BT Delivers Integrated Audio and Web Conferencing Solution in the US

BRAINTREE, Mass., June 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BT today announced the integration of its reservationless "MeetMe" audio conferencing services with Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2005. The integration enables users to schedule and participate in web conferences involving audio and the web in one easy step from any application within Microsoft Office. It allows IT departments to ensure more efficient network security, centralize and manage conferencing costs, and minimize network strain for more efficient collaboration throughout the enterprise.

By using Live Meeting 2005 for BT Conferencing, workers can schedule and join meetings with just 'one click' from the desktop. This easy-to-use process gives users improved productivity through enhanced team communication, greater reach for sales calls, and decreased development time while reducing travel costs. This is especially helpful for disciplines in human resources, sales, training and marketing.

"There is a new commercial landscape being created by the convergence of IT and communications," said Jack Blaeser, general manager of BT Conferencing Inc. "Voice and data applications, coupled with exploding end user demands, require a robust conferencing solution. With our global IT services expertise we are well positioned to take advantage of opportunities like integrated web and audio conferencing. Alliances with organizations such as Microsoft mean we can deliver richer, more sophisticated solutions to our customers than ever before."

"Real-time collaboration tools are vital for today's global economy as they help people work together and communicate more efficiently from anywhere at anytime without the need to travel, "said Ashish Gupta, senior director, Real-Time Collaboration Group, Microsoft Corp. "BT Conferencing understands the needs of today's information workers and has integrated Microsoft's Live Meeting service with BT's MeetMe audio conferencing service to improve the effectiveness of key business interactions and decisions."

   (1)  According to 2004 Wainhouse Research, LLC

  Live Meeting 2005 for BT Brings Added Features

By engineering audio and web in a single platform, BT Conferencing delivers meeting efficiencies that enhance business performance while enabling IT departments to control costs, manage usage and ensure security. Integration with Microsoft Office System applications enables users to instantly and easily initiate a meeting from within Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint or other Office applications. Enhanced interactive tools enable users to share content and true collaboration with groups of all sizes up to 2,500 users. Presenters can customize the level of interactivity with participants, including presentation and document sharing features such as whiteboard, text slides, web slides, voting polls, annotation, text chat, Q&A and a seating chart. Even online help is friendly and context sensitive. Live Meeting 2005 for BT is designed to be extremely easy to use, regardless of whether one is an administrator, a presenter or a conference participant. Incorporating the Microsoft Office look and feel and using integrated tools to streamline common meeting tasks, meeting participants from around the world feel comfortable in the familiar Live Meeting 2005 online environment.

BT Conferencing delivers more than audio integration to Live Meeting 2005, distinguishing their services from other audio integrators. In addition to integrated audio and web conferencing, Live Meeting 2005 for BT provides unique integrated offerings such as: an integrated bill with both audio and web charges, integrated customer service support (with the touch of *0 on the phone) and integrated end user training and communications.

BT Conferencing has been selling Live Meeting since July 2004. BT Conferencing's integrated solution with Live Meeting 2005 will be available to U.S. customers in August 2005.

About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions serving customers in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. Its principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services.

  BT consists principally of three lines of business:

  * BT Retail, providing a comprehensive range of communications and related
    services to more than 20m UK consumers and businesses.

  * BT Wholesale, providing network services and solutions within the UK to
    more than 600 fixed and mobile operators and service providers including
    the provision of broadband and private circuits.

  * BT Global Services, providing networked IT services to meet the needs of
    multi-site organizations globally.  BT Global Services operates in more
    than 130 countries and also offers international carrier services.

In the year ended March 31, 2005, BT Group's turnover was 18,623 million pounds Sterling with profit before goodwill amortization, exceptional items and taxation of 2,085 million pounds.

BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. For more information, visit http://www.bt.com/aboutbt

About BT Conferencing

BT Conferencing is a division of BT Retail, BT's consumer facing business based in the United Kingdom, while BT Conferencing Inc. is its US subsidiary.

For over 20 years, BT Conferencing has specialized in the delivery of robust, reliable and innovative conferencing solutions - backed up by high quality service and support. Conferencing enables businesses to conduct effective, efficient virtual meetings in real-time, reaching participants anywhere in the world.

BT Conferencing Inc., U.S. subsidiary of BT Conferencing is a division of BT Retail. BT Conferencing provides clients across the world with global conferencing services including audio, video and web conferencing. The America's headquarters for BT Conferencing Inc. is located in Braintree, MA. Visit http://www.btconferencing.com/ for more information on the company and its solutions and services.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.