Microsoft's Persistent Group Chat Now Available as a Hosted Option From mindSHIFT Technologies

FAIRFAX, Va., Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- mindSHIFT Technologies, a provider of managed IT and compliance services, today announced that it will host Microsoft's persistent group chat technology known as MindAlign. This will be the world's first hosted enterprise-class group chat solution using Microsoft's MindAlign and Live Communications Server (LCS), enabling financial services firms, call centers and other organizations that conduct business- critical communications to have a hosted Microsoft option for group instant messaging discussions that persist over time.

Called MindAlign(TM) 2007 and hosted by mindSHIFT, the group chat technology from Microsoft (previously Parlano) lets customers, partners and suppliers build secure internetworks of business-class chat rooms (channels). Built for Microsoft(R) Live Communications Server (LCS), hosted MindAlign enables organizations to have structured communications with individuals both within and outside of the organization. The group chat communication is persistent, meaning that discussions are archived and full-text searchable by the current and future members of a group. Unlike email or instant messages (IM), persistent group chat discussions are archived in dialogue formats, not as individual messages in a mailbox.

mindSHIFT hosted MindAlign provides secure intercompany chat discussions even if organizations don't have MindAlign installed internally; they simply gain MindAlign access as a hosted service for a low-cost fixed monthly fee.

"Like IM two years ago, we see persistent group chat poised to take off and become a must-have communications channel," said Heather Davisson, General Manager of mindSHIFT's compliance group. "While financial services firms have taken the lead, we anticipate other industries will realize the excellent collaboration features of persistent group chat and adopt this technology in the next year."

"Persistent group chat revolutionalizes the communication and collaboration between and among companies," said Ms. Davisson. "MindAlign delivers to customers the most complete presence, instant messaging and group chat solution on the market."

Implementing hosted group chat has three benefits over on-premises group chat solutions:

    1. Archival for compliance purposes doesn't have to be done for all
       companies involved in the discussion by the sponsoring party:
       compliance logs are created and either hosted or sent to all required
       parties by the hosting provider, in this case mindSHIFT.
    2. Service and Support for external chat channels can be provided by
       mindSHIFT's 24x7 support desk, not by the sponsoring parties' internal
       IT department.
    3. Rapid deployment and secure access is enabled because mindSHIFT is a
       trusted partner on BT Radianz's secure financial services extranet
       which is leveraged by a majority of the major sell-side financial
       firms; thus, with approval, companies working with them can have
       immediate secure access.

This offering includes complete IM management, with logging and integrated shipment, archival, surveillance and discovery capabilities. It also provides compliance with SEC 17-a4 and NASD 3010 regulations.

"Imagine having key channels open with critical employees, customers or partners on specific subjects," said Ms. Davisson. "You don't have to sort, save, organize or store the information to reference it later like you have to do with email, or even more so, IM," she added.

Hosted MindAlign 2007 is available immediately from mindSHIFT.

About mindSHIFT Technologies, Inc.

With operations in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C., mindSHIFT is a leading Managed Services Provider (MSP) offering managed IT services, software-as-a-service (SaaS), VoIP, compliance, e-business application development and professional services to small and medium-sized organizations. The company's portfolio of managed services provides a comprehensive solution which includes such critical services as email management and administration, electronic backup for servers and desktops, virus and spam protection, desktop support, and server management -- either at the customers' premises or completely off-site. Managed services customers are supported by both a 24-hour Network Operations Center for proactive management support and a call center which diagnoses and resolves all end-user desktop issues. For advanced and larger businesses, the company provides business application migrations, storage area network upgrades and complex hosting applications. Additionally, mindSHIFT has superior expertise and experience in meeting the compliance requirements of financial services firms, as well as the complex demands of the legal community for the integration of applications such as document management. For additional information, visit www.mindSHIFT.com.

 mindSHIFT Technologies is a registered trademark of mindSHIFT Technologies,

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