VIA3 Secure Desktop Collaboration Tool Allows Agencies
to Meet Looming Telework Mandates
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- VIACK Corporation, an authority
on secure, online collaboration and communications, today announced it
finalized a new partnership with the Telework Consortium, a non-profit
organization established to accelerate the use of new technologies to expand
telework initiatives. As a technology partner, VIACK will develop pilot
programs and evaluate communications and collaboration technologies, as well
as offer its VIA3 Assured Collaboration software as a technology solution for
government agencies, telework-compliant companies and business leaders who
wish to increase remote collaboration among their workforce.
"As part of the telework provision in the fiscal 2005 omnibus spending
bill, government agencies are now required to develop plans demonstrating how
they offer telework opportunities to every eligible employee," said Amy
Fadida, senior vice president of VIACK Corporation. "The Telework Consortium
approached VIACK to become a technology partner because VIA3 is an ideal
solution for employers looking to implement teleworking initiatives and
communicate securely at the same time."
With the telework mandate deadline fast approaching, government agencies
are scrambling to create telework plans, or face a withholding of as much as
$5 million from their fiscal budgets. The Telework Consortium is actively
helping government agencies devise appropriate plans. With the help of
technology partners such as VIACK, the Consortium can quickly implement pilot
programs to help agencies avoid the significant fines associated with telework
mandates.
"It is critically important to introduce teleworking initiatives to
federal, state and local governments and companies worldwide, as it has been
proven that teleworking delivers bottom-line operational benefits not only
during the normal course of business, but also when business is interrupted by
unexpected situations such as a natural disaster," said Dr. William Mularie,
CEO of Telework Consortium. "In order to efficiently implement teleworking
within an office environment, businesses need to adopt collaboration tools,
such as VIA3, to help them communicate remotely in a secure, live and
functional setting."
As a highly secure collaboration tool, VIA3 offers telephone-quality
audio, live video, instant messaging, joint editing and secure file
sharing/storing into one integrated solution that sits on the user's desktop.
By harnessing these features, teleworking through VIA3 is simplified for both
management and the teleworker as:
* Meetings can be better replicated to feel like an in-person meeting;
* Managers can see and hear teleworkers continuously to avoid a fear of
loss in productivity;
* Confidential documents do not reside on the teleworker's computer, but
can still be viewed and discussed;
* Both management and teleworkers can see who is online and available
with VIA3's presence detection and status indicators;
* Teleworkers can instantaneously communicate with the main office; and
* Multiple employees are able to view, discuss and edit a document
simultaneously.
Security is inherent within VIA3, as the product was built with multiple
layers of encryption including Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). AES
ensures that any information discussed or documents transmitted while the
teleworker is working from home are still protected from security breaches.
The secure file cabinets within VIA3 allow information, including documents,
spreadsheets, images and presentations, to be stored securely in a central
location for personnel to access at any time.
The Telework Consortium recently conducted research that revealed numerous
benefits of telework beyond security and continuity of business and government
operations. According to the study, if workers' homes were equipped to use
broadband Internet connectivity and those workers were allowed to telework,
the taxpayer could save more than $2,800 per teleworker in infrastructure
costs each year by drastically reducing road maintenance and expansion needs.
This is in addition to the thousands of dollars in savings each teleworker
could personally realize in tolls, fuel, car maintenance, public
transportation costs and more.
According to research from the Telework Consortium, additional benefits of
teleworking include:
* Reduced air pollution due to a decrease in highway congestion;
* Improvement in quality of life for employees who will spend less time
commuting to and from work;
* Savings of as much as $7,500 per employee per year for corporations
due to a reduction in office space needs and other associated costs;
and
* Increased productivity by employees because of the improvements in
employee benefits.
"There are many benefits to teleworking that companies are starting to
recognize which create a significant return on technology investments like
VIA3," said Mularie. "By supporting telework employers can increase morale
and productivity within the company, while achieving a reduction in
operational costs."
The Telework Consortium has been working with developers since 2002 to
create cost-effective telework solutions. The Telework Consortium is an
initiative established by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and is partially supported by
federal funds. VIACK will be demonstrating VIA3 Assured Collaboration and its
telework applications this week at the FOSE 2005 show (http://www.fose.com) on
April 5 - 7, 2005, at the Washington Convention Center, Washington DC,
booth # 2517.
About Telework Consortium
The Telework Consortium discovers, evaluates, and demonstrates the field-
ready hardware and software, management processes, infrastructure
configurations, measurement techniques, and best practices that are likely to
speed the early adoption of cost-effective, easy-to-use designs and
technologies for working and collaborating from remote locations. As a
consortium, it relies heavily on its own members to pool resources for a
common assault on the remaining barriers to telework. Funded through grants
and services provided by members, the Telework Consortium is associated with
the Systems and Software Consortium, Inc. (SSCI), which helps its industrial,
governmental, and academic members and affiliates build and improve high-
quality systems and software. For more information, visit
http://www.teleworkconsortium.org.
About VIACK
VIACK Corporation is the leading authority on secure collaboration and
communications over the Internet. Unlike communication services with limited
capabilities, the company's VIA3 Assured Collaboration Service provides
organizations with an integrated combination of business communication tools
including instant messaging, video, audio and information sharing all in one
convenient desktop offering. VIA3 was built from the ground up to establish
the highest standard of security, enabling companies to conduct meetings and
communications over the Internet without risking theft or interception of
sensitive information. Employees, colleagues, partners and vendors can now
conduct meetings and share live information as if they were in the same
office. VIACK's service has been embraced by leading enterprises, high-tech
companies, professional service organizations and the US government. The
company's products and services are available from VIACK, authorized service
providers and government contracting vehicles. For more information, go to
http://www.viack.com.
CONTACT:
Cathy Planchard Carol Klimas
VIACK Corporation Off Madison Ave
(480) 735-5925 (480) 505-4527
cplanchard@viack.com carolk@offmadisonave.com
SOURCE VIACK Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.viack.com
CONTACT:
Cathy Planchard of VIACK Corporation,
+1-480-735-5925, cplanchard@viack.com; or Carol Klimas of Off
Madison Ave, +1-480-505-4527, carolk@offmadisonave.com, for VIACK
Corporation
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