San Diego, CA – May 29, 2007 – Akonix Systems, Inc., provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today introduced the Akonix A1000 IM Essentials Appliance, a simple-to-install and administer, all-in-one IM management solution designed specifically to address the risk management, archiving and compliance needs for IM use in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The A1000 IM Essentials Appliance  includes 100 seats and provides smaller firms an all-inclusive, complete risk management solution for instant messaging.

The SME market faces significant demands as it has IT requirements similar to those of larger enterprises but significantly fewer resources. In order to meet the financial, security and compliance obligations of smaller organizations, Akonix now offers the A1000 IM Essentials Appliance. The unit is factory-configured with Akonix’s L7 Enterprise™, a risk management platform designed to archive, secure and control access to IM communications, and L7 Enforcer™, a policy enforcement platform. It is powered by AkOS™, Akonix’s customized hardened operating system developed for secure, real-time messaging environments.

 Nearly one in six organizations does not have either an email or instant messaging retention policy, according to Osterman Research . Akonix’s new appliance archives IM conversations based on company-determined policies to ensure compliance with industry and government regulations, including newly amended federal rules on legal discovery of electronic records – a key challenge for most SMBs. The appliance also enables businesses to protect themselves from viruses, worms and other malicious IM threats, as well as manage and enforce policies for all public and private IM networks.

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