as important as the telephone, for corporate communication.
As projected, IM has experienced tremendous growth, becoming the fastest growing medium in the history of communications. Industry analyst firm Meta Group anticipates that IM users in the enterprise will increase from 12 million users in 2002 to 95 million users by 2007.
With the introduction of the FaceTime range of products, Giljam says South African businesses now have access to centralised tools to detect and control IM, mitigate the risks of viruses, while also complying with legal statutes. "Furthermore, Face Time ensures that IM communications are secured, preventing the loss of intellectual property," he adds.
FaceTime`s products interface with Legato`s EmailXtender, allowing businesses to rapidly and effectively store IM traffic from within the enterprise. These records are important in terms of new corporate governance regulations such as the King II recommendations.
Solutions from the company include the FaceTime IM Director, which gives system administrators the ability to control the usage of IM, regardless of the network people are using, while allowing users to leverage IM for real-time communications, increased productivity, and cost-effectiveness.
Its IM Guardian extends the core capabilities of IM Director. An enterprise security gateway designed to manage complex, real-time communication technologies such as instant messaging (IM) and peer-to-peer (P2P) communications, Web teleconferencing, and voice over IP (VOIP). IM Guardian gives network security administrators the ability to safely embrace such emerging technologies while addressing network security concerns.
Designed to help companies manage and control IM for regulatory compliance, IM Auditor addresses the regulatory compliance needs of financial services firms, healthcare organisations and other businesses that must adhere to government regulations. FaceTime also offers technologies that leverage IM for CRM applications, help-desk and more.
"Introducing FaceTime to local markets will help enterprises leverage the speed and power of real-time communications by delivering infrastructure and business applications that interoperate with any IM network," Giljam continues. "We believe that with the enormous popularity of IM in the enterprise, the need to manage, control and secure this communication medium is critical. FaceTime Communications provides just such solutions," he concludes.
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For over a decade AmVia has focused on the value-add distribution of enterprise software and complementary hardware through its network of accredited business partners. Over 80% of the Top 100 corporations in SA, use products and solutions distributed by AmVia.
Centred on the enterprise space - corporate, parastatal and governmental, the prerequisite when distributing product is that it provides a rapid and quantifiable return on investment in addition to delivering process and productivity enhancements to existing ICT environments. Following an open standards and architecture methodology and ensuring interoperability with leading enterprise software suites, AmVia`s core offerings are in the business information delivery, business process automation (BPA) and information lifecycle management (e-mail and storage management) arena.
FaceTime
In the mid 1990s, instant messaging (IM) was fast becoming a popular social communication tool for millions of consumers, but it had yet to make significant inroads in the corporate workplace for business communication. In late 1998, a team of software technology professionals from the telecommunications industry founded FaceTime Communications based on the vision that the real-time benefits of emerging communication networks such as IM would rapidly be adopted by businesses and become as common as email, and as important as the telephone, for corporate communication. FaceTime identified a unique business opportunity to help enterprises leverage the speed and power of real-time communications by delivering infrastructure and business applications that interoperate with any IM network.
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