Florham Park, NJ - June 2, 2004 - Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBCE) today announced that Ready-Access® Web Meeting, the company's on-demand audio-and-Web conferencing service, is now synchronized with Microsoft's Outlook® calendar -- an industry first for a telecommunications carrier -- making it as simple as 'point-and-click' to launch and start meetings on a fast track.
For real-time collaboration, Ready-Access Web Meeting now includes the ability to share desktop applications and to chat and conduct question-and-answer sessions online, which are key productivity-enhancing features that help facilitate the exchange of information and ideas, as well as faster decision-making.
"Virtual communications are a must these days for fast-moving organizations with mobile workforces and geographically dispersed teams and operations," says Anthony Christie, Global Crossing's chief marketing officer. "We're seeing a lot of demand for integrated Web conferencing solutions, which marry telephony and Internet-based meetings into one easy-to-use collaboration tool."
Even before the meeting starts, Ready-Access Scheduler -- Global Crossing's new software tool -- saves valuable time by integrating Ready-Access Web Meeting with the scheduling capabilities of Microsoft Outlook. In a single step, Ready-Access Scheduler allows a chairperson to schedule meetings, send e-mail invitations including call details and links to the Web Meeting, and automatically log into a Ready-Access Web Meeting from the Microsoft Outlook toolbar.
Participants simply open the appointment in their Outlook calendar to obtain the call information and click on the included hyperlinks to join the Web Meeting. Customers can download the Ready-Access Scheduler plug-in at www.globalcrossing.com/conferencing.
Ready-Access Web Meeting has also been enhanced for project collaboration. Simple online commands give the chairperson 'point-and-click' control to moderate the online presentation.
The chairperson can also invite input from participants with features such as chat, polling and desktop application sharing, which enables real-time collaboration such as editing Microsoft Word® documents and spreadsheets online. The meeting chairperson can also drive demonstrations of Web sites and any software application on participants' computers. The recording feature of Ready-Access Web Meeting enables the presentation material to be synchronized with the audio conference, so that individuals who missed the Web meeting can click on the replay link to see and hear a post-view of the presentation.
Web conferencing is the fastest growing part of the conferencing industry. In 2002, businesses spent $327 million on Web conferencing, according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan. By 2009, they predict the market to increase five-times to more than $2 billion.
"Companies can pool resources from around the world and leverage collaboration tools such as Global Crossing's Ready-Access Web Meeting to facilitate a rich exchange of ideas and information," explains Neil Barua, global vice president of collaboration services for Global Crossing. "Features such as Ready-Access Scheduler, desktop application sharing and chat enrich the Ready-Access Web Meeting experience and increase the effectiveness, participation and productivity of meetings."
Global Crossing's Ready-Access Web Meeting requires no advanced reservations or set-up and is accessible through a Ready-Access subscription number and the same permanent access code that customers use to access Ready-Access audio conferencing services.
Global Crossing is a pioneer and leader in the conferencing services business. The company's fiber-optic network enables it to deliver integrated, customized, and managed collaboration services -- audio, video and Web-based solutions -- to address customers' network and real-time collaboration needs. Global Crossing's solutions are distinguished by their ease-of-use, transmission quality, reliability and cost-effectiveness.
About Global Crossing
Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBCE) provides telecommunications solutions over the world's first integrated global IP-based network. Its core network connects more than 300 cities and 30 countries worldwide, and delivers services to more than 500 major cities, 50 countries and 6 continents around the globe. The company's global sales and support model matches the network footprint and, like the network, delivers a consistent customer experience worldwide.
Global Crossing IP services are global in scale, linking the world's enterprises, governments and carriers with customers, employees and partners worldwide in a secure environment that is ideally suited for IP-based business applications, allowing e-commerce to thrive. The company offers a full range of managed data and voice products including Global Crossing IP VPN Service, Global Crossing Managed Services and Global Crossing VoIP services, to more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500, as well as 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs.
Please visit www.globalcrossing.com for more information about Global Crossing.
