Acquisition FAQs

Q: Why did IBM acquire WebDialogs?
Web conferencing is a strategic element in IBM’s Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC²) strategy, and Web conferencing services meet a critical need for businesses looking to more easily collaborate across organizational boundaries, or provide Web conferencing capabilities requiring no IT involvement. 

The acquisition of WebDialogs will allow IBM to offer additional flexibility and choice to businesses by bringing together the leading on-premise Web conferencing software with WebDialogs’ easy to access and use, intuitive Web conferencing service.

WebDialogs’ Web conferencing service makes it easy for companies of any size to collaborate beyond the corporate intranet, through a service that is accessible any time from anywhere. WebDialogs delivers an easy to use, intuitive meeting experience – a natural extension to the conference call – that is easy to join via the Web.  In addition, IBM Business Partners will be able to easily integrate WebDialogs into their applications, products and services.

For more on the announcement, visit www.ibm.com/press.

Q: We don’t use WebDialogs today. What is the primary value of their offering to me as a potential customer?
WebDialogs is an internet-delivered Web conferencing service.  It is especially useful outside the boundaries of your corporate firewall. If you have a need to connect with your customers, suppliers, or vendors, or if you wish to take advantage of Web conferencing internally without managing on-site software deployment and support, you should investigate WebDialogs solutions.

Additional WebDialogs benefits include the following:

• WebDialogs Web conferencing services make it easy for companies of any size to collaborate outside the corporate intranet -- accessible any time from anywhere.
• WebDialogs Web conferencing is intuitively designed and incredibly easy to access and use.
• You can choose a single provider for any meeting experience you require – either on premise or as a service.
• You get the added value that IBM plans to bring by developing plug-ins for WebDialogs to seamlessly integrate with products in the IBM portfolio such as:
  • IBM® Lotus® Sametime®
  • IBM Lotus Notes®
  • IBM Lotus Quickr™
  • IBM WebSphere® Portal

Q: Are there overlaps between the IBM and WebDialogs product portfolios?  
The IBM and WebDialogs portfolios are complementary. While both companies offer products in the real-time collaboration space, the Lotus Sametime offerings are primarily used on premise and by all company sizes. WebDialogs’ Web conferencing service has seen wide adoption with small and medium-sized businesses as well as 3rd party service providers.

Q: Who are WebDialogs’ customers today?

• WebDialogs’ customers include the worlds' leading audio conference providers.
• WebDialogs is the largest global provider of private label Web conferencing.
• Over 500k conferencing end users worldwide

Q: Will IBM keep the WebDialogs name?
WebDialogs’ offerings will be rebranded IBM® Lotus® Sametime® Unyte™.

Q: Are WebDialogs’ capabilities worldwide?
WebDialogs currently delivers complete services for the North American market only.  Several of WebDialogs’ distribution partners already offer packaging of WebDialogs’ services for select global markets. IBM plans to expand WebDialogs’ services to address international markets over time, with initial announcements currently planned for 2008.

Q: What languages are supported?
WebDialogs offers full services (Website, Web conferencing and telephone support) in English only. The WebDialogs meeting experience is also available in English, German and French. IBM intends to add support for additional languages over time.

Q: What services does WebDialogs offer today?
WebDialogs today offers a variety of Web conferencing services, as well as application sharing integrated with leading communications and Public IM service providers. IBM expects to make updates to the WebDialogs portfolio as it becomes integrated into the IBM Lotus portfolio.

Q: Where can I get more information on WebDialogs solutions?
http://www.webdialogs.com/products/

Q: How do I get a demonstration of WebDialogs Web Conferencing Service?
http://www.webdialogs.com/products/demo.asp

Q: How can I try out WebDialogs’ Web Conferencing Service?
http://www.webdialogs.com/products/trial_enterprise.asp

Q: How do I subscribe to Webdialogs’ Web conferencing Service? 
http://www.webdialogs.com/products/um_signup.asp

Q: What are IBM’s plans for WebDialogs products?
WebDialogs’ products are already rich in functionality, and lead in the private-label audio conference service provider space. IBM intends to continue to enhance these products. Going forward, we will also determine how IBM technologies and WebDialogs technologies can be combined in order to speed enhancements across the portfolio.

WebDialogs’ products can continue to be purchased today. IBM plans to make additional packages, specifically designed for existing IBM and Lotus customers, available in the future. Additional details will be shared when available.

IBM also plans many additional features that will link to WebDialogs services from other IBM and Lotus products. Those plans will be announced at a later date.

Q: What licensing entitlements will there be between Lotus Sametime and WebDialogs?
There are no licensing entitlements for Lotus Sametime users to WebDialogs services.
 
Q: Does IBM intend to replace Lotus Sametime Web conferencing with WebDialogs?
No. Lotus Sametime software is the leading on-premise Web conferencing solution in the market today. And, IBM is actively working to improve the Lotus Sametime Web conferencing feature, with new product releases expected this year.  Lotus Sametime software continues to be our on-premise solution for Web conferencing that millions of people use for collaboration every day. 

For more information on the Lotus Sametime product family, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/lotus/sametime/getthebuzz

Q: We currently use WebDialogs’ solution. How does this announcement affect my existing relationship with them?   
Your entitlement to the WebDialogs solutions and service plans you are currently using remain unchanged.

Q: My WebDialogs service subscription is about to expire.  Whom should I contact about it? 
You can contact your account team at WebDialogs.

Q: Does IBM plan to continue relationships with WebDialogs’ partners?
Yes. WebDialogs has built many strong channel and other relationships and our plan is to not only continue those relationships but to enhance them as well.