Softalk Media Center

Cheaper, faster, easier Softalk launches rival to Microsoft Exchange

2007-06-25T17:29:31+01:00

Softalk has announced the release of Softalk Share Server, which will be sold as a simpler, lower-priced alternative to Microsoft’s messaging and collaboration servers. Softalk, the global developer of collaboration and email software, has designed a new collaboration server to enable small and medium-sized businesses to instantly share Microsoft Outlook folders so changes made in Outlook are available immediately. Previously, this was only possible using Microsoft’s premium-priced Exchange or Small Business Server, as most competitor products don’t instantly update Outlook as changes are made.

Softalk Share Server enables users to share both personal and public Outlook folders, including email, calendars, contacts, notes and tasks. Users and permissions can be set-up quickly with four clicks, without the need for the complex configuration required to use Microsoft Exchange. Softalk Share Server has been designed for non-IT specialists to install and use. Access to folders can be set by user groups, further simplifying administering permissions.

“The two key benefits of Softalk Share Server for small and medium businesses is that it is very easy to use and has minimal hardware requirements, both of which mean it has a much lower cost of ownership than Microsoft Exchange or Small Business Server,” explained Simon Bates, joint chief executive of Softalk.

Softalk Share Server does not need a dedicated Windows Server computer, which means lower hardware and software license costs. It can also be used on either existing 32-bit Windows computers or new 64-bit computers, unlike Exchange 2007 that needs a dedicated 64-bit Windows Server with an Active Directory domain. For smaller companies Softalk Share Server can even run on a workstation that is also being used by an Outlook user.

If businesses upgrade from existing individual Outlook personal store folders (PST) then Softalk Share Server automatically migrates the data into the new store ready for sharing. Microsoft Exchange Server provides users with empty folders forcing them to manually copy their data. Softalk Share Server is first set-up to automatically run full and incremental back-ups. If individual folders are deleted then they can be restored in seconds, unlike Exchange where users need to restore the entire store to recover data.

Small and medium size businesses can expand Softalk Share Server far more easily than Microsoft Small Business Server which has a maximum of 75 users (above this businesses must move to Exchange Server, running on two separate servers). Softalk Share Server can simply be expanded by purchasing more licenses.

Softalk Share Server starts at $275 (£149) for five users and for up to 25 users is less than half the cost of Microsoft Small Business Server. More users are even lower cost with Softalk Share Server at $2695 (£1495) for 100 users, compared to Microsoft Exchange Server at around $7000 (£3500).

ENDS

For further media information please contact Stuart Bruce at Wolfstar

t +44 (0)113 259 3695

Email stuartb AT wolfstarconsultancy.com

MULTIMEDIA

Demonstration of how easy it is to share Outlook folders using Softalk Share Server.

Technorati tags: Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, Small Business Server, teamware, groupware, calendaring, messaging, collaboration, share Outlook, sharing, Softalk, WorkgroupShare, Softalk Share Server

New European law forces companies to update email or risk fine

2007-01-08T11:46:46+00:00

Thousands of UK companies risk fine because of failure to obey new European law on website and email descriptions

Many companies in the UK have missed a January 1 deadline to update their websites and email signatures to include new information that is necessary because of European law being incorporated into UK law. Directors of companies that breach the new Companies Act risk a fine.

Email and diary software company Softalk warns that small and medium size companies are particularly at risk of fines as most do not currently include all of the essential information in their email signatures. Every company needs to list its company registration number, place of registration and registered office address on its website and in emails. Such information is already required on 'business letters' but the new regulations extend it to websites, order forms and electronic documents including email.

Softalk joint CEO Simon Bates said: "Small and medium size businesses have to cope with more and more draconian regulations. Owners and directors now face fines if their employees forget to include this information in email signatures. It is vital that they install and update software that enables them to append legal disclaimers to every email."

The new law is as a result of the UK government implementing a European law, the First Company Law Amendment, into UK law. The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosure) Regulations 2006 came into force on January 1.

