Aurora Online Selects CommuniGate Pro for Corporate Messaging Services

CommuniGate Pro platform offers a more robust, secure, and cost-effective solution for hosted SMB services compared to Microsoft Exchange

Mill Valley, CA – July 24, 2007 – CommuniGate Systems, the leader in scalable carrier-class Rich Media Internet Communications solutions, today announced that Ontario-based ASP, Aurora Online, has chosen the CommuniGate Pro platform to provide a highly reliable Messaging and Groupware solution for its small- to medium-sized business (SMB) subscribers. CommuniGate Pro’s scalable messaging platform gives Aurora a robust and secure solution to offer Messaging Services plus offer Value Added Services with Rich Media and Mobile Applications.

CommuniGate Pro provides an extensible communications platform that can support implementations of any size  from 5 to millions of users in virtual domains with a powerful Class of Service modular feature set and live change management capability not found in Microsoft Exchange. Aurora Online targets companies with 20-200 users that typically do not have large IT departments and do not want the complexity of in-house Exchange or IP communications servers. The initial deployment has 50 companies on the platform and offers unlimited growth potential. CommuniGate Pro’s unique Dynamic Cluster architecture provides 99.999% uptime and gives Aurora Online the ability to easily add nodes as needed for increased capacity and Rich Media services like VoIP or IPTV.

“We saw a huge opportunity to bring managed, high-performance e-mail and groupware applications to businesses without the high costs and headaches associated with Microsoft Outlook,” said Rob Schuetze, President at Aurora Online. “We tested other messaging solutions, and while other companies made similar performance claims, CommuniGate Pro delivered. CommuniGate Pro has been easy to configure and maintain. The system really does take care of itself.”

CommuniGate Pro's innovative Pronto! flash client unlocks corporate e-mail from the desktop, enabling end users to access all forms of Internet Communications from any web browser, wherever they may be. Based on Adobe's latest Flex2 and Flash Rich Internet Application technology, Pronto! is a sleek, easy-to-use web delivered client framework that lacks the cumbersome features, like page refreshing, common in webmail programs.

“We have seen a rapidly growing number of providers seeking out new services geared toward the business subscriber, particularly in the SMB segment. With Pronto!, the service provider does not need to install and support client side software and can dramatically reduce service costs while offering a secure and portable client which is capable of delivering Rich Media Internet Communications. The Extensible Pronto! framework allows plug-ins to be developed such as games, shopping carts, and Media Management technologies with a Class of Service Architecture delivering the most powerful hosted option on the market,” said Jon R. Doyle, VP Business Development at CommuniGate Systems.

CommuniGate Pro supports Microsoft Outlook in full corporate workgroup mode, and the Microsoft Messenger (Corporate client) for Windows and Mac. As a result, Aurora Online’s corporate customers can continue to utilize Microsoft Outlook for end users, while switching the back end to the more robust, secure, and easy-to-manage CommuniGate Pro server environment.

CommuniGate Pro’s functionality extends beyond e-mail to increase productivity, promote collaboration, and simplify Internet Communications. The performance-driven platform offers an unprecedented single point of access for all voice and data — VoIP, IM, chat, presence, rich media, groupware, e-mail, and more. With CommuniGate Pro, Aurora Online customers can manage their e-mail, in addition to schedule meetings, keep track of RSS news feeds, chat, upload photo, music, and videos all from the same interface.

The CommuniGate Pro Enterprise Suite, including Pronto!, is available today, starting at US$849 for 25 users. ISP and Carriers can contact sales@communigate.com for pricing information.

About CommuniGate Systems
Founded in 1991 and based in Mill Valley, California, CommuniGate Systems develops carrier-class Unified Communications and media delivery software for broadband and mobile operators to deliver value-added services and SaaS solutions. CommuniGate Systems delivers powerful mashups of Unified Communications technology mixed with media and entertainment applications for portals, social networks, enterprises and mobile communities. CommuniGate Systems is revolutionizing the Unified Communications industry with a unique Flash-based client framework Pronto! bringing together all forms of communication and breaking the leash to the desktop with Web 2.0 mobility.

CommuniGate Systems is the first choice in technology solutions for over 12,000 customers with over 130 million subscribers unifying e-mail, collaboration, IM, presence and VoIP with a single identity. The Unified Communications platform provides flexibility, performance, and scalability with benchmark proven architecture remaining unchallenged in the industry. Our technology powers OEM partner products ranging from embedded real time systems to powerful unified messaging platforms at top tier global network operators. The open development environment's simple APIs deliver extensible flexibility with a unique clustering technology for 99.999% uptime for the most demanding application environments.

The company is a trusted and financially stable vendor, maintaining the highest customer satisfaction levels in the Unified Communications industry with over 175 members in its partner network worldwide.