News for and about the Internet2 community

["Gary Dietz" <>]

 

First Virtual Communications is announcing a software grant program.  Each month for the next 6 months, up to 5 applications from eligible Internet2 school faculty, staff, and graduate students will be accepted for Click to Meet systems, support, and SDK access.    

 

To learn more about this program, see us at the Internet2 Commons demo area at the conference in Austin on September 28 and 29, or see us online at http://www.fvc.com and follow the links to the Internet2 Grant Program.

 

First Virtual Communications Offers Grants to Internet2 Schools

University members can implement real-time, rich media communications for direct instruction, faculty/researcher collaboration and community interaction with Click to Meet grants

Redwood City, Calif. - October 5, 2004 - First Virtual Communications, Inc. (Pink Sheets: FVCC), a premier provider of infrastructure software and solutions for real-time, rich media communications, today announced a new Click to Meet™ Internet2® Grant Program. Through the program, Internet2's member universities can apply for free Click to Meet systems for direct instruction, faculty and researcher communication, and community interaction.

With Click to Meet, universities may be able to extend their existing communications systems to enhance remote teaching and meeting tasks. Starting in October 2004, First Virtual Communications will accept grant applications for up to five qualifying applicants per month for the next six months. The selected grantees will receive Click to Meet software licenses, technical support and updates. They will also be granted access to the Click to Meet Developer Program for one year. The Click to Meet™ Internet2® Grant Program is subject to the terms and conditions set forth at http://www.fvc.com/eng/education/internet2grant.htm.

To qualify, professors, staff members and graduate students at Internet2 schools must complete the application process which includes describing how they will use Click to Meet, who will be involved and how they will ensure they can meet the technical requirements. Applicants will also describe how Click to Meet will benefit the school and its constituents. Submissions will be judged on compelling uses of Click to Meet, on the variety of inter-institution and geographic interaction and evaluation methodology. For more information about the program and to apply online, please visit http://www.fvc.com/eng/education/internet2grant.htm.

Internet2 is a not-for-profit consortium led by more than 200 U.S. universities developing and deploying advanced network applications and technology. "Part of Internet2's core mission is to create lasting partnerships between academia and industry," said Laurie Burns, executive director of member and partner relations, Internet2. "Click to Meet grants will allow member schools and First Virtual Communications to collaborate closely on new rich media applications that can advance the capabilities of real-time, integrated communication and expand conferencing options."

In June 2004, First Virtual Communications announced it had become a corporate sponsor of Internet 2, actively participating in Internet2's efforts to enhance integrated voice, video and data communication.

"The Click to Meet Internet2 Grant Program is just one more way First Virtual Communications is reinforcing its commitment to educators," said Gary Dietz, education marketing manager at First Virtual Communications. "We've seen some of the most creative uses of rich media communications tools like Click to Meet come out of higher education. With this new grant program, we're encouraging institutions to apply Click to Meet to their own unique situations to demonstrate how they can extend their current communications environment with real-time, interactive components. They can create a richer learning environment for students, faculty and staff. We can't wait to see their results!"

First Virtual Communications is committed to delivering real-time, rich media communications infrastructure and solutions to educational institutions and non-profit or government-sponsored educational technology consortia. Its award-winning Click to Meet combines high-quality multipoint voice and video with web collaboration tools in a single web browser interface to allow educators to create a blend of real-time and offline learning modules appropriate to the lesson, instructor, students and technological infrastructure. Institutions can integrate Click to Meet into their remote teaching and meeting strategies because it is premise-based, customizable, scalable and interoperable with many existing communications systems. With Click to Meet, educators may be able to cost effectively expand their reach to new students, expert faculty, guest lecturers and classrooms. For more information about First Virtual Communications, Click to Meet and the education sector, please visit http://www.fvc.com/eng/education.

About Internet2®

Led by over 200 U.S. universities, working with industry and government, Internet2 is developing and deploying advanced network applications and technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia, industry, and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy. For more information about Internet2, see: http://www.internet2.edu.

About First Virtual Communications

First Virtual Communications is a premier provider of infrastructure and solutions for real time rich media communications. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, the Company also has operations in Europe and Asia. More information about First Virtual Communications can be found at www.fvc.com or by calling 1-800-728-6337 or +1-650-801-6500 outside North America.

Media Contact:

Tracy Wemett,
BroadPR
Tel: 617.868.5031 or

EMEA Media Contact:

Frédérique Chauvel
First Virtual Communications EMEA
Tel: +33 493 59 43 43

Cautionary Statement:

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words, "believes,'' "anticipates,'' "expects'' and words of similar import. Such forward-looking statements have known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of First Virtual Communications, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the Company¹s need to raise additional capital to fund its operating requirements; the aggregate value of and impact on the Company of the investigation described in the Company's press release dated April 30, 2004, including any possible expansion of the investigation and any possible restatement of previously announced financial results; any adverse impact arising from the delay in filing required periodic reports; failure to meet the listing requirements of the Nasdaq SmallCap Market; the risk that sales of the Company's Click to Meet(tm) and Conference Server products will not increase or that new versions will not be released on a timely basis; the Company's variability of operating results; market acceptance of web conferencing technology; potential inability to maintain business relationships with integrators, distributors and suppliers; rapid technological changes; competition and consolidation in the web conferencing industry; the importance of attracting and retaining personnel; and other risk factors referenced in First Virtual Communications' public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003.