Softalk advises that every company email signature should include:

Company name and geographic address, including both the trading and registered names if these are different. Both the trading address and the registered office address must be given
Company registration number and place of registration (e.g. company registered in England and Wales)
If a business is a member of a trade or professional association, membership details (including any registered number) should be shown
If the business has a VAT number it should be stated (prefixed with GB if it trades outside the UK)

Simon Bates warns companies not to be too open with their email disclaimers: "When a disclaimer or confidentiality notice is added to every email a company sends then there is a risk that a court would consider that the warning has been diluted. This means that it might be better to use a mail disclaimer program that allows you to use rules to attach different disclaimers to different types of email."

Softalk provides a wide range of software to help small and medium size businesses and organizations to manage their email and share information such as diaries, contacts, notes and tasks. MailDisclaimer works with Microsoft Exchange to add disclaimers to email messages using templates and rules. WorkgroupMail is an email messaging server with integrated anti-virus and anti-spam protection, as well as the ability to add company wide email signatures. Softalk recently released a new free version of the OfficeTalk workgroup collaboration software that enables small and medium size businesses and organisations to share calendars, contacts, email, planners, projects, meetings and documents. OfficeTalk makes it easy to add company wide disclaimers to email messages.

All of Softalk's products can be downloaded from its website at www.softalkltd.com for a free 30 day trial.

About Softalk

Softalk provides a range of messaging, collaboration and contact relationship management software solutions specifically designed to benefit small to medium size businesses and organizations. It was set up in 1993 and is a privately held company headquartered in Maidenhead in the UK with a US office in New York. For more information visit www.softalkltd.com or join in the conversation at our blog at talk.softalkltd.com.

ENDS

For further media information please contact:

Stuart Bruce at BMA PR

stuartb@brucemarshallassociates.com

New York +1 212 461 4853
London +44 (0)20 7870 5322
Leeds +44 (0)113 282 5321

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Technorati tags: business, Softalk, OfficeTalk, WorkgroupMail, email server, legal, law, email disclaimer, email signature, small business, SME, SMB, OMB, owner managed business

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Microsoft competitor is one of the UK's top ten fastest growing software companies

2006-12-04T11:58:00+00:00

Microsoft competitor Softalk, which specialises in email and collaboration software for small and medium size businesses, has been independently ranked as the UK’s 8th fastest growing software company in the 2006 Deloitte Technology Fast 50, a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the UK and Ireland. It is also the UK’s 35th fastest growing technology company overall.

Softalk joint CEO Simon Bates said: “The software market for small and medium size businesses is growing far faster than that for large corporations and enterprises. Softalk is in an ideal position to exploit the growth because we develop software specifically for small and medium size businesses whereas our competitors simply offer cut-down or restricted versions of expensive enterprise products. It’s a David and Goliath battle as our main competitor is Microsoft, but our products provide small businesses with a more cost effective and functional solution than Microsoft Exchange and Outlook.”

"Growing the top line enough to make the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 is especially meaningful during competitive times for the technology sector," said Simon Kerton-Johnson, Chairman of Deloitte’s UK and Ireland Fast 50. "We congratulate Softalk on becoming one of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the UK." The rankings are calculated on average percentage revenue growth over five years and Softalk grew by 749 percent during this period.

Softalk recently released a new free version of the OfficeTalk workgroup collaboration software that enables small and medium size businesses and organisations to share calendars, contacts, email, planners, projects, meetings and documents.

All of Softalk’s products can be downloaded from its website for a free 30 day trial. Other products include WorkgroupMail, an email messaging server with integrated anti-virus and anti-spam protection; WorkgroupShare, for sharing Microsoft Outlook data such as emails, diaries, contacts, tasks and notes; and Softalk Organizer to enable access to Outlook data from any internet connection by using a web browser.

