Akonix Launches L7 Enterprise for the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution

Joins BlackBerry ISV Alliance Program; helps companies comply with electronic communications regulations

San Diego, CA – May 6, 2008 – Akonix Systems, Inc., the leading provider of unified policy and risk management solutions for real-time communications, today introduced L7 Enterprise™ for the BlackBerry® Enterprise Solution from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM). L7 Enterprise provides enhanced archiving of BlackBerry SMS and PIN-to-PIN text messages. Organizations with electronic messaging compliance and e-discovery requirements may now store BlackBerry text messages directly into enterprise archival platforms by employee name and other directory attributes, making text messages searchable, retrievable and auditable.

Akonix L7 Enterprise also offers archiving, content monitoring and security for leading enterprise instant messaging (IM) clients on BlackBerry smartphones, with support for Microsoft® Office Communicator Mobile, IBM® Lotus® Sametime® Mobile and MindAlign™ Mobile. L7 Enterprise for the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is the newest addition to Akonix’s Unified Policy Management (UPM) platform, L7 Enterprise, which monitors, applies and enforces policy for the corporate use of IM and other unified communications (UC) applications.

Akonix’s L7 Enterprise seamlessly integrates with an organization’s BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, Microsoft Active Directory™ (or other LDAP directory) and leading email archive platforms, such as EMC® EmailXtender™, HP® Integrated Archive Platform™, Quest® Archive Manager and Symantec® Enterprise Vault™, to provide end-to-end, comprehensive electronic message storage. With other L7 Enterprise modules available for enterprise and public IM, online conferencing, server-based fax and VoIP, businesses can apply and enforce policy and archiving for multiple real-time communications from a single console.

Organizations in financial services, securities, commodities and energy trading face strict compliance guidelines for internal and external electronic communications, including wireless devices. In December 2007, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which regulates more than 5,000 brokerage firms, affirmed in Regulatory Notice 07-59 that text messaging is considered ‘electronic communication’, and is subject to mandatory supervision and archiving. In addition, The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Rule 17a-4 and the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Rule 3110 require broker-dealers and exchange members to preserve all electronic communications pertaining to their firms’ business in a format that cannot be overwritten or erased, for three years.

“As the use of mobile devices continues to rise for communicating business information that is subject to compliance and corporate governance requirements, so will demand for solutions to manage and enforce retention policies for real-time communications, such as text messaging, both inside and outside the workplace,” said Mark Levitt, program vice president at IDC.

“With the rising number of workers who are constantly on-the-go, wireless products such as BlackBerry handhelds have helped maintain business continuity and increase productivity,” said Don Montgomery, VP of marketing at Akonix. “Many IT managers have not been able to monitor or archive workers’ text messages, leaving financial institutions and other organizations vulnerable to compliance issues and fines, as well as loss of intellectual property. With the growth in the number of handhelds showing no sign of slowing down, organizations should embrace them as great tools for conducting business, but also monitor them carefully to avoid legal implications associated with unmanaged use.”

Akonix also today announced it joined the BlackBerry® Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Alliance Program, forging a business and technology relationship with Research In Motion. Membership in the Alliance Program allows Akonix to continually enhance support for BlackBerry users, which its customers will find value in as mobile messaging continues to grow.

Akonix L7 Enterprise for the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution will be available in May 2008 as an add-on module for Akonix’s A1000™ and A6000™ appliances, or as a Windows Server software module. Pricing will vary according to deployment and configuration options. To order or request more information, visit http://www.akonix.com/modules/l7-for-blackberry.asp, call 619-615-9415 or email sales@akonix.com. Companies interested in putting Akonix products to work protecting their networks can receive a free 30-day evaluation at http://eval.akonix.com.

About Akonix
Akonix, maker of the most deployed IM security and compliance products in the world, provides a Unified Policy Management (UPM) platform to monitor the use of unified communications applications in the workplace, administering and enforcing corporate policy and assisting with compliance regulations. The company offers a suite of UPM modules, simplifying and securing the use of real-time communications by managing all applications from a central location. L7 Enterprise performs security, archiving, content scanning, entitlement and reporting functions for real-time, electronic communications, including instant messaging, mobile messaging, online conferencing, VoIP and electronic faxing.

Over two million people around the world rely on Akonix’s products to manage and enforce electronic messaging policy and meet compliance requirements. Akonix is a BlackBerry ISV Alliance Partner, EMC Velocity Partner, HP Business Partner, IBM Business Partner, Intel Software Partner, Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Symantec Technology Enabled Partner. Furthermore, Akonix has developed business alliances and technology integrations with leading enterprise unified communications and IM platforms, including Bloomberg, IBM, Jabber, Inc., Microsoft and Reuters, and message archiving products from C2C, EMC, Fortiva, HP, Intradyn, Iron Mountain, Quest Software, Symantec, ZANTAZ and others.

For more information on Akonix and its UPM platform, please visit www.akonix.com.

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