Software fosters secure, multi-enterprise knowledge sharing.

Press Release Summary:



Delivered via hosted SaaS model, ForumPass4 lets businesses share information internally as well as with third parties. It is architected to encapsulate MS Office SharePoint Server and delivers secure interactions across extended value chain. Along with pre-built aerospace and defense (A/D)-centric workflow templates, software offers MyWorkspace feature that optimizes productivity by presenting meetings, tasks, alerts, and discussions across all relevant projects in one location.



Original Press Release:



Exostar Delivers Next-Generation Secure, Multi-Enterprise Knowledge Sharing with ForumPass4 Launch



Product Redesigned to Leverage and Extend Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 16 -- Exostar, the leading provider of secure, multi-enterprise collaboration solutions to the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry, today announced the general availability of its groundbreaking ForumPass4 product. The new version of ForumPass provides businesses with the functionality, scalability, and performance they require to effectively share information internally and with their partners, suppliers, customers, and other third-parties. As a result, complex programs and projects with global constituencies remain on schedule and on budget, while sensitive documents and data receive ironclad protection.

The launch of ForumPass4 is the culmination of an extensive beta test and field trial that involved more than 5700 users. Over 170 companies worldwide have actively participated in the process, including Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems.

"ForumPass4 truly delivers the functionality and security required for collaboration in the A&D ecosystem," said Richard Harris, Director of Information Management & Infrastructure Programmes at Rolls-Royce. "Our global footprint makes it imperative for us to focus travel where it adds the most value, yet we cannot afford to sacrifice productivity. ForumPass4 empowers our personnel to remotely coordinate with team members inside and outside the organization, as well as across multiple projects, with great clarity and efficiency. We intend to expand the scope of ForumPass4 to make it available to users throughout the company and our partners."

ForumPass4 represents more than a capabilities upgrade from ForumPass3 and prior versions of the product. The new solution has been completely re-architected to encapsulate Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, which is rapidly becoming the de facto standard for collaboration. ForumPass4 presents the familiar look-and-feel of SharePoint and offers many of its best features, but it also includes enhancements critical to cost-effective, secure interactions across the extended value chain.

"SharePoint is emerging as a popular mechanism for file sharing and collaboration with partners and suppliers. However, implementers are struggling with how to deploy SharePoint in situations that require secure information sharing when spanning multiple domains and multiple, external organizations," said Craig Roth, Vice President of Collaboration and Content Strategies at the Burton Group.

Controlled access through single sign-on to ForumPass4 and other applications eliminates multiple logins. Based on the desired level of security, users gain access by username/password, digital certificate, medium level of assurance digital certificate, or restricted group attributes. Additional security is available through end-to-end data encryption and the establishment of sensitive or restricted sites.

Once users have entered ForumPass4, they can take advantage of capabilities not found in an enterprise deployment of SharePoint or other collaboration tools. The product's "QuickStart" package draws on Exostar's extensive experience with A&D use cases to promote the rapid creation of an optimized operating environment, including setting up groups, configuring libraries, and fine-tuning calendar functionality. Pre-built A&D-centric workflow templates for reviews, approvals, collection of feedback, and notifications capture and automate best practices for crucial business processes that further speed deployment. And ForumPass4's "MyWorkspace" feature optimizes productivity by presenting meetings, tasks, alerts, discussions, and more -- across all relevant projects -- in a single location.

Because ForumPass4 is delivered via a Software-as-a-Service, hosted deployment model, companies can capitalize on immediate solution availability and published service level agreements to minimize total cost of ownership and maximize return on investment. Exostar handles all product maintenance and upgrades, service and support, and even on-boarding services to rapidly incorporate new users -- allowing firms to devote all of their attention to successful program execution.

"A&D has experienced a paradigm shift over the past few years which has placed a greater requirement on flexible, secure information sharing across the extended ecosystem," said Kevin Lowdermilk, Exostar President and CEO. "To meet this need, we rebuilt ForumPass from the ground up so that it would serve our customers well over the long haul. The response to ForumPass4 has been gratifying. We're confident we've created a product that enables our customers and their constituents to collaborate efficiently, effectively, and securely."

About Exostar

Exostar's Trusted Workspace powers secure, multi-enterprise information sharing, collaboration, and business process integration throughout the extended value chain. Exostar was founded in 2000 to support the complex trading needs of the world's largest aerospace and defense companies, including BAE SYSTEMS, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon Co., and Rolls-Royce. Exostar's identity assurance products and on-demand business applications reduce risk, improve agility, and strengthen trading partner relationships and profitability for over 40,000 companies worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.exostar.com/.

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