About Softalk

Softalk provides a range of messaging, collaboration and contact relationship management software solutions specifically designed to benefit small to medium size businesses and organizations. It was set up in 1993 and is a privately held company headquartered in Maidenhead in the UK with a US office in New York. For more information visit www.softalkltd.com or join in the conversation at our blog at talk.softalkltd.com.

ENDS

For further media information please contact:

Stuart Bruce at BMA PR

stuartb@brucemarshallassociates.com

New York +1 212 461 4853
London +44 (0)20 7870 5322
Leeds +44 (0)113 282 5321

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Technorati tags: news, software, fast500, fast 500, fast 50, fast50, softalk, officetalk, microsoft, microsoft exchange, email, messaging, collaboration, calendar, tasks, productivity

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Softalks OfficeTalk takes on Outlook, Goldmine and ACT! - Social Media Release

2006-10-17T15:21:09+01:00

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Stuart Bruce (Agency)
BMA PR
Partner
+44 (0)20 7870 5532 (London)
+1 212 461 4853 (New York)
stuartbrucepr (Skype)
Email: stuartb@brucemarshallassociates.com
Web: http://www.brucemarshallassociates.com
Blog: http://www.stuartbruce.biz

Simon Bates (Client)
Softalk
Joint CEO
+44 (0)1628 594964 (Head Office)
+1 917 210-8047 (USA Office)
simontbates (Skype)
Email: stb@softalkltd.com
Web site: http://www.softalkltd.com
Blog: http://talk.softalkltd.com

Softalk’s OfficeTalk takes on Outlook, Goldmine and ACT! with contact management software for small and medium size organizations

Free single user version of OfficeTalk 4.5.1 provides individuals and businesses with contact management, email, calendar, tasks, document management and integrated project management

New York, NY -- October 17, 2006

OfficeTalk 4.5.1 is now available as a free single user version
OfficeTalk is a workgroup collaboration software solution that provides sharing of calendars, contacts, email, planners, projects, meetings and documents
OfficeTalk was originally designed as a multi-user collaboration product, unlike competitors such as Outlook, Goldmine and ACT!, which all had limited collaboration features added at a later date
All information in OfficeTalk can be shared with other users who have been granted permission to either view, edit or delete it
In addition to users an unlimited number of resources can be created to manage resources such as meeting rooms, pool vehicles, digital projectors etc
OfficeTalk structures contacts according to the organization to which they belong and can show a complete view of historical and pending activity such as email, letters, meetings, tasks and conversations
All email inboxes can be shared with other users and messages can be flagged so that other staff viewing the same inbox can see the status of messages and that they are being actioned
OfficeTalk’s project management mode uses a Gantt view to plan projects and create tasks with deadlines, planned dates and milestones, with a live view of project progress as users update their task completion status
OfficeTalk’s group mode provides views of selected user’s activity as either a multi-calendar or Gantt chart
OfficeTalk’s planner mode can be used to record and plan long term activity such as staff holidays, sick leave, exhibitions or training, with the option to show planners in calendars (or even automatically block out days)
OfficeTalk’s meeting mode can organize meetings using a free/busy planner to automatically find a free slot when all invitees and resources are available, including sending and tracking email invites to external contacts
OfficeTalk can create document templates (Word, RTF or plain text) to include replacement data fields
Officetalk’s history view can search for communications history across the entire organization by user, contact, company, date and type (email, conversations, documents, tasks, appointments and meetings)
Custom data fields can be used to store additional information in 16 different data formats including Yes/No, email, telephone, or a selection field to limit user's choices to an administrator defined list
Synchronizes with Palm PDAs and Pocket PC synchronization to be released soon
OfficeTalk is supplied with the WorkgroupMail server which includes anti-virus checking, spam filtering, content control and message archiving (the single user version uses OfficeTalk’s simple integrated mail server)
To explore all of the collaboration benefits of OfficeTalk 4.5.1 download a free 30 day trial from http://www.softalkltd.com/products/download_form.asp?product=ot
The free 30 day trial version of OfficeTalk can still be used as a free single user system (except for the SQL Sybase database version) when the trial period is over
Prices start at $625 for a five user license with a Jet database or $895 with a SQL Sybase database

MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS:

Download OfficeTalk demonstration	Download OfficeTalk project management mode	Download OfficeTalk calendar monthly view
Download OfficeTalk calendar daily view	Download OfficeTalk contact management mode	Download OfficeTalk group mode
Download Simon Bates, joint CEO of Softalk	Download OfficeTalk history view	Download OfficeTalk's email mode
Download Good contact management	Download Poor contact design	Download OfficeTalk planner mode
Download Simon_Bates

QUOTES

Simon Bates, Joint CEO of Softalk said: “We have decided to offer the free single user version so that as many people as possible can experience the benefits that OfficeTalk offers. The fact that you can look at client information in both contact and company views is a feature that users don’t get with Outlook. You can also see at a glance all communication you have had with any given contact or company, whether that be by e-mail, telephone or letter. It is ideal for those starting a small business as it can be easily and cheaply expanded as the business grows.”
OfficeTalk customer Duncan Wright, BSA Marketing said: “We use OfficeTalk to keep track of everything. The history tab that shows all previous contact can be viewed for your contact as an individual or when looking at the relevant company. When we first started looking for a CRM system we went across all of the main players ACT!, Goldmine, Outlook, and a few more obscure ones. But basically OfficeTalk ticked a lot more boxes and because of its standard database it fitted much better with what we wanted to do and could be customized to achieve more so we went for it and we’ve been very pleased with it.”
OfficeTalk customer Stuart Bruce, Partner, BMA PR said: “I’ve used OfficeTalk since its earliest version back in 1998 and despite straying occasionally to use Outlook I’ve always returned to OfficeTalk because of its powerful contact management which lets me see my contacts as part of the company they work for with a complete history of emails, letters, phone calls tasks and meetings as well as all of the pending activity.”
OfficeTalk customer Alex Walker, ICT Development Officer, Lancashire Welfare Service said: “Without OfficeTalk we would have major difficulties in delivering our service to the public in the way that we need to. Outlook just isn’t designed for collaboration, that’s the crux of the difference between Outlook and OfficeTalk. I like the cleaner more modern look of the new OfficeTalk 4.5 version. There are also some fixes and improvements that we’ve been asking for with no success until Softalk took the product back and very quickly delivered the goods.”

ABOUT SOFTALK

OfficeTalk is used by more than 30,000 small and medium size businesses and organizations around the world
OfficeTalk was developed by Softalk and originally published and marketed by Sareen Software before being returning back to Softalk in 2005
Softalk develops messaging, collaboration and contact management software specifically designed for small and medium size businesses and organizations
Softalk is based in the UK with a US office in New York and is ranked as Europe’s 138th fastest growing technology company in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500

RELATED LINKS

OfficeTalk Del.icio.us page
Growing collection of links about OfficeTalk, team work, collaboration, calendars, productivity etc

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Archive of news releases, case studies, white papers, photographs

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Let's talk business blog

Download OfficeTalk
Free 30 day trial (becomes free single user license at end of trial)

Softalk's OfficeTalk takes on Outlook, Goldmine and ACT! with contact management software for small and medium size organizations

2006-10-17T14:38:06+01:00

Free single user version of OfficeTalk 4.5.1 provides individuals and businesses with contact management, email, calendar, tasks, document management and integrated project management

Email and collaboration software developer Softalk has released a new version of its OfficeTalk workgroup collaboration software for small and medium size businesses and has made it available free for a single user version. OfficeTalk is a workgroup collaboration software solution that provides sharing of calendars, contacts, email, planners, projects, meetings and documents.

