Avistar Partners with SK GROUP of Georgia to Extend Market Coverage into Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Agreement leads to rapid signing of three further local resellers, and is marked by use of Avistar for live videoconference between Israel and Georgia for Israeli Independence 60th anniversary celebrations

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avistar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: AVSR - News) has signed a distribution partnership with SK GROUP LTD of Georgia.

The agreement sees SK GROUP assist Avistar in extending the availability of its videoconferencing and collaboration software and services to markets in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In addition to Georgia, these include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

George Arutinov, general director of SK GROUP, commented: "We researched vendors extensively to find a desktop videoconferencing and collaboration system that fulfils the demands of our clients. Avistar stood out due to its easy-to-use application, excellent video quality and the evidence of large scale deployments worldwide. Vitally for our markets, it is the only solution we found that is reliably able to surmount the challenges of high bandwidth used in video communications. Its integrated bandwidth management capabilities enable even multiparty calls to continue without restricting other network traffic."

SK GROUP provides systems and value-added service for the latest in communications technologies, including Unified Communications. Its customers are comprised of major enterprises, Internet service providers (ISPs), mobile phone operators, financial institutions, foreign companies, and embassies in Georgia. By deploying Avistar's technology, SK GROUP believes it can deliver its clients proven benefits in terms of improved quality of interaction, greater workflow efficiency, easier collaboration at distance, and the ability to reduce travel time, costs and associated carbon emissions by as much as 20%. Under the distribution partnership,

SK GROUP has already recruited two Georgian system integrators who will resell Avistar's products.

Orient Logic LTD provides IT products and systems, project management and service to customers in Georgia. MANTA Systems LTD provides telecommunications, network and computer equipment to Georgian market. A further reseller agreement has been signed with Caucasus Digital Network, a local ISP and telecommunications company that will offer Avistar's technology as a part of its IP solutions to new and existing clients.

SK GROUP and Avistar recently took part in an event to mark the 60th anniversary of the Independence of the State of Israel. Attended by approximately 2,000 people in Georgia, including the prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, minister of economics, and representatives of local government, Avistar's C3 software was used to deliver a live videoconference between Israel and Georgia.

Darren Innes, Manager of Worldwide Sale of Avistar said: "Working with SK GROUP to help them unite the nations of Israel and Georgia on such a special occasion was an honor and a great way to begin our partnership. We're delighted to have the knowledge and local experience of SK GROUP on board as we seek to extend the availability of Avistar into important growth markets." About Avistar Communications Corporation Avistar creates technology that provides the missing critical element in unified communications: bringing people in organizations face-to-face, through enhanced communications, for true collaboration anytime, anyplace. Its latest product, Avistar C3, draws on over a decade of market experience to deliver a single-click desktop videoconferencing and collaboration experience that moves business communications into a new era. Available as a stand-alone solution, or integrated with existing unified communications software from other vendors, Avistar C3 users gain instant messaging-style ability to initiate video communications across and outside the enterprise. Patented bandwidth management enables thousands of users to access desktop videoconferencing, Voice over IP (VoIP) and streaming media, without requiring substantial new network investment or impairing network performance.