"OfficeTalk was originally designed as a multi-user collaboration product, unlike competitors such as Outlook, Goldmine and ACT!, which all had limited collaboration features added at a later date," explained Simon Bates, joint CEO of Softalk. All information in OfficeTalk can be shared with other users who have been granted permission to view, edit or delete it.

"We have decided to offer the free single user version so that as many people as possible can experience the benefits that OfficeTalk offers. The fact that you can look at client information in both contact and company views is a benefit that users don’t get with Outlook. You can also see at a glance all communication you have had with any given contact or company, whether that be by e-mail, telephone or letter. It is ideal for those starting a small business as it can be easily and cheaply expanded as the business grows."

OfficeTalk structures contacts according to the organisation to which they belong and can show a complete view of historical and pending activity such as email, letters, meetings, tasks and conversations. It can also be used to manage an unlimited number of resources such as meeting rooms, pool vehicles, digital projectors etc. Officetalk’s history view can search for communications history across the entire organization by user, contact, company, date and type (email, conversations, documents, tasks, appointments and meetings). It also synchronizes with Palm PDAs and Pocket PC synchronization is to be released soon.

All email inboxes can be shared with other users and messages can be flagged so that other staff viewing the same inbox can see the status of messages and that they are being actioned. OfficeTalk’s project management mode uses a Gantt view to plan projects and create tasks with deadlines, planned dates and milestones, with a live view of project progress as users update their task completion status.

The group mode provides views of selected user’s activity as either a multi-calendar or Gantt chart. Its planner can be used to record and plan long term activity such as staff holidays, sick leave, exhibitions or training, with the option to show planners in calendars (or even automatically block out days). The meeting mode can organize meetings using a free/busy planner to automatically find a free slot when all invitees and resources are available, including sending and tracking email invites to external contacts.

OfficeTalk document templates (Word, RTF or plain text) can include replacement data fields to automatically extract information from its database. Custom data fields can be used to store additional information in 16 different data formats including Yes/No, email, telephone, or a selection field to limit user’s choices to an administrator defined list.

OfficeTalk is supplied with the WorkgroupMail email server which includes anti-virus checking, spam filtering, content control and message archiving (the single user version uses OfficeTalk’s simple integrated mail server).

To explore all of the collaboration benefits of OfficeTalk 4.5.1 download a free 30 day trial. The free 30 day trial version of OfficeTalk can still be used as a free single user system (except for the SQL Sybase database version) when the trial period is over.

Prices start at £345 ($625) for a five user license with a Jet database or £495 ($895) with a SQL Sybase database.

ENDS

For further media information please contact:

Stuart Bruce at BMA PR

stuartb@brucemarshallassociates.com

New York +1 212 461 4853
London +44 (0)20 7870 5322
Leeds +44 (0)113 282 5321

Del.icio.us links to recent Softalk media coverage

Subscribe to RSS feed of Softalk media coverage

del.icio.us tags: news, software, OfficeTalk, collaboration, calendar, tasks, productivity, workgroup, groupware, email, project management, news release, press release

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Softalk releases MailDisclaimer for Microsoft Exchange Server

2006-09-26T13:52:39+01:00

NEW YORK, NY – Sept 26, 2006 - Softalk, the messaging and collaboration software developer, has released a new version of MailDisclaimer for Exchange Server for adding disclaimers and signature footers. MailDisclaimer 1.6 provides a set of legal and commercial disclaimer templates and scenario wizards that make it easy to create and deploy disclaimers within an organization.

MailDisclaimer can extract information from the Active Directory to replace fields such as name, phone numbers and email addresses so that organizations can use a standard message signature. MailDisclaimer can use rules to add different disclaimers or signatures to relevant internal or external messages. This enables organizations for example to use different disclaimers for different departments or users, or a virus disclaimer for messages that contain attachments. Disclaimers can also be added directly after newly added text in reply messages. MailDisclaimer includes a rich text editor to format fonts, sizes, colors and insert images and corporate logos.

Simon Bates, Joint CEO of Softalk explained: “Email disclaimers are becoming increasingly important for organizations. Disclaimers can help to minimize legal risks but you can also use them positively to include key marketing messages such as promoting events or new products. Many organizations also use disclaimers as part of their green environmental policy to remind recipients that they shouldn’t print messages unless it is absolutely essential.”

MailDisclaimer for Microsoft Exchange starts at $85 for a 10 user license, $195 for 50 users, $395 for 250 users and £895 for unlimited users. MailDisclaimer is compatible with Microsoft Exchange Server 2000/2003.

About Softalk

Softalk provides a range of messaging, collaboration and contact relationship management software solutions specifically designed to benefit small to medium size businesses and organizations. Softalk is in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 of Europe’s fastest growing technology companies. It was set up in 1993 and is a privately held company headquartered in Maidenhead in the UK with a US office in New York. Products include Softalk Collaboration Suite that includes WorkgroupMail, an email server for small businesses; WorkgroupShare to enable organizations to share Outlook folders without the need for Microsoft Exchange; and Softalk Organizer to share calendars, contacts and email over the internet. OfficeTalk is a low cost contact management, email and diary solution enabling teams to share detailed information about customers, suppliers and other contacts. For more information visit www.softalkltd.com or join in the conversation at our blog at talk.softalkltd.com.

ENDS ###

For further media information please contact:

Stuart Bruce at BMA PR

stuartb@brucemarshallassociates.com

New York +1 212 461 4853
London +44 (0)20 7870 5322
Leeds +44 (0)113 282 5321

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Technorati tags: email, messaging, email+server, Microsoft+Exchange+Server, email+disclaimer, news

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Softalk releases email server for small and medium size businesses

2006-09-15T11:29:08+01:00

NEW YORK, NY – Sept 15, 2006 - Softalk, the email and collaboration software developer, has released a new version of its WorkgroupMail email server software for small and medium size businesses and organizations. WorkgroupMail 8.1 provides integrated anti-virus and anti-spam protection, as well as content filtering and email archiving which means small and medium size businesses just need to install, buy and administer one system. It also comes with free user licenses for Softalk Organizer so that users can use Microsoft Internet Explorer to read their email over the internet.

Simon Bates, Joint CEO of Softalk explained: “The new version of WorkgroupMail is designed to make it easier and cheaper for small and medium size businesses to manage their email and protect themselves from viruses and spam. It costs less than Microsoft Exchange and because it is much easier to use it requires a lot less IT support and administration, which is essential for small and medium size businesses who can’t afford the high overhead cost of administering Exchange.”

WorkgroupMail has optional subscription-based anti-virus protection that uses an automatic self-updating anti-virus engine provided by BitDefender. Advanced anti-spam protection is available by subscribing to the optional SpamCleanser service, which helps to save time by substantially reducing spam messages.

Integrated content filtering makes it easy for small and medium size organizations to implement and enforce email policies such as restricting obscene language or certain file types. The administrator can quickly and easily add or remove filters for different words and or file types.

WorkgroupMail can archive all sent and received email to help organizations to comply with legal requirements to store electronic records of messages. It can be set to archive all messages or on a per-user basis and it can also be set to store all incoming and outgoing attachments or just those below or above a certain size or for specified users.

Other features of WorkgroupMail include the ability to send and receive mail using different domains so that companies can have multiple email addresses. This can be useful for organizations that have subsidiaries or different brands such as sales@softalkltd.com or sales@workgroupmail.com. It also supports multiple internet service providers ISPs and enables organizations to host their own email without an ISP. Administrators can also prevent users from sending or receiving external email from outside of the organization.

WorkgroupMail starts at $135 for a five user license, $260 for 10 users, $895 for 50 users with volume discounts starting at $1.79 per user for licenses for 1000+ users. All licenses include a free 12 month maintenance contract providing email support and free upgrades to all new versions released during the contract. WorkgroupMail runs on any PC with a Microsoft Windows XP Professional, NT4 Server, 2000 Server and Professional or 2003 Server operating system.

About Softalk

Softalk provides a range of messaging, collaboration and contact relationship management software solutions specifically designed to benefit small to medium size businesses and organizations. Softalk is in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 of Europe’s fastest growing technology companies. It was set up in 1993 and is a privately held company headquartered in Maidenhead in the UK with a US office in New York. Products include Softalk Collaboration Suite which includes WorkgroupMail, an email server for small businesses; WorkgroupShare to enable organizations to share Outlook folders without the need for Microsoft Exchange; and Softalk Organizer to share calendars, contacts and email over the internet. OfficeTalk is a low cost contact management, email and diary solution enabling teams to share detailed information about customers, suppliers and other contacts. For more information visit www.softalkltd.com or join in the conversation at our blog at talk.softalkltd.com.

ENDS ###

For further media information please contact Stuart Bruce at BMA PR stuartb@brucemarshallassociates.com

New York +1 212 461 4853 London +44 (0)20 7870 5322 Leeds +44 (0)113 282 5321

Technorati tags: email, small+business, messaging, email+server, anti-virus, anti-spam, news

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Small businesses risk legal action if employees violate World Cup copyright

2006-06-05T15:09:19+01:00

Thousands of small and medium size businesses face legal action if employees use their email system to send emails sharing copyrighted video clips and photographs during the World Cup. Boing Boing, the world's most popular blog, has already received a letter from corporate lawyers warning it not to share or publish copyright World Cup video clips.

Small business email software specialist Softalk warns that businesses that fail to take basic precautions are those at greatest risk of legal action. It advises that businesses should immediately issue a reminder to staff that they should not use their business email to circulate copyright World Cup video clips and should enforce the rule by updating the settings in their email server software to enforce the policy.

Softalk joint CEO Simon Bates said: "Small businesses can protect themselves by showing that they have taken reasonable steps to prevent the illegal circulation of World Cup videos but they must also show that they are enforcing it by updating the rules and filters available in their email server software.

"Small businesses should already have email policies in place but many don't," warned Simon Bates. "Even those that do have policies could be at risk if they aren't taking any steps to prevent abuse of their email system. Using an email server such as WorkgroupMail businesses can easily set up filters to block inappropriate content."

On its Let's talk business blog (talk.softalkltd.com) Softalk has published links to useful web sites that enable small and medium size businesses to introduce email policies and block inappropriate emails.

About Softalk
Softalk (www.softalkltd.com) provides a range of messaging, collaboration and contact relationship management software solutions specifically designed to benefit small to medium size businesses. Softalk is in the Deloitte Fast 50 of the UK's fastest growing technology companies. It was set up in 1993 and is a privately held company headquartered in Maidenhead in the UK with a US office in New York. Products include Softalk Collaboration Suite which includes WorkgroupMail, an email server for small businesses; WorkgroupShare to enable organisations to share Outlook folders without the need for Microsoft Exchange; and Softalk Organizer to share calendars, contacts and email over the internet. OfficeTalk is a low cost contact management, email and diary solution enabling teams to share detailed information about customers, suppliers and other contacts. For more information visit www.softalkltd.com or join in the conversation at our blog at talk.softalkltd.com.

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Technorati : SMB, SME, Softalk, WorkgroupMail, World Cup, copyright, email filters, email server, small business

Small businesses risk legal action if employees violate World Cup copyright

2006-06-05T14:55:42+01:00

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Technorati : SMB, SME, Softalk, WorkgroupMail, World Cup, copyright, email filters, email server, small business

New cost-effective team work, collaboration and contact management software for small and medium size businesses

2006-04-12T11:38:30+01:00

Includes integrated e-mail server with anti-virus and anti-spam protection

New York, NY / Maidenhead, UK - April 12, 2006 The benefits of effective team working, collaboration and contact management are now available to small and medium size businesses with the release of OfficeTalk 4.5 which provides shared calendars, contacts, e-mail, tasks, planners and project management in one integrated package.

"OfficeTalk 4.5 provides a powerful, low cost, easy to use alternative to Outlook, Act! and Goldmine. Unlike its competitors OfficeTalk is focused on sharing information, collaboration, team working and getting jobs done. Everyone in the team can benefit, not just sales professionals." explained Simon Bates, joint CEO of Softalk. "OfficeTalk can greatly increase the effectiveness of both individuals and teams by bringing all of their most important information together in one place."

OfficeTalk 4.5 was specifically developed as collaboration software for organizations with five to 500 users who need to share business information and work more effectively as a team. This means that all of its collaboration features are integral to OfficeTalk's design rather than being added on to what was originally a standalone personal information manager or sales contact system. OfficeTalk 4.5 starts at USD $625 (GBP £345) for five users or USD $6750 (£4495) for a 50 user license.

Softalk designed OfficeTalk 4.5 to improve productivity and simplify administration by providing one central place to organize business information such as contacts, appointments, telephone calls, e-mail, letters and other documents. The group mode and meeting mode simplifies internal administration by enabling users to easily set up meetings and manage all shared resources such as meeting rooms, digital projectors and exhibition stands. The shared calendars make it easy to view any other users' diaries and task lists.

The contact management mode provides single company records with separate records for each contact linked to it. This means that any team member (with permission) can view all related information for either a company or a contact in one place under a pending or history tab to see what needs to be done or has been done in the past.

The OfficeTalk e-mail mode enables users (with permission) to view any other users' e-mail folder with an instant update of any changes. Individual messages can be flagged and set with a reminder that action is required.

OfficeTalk 4.5 also has a project management mode to plan and monitor related tasks. Tasks can be given start dates and durations and then assigned to local OfficeTalk users or remote users by e-mail. The current status of projects and tasks can be tracked using a GANTT style view and compared with baseline snapshots showing the project's original timescale. Projects can be imported and exported to Microsoft Project.

OfficeTalk 4.5 also enables workgroup synchronization for sharing business information across multiple sites. Mobile and offsite users can work offline and synchronize with the main database offline. Data can also be synced with Palm PDAs.

OfficeTalk 4.5 is quickly installed from a download and an entire team can be up and running in less than 30 minutes. Users can start benefiting from OfficeTalk 4.5 immediately with little or no training needed. It can also be customized to add additional data fields, profiles to restrict or allow access to different modes for individual users or groups of users. An application programming interface (API) enables OfficeTalk to be integrated with other applications.

Integrated e-mail server with anti-virus and anti-spam protection

OfficeTalk 4.5 is now bundled with the Softalk WorkgroupMail server to provide scaleable, secure messaging with integrated anti-virus and spam protection. It also now offers email message archiving, searching and retrieval to enable businesses to comply with new laws regarding storing data and correspondence for several years.

About Softalk

Softalk provides a range of messaging, collaboration and contact relationship management software solutions specifically designed to benefit small to medium size businesses. Softalk is in the Deloitte European Fast 500 and the UK Fast 50 of the fastest growing technology companies. It was set up in 1993 and is a privately held company headquartered in Maidenhead in the UK with a US office in New York. Customers include American Express, Cancer Research, Cap Gemini France, Cisco, Lufthansa and Xerox. Its products include Softalk Collaboration Suite which includes WorkgroupMail, an email server for small businesses; WorkgroupShare to enable organizations to share Outlook folders without the need for Microsoft Exchange; and Softalk Organizer, a web-based collaboration client enabling users to share calendars, contacts and email. OfficeTalk is a low cost contact and customer relationship management solution enabling the whole team to share business information. For more information visit www.softalkltd.com or join in the conversation at the Let's talk business blog at talk.softalkltd.com

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