Akonix Announces Expert Advisory Board to Establish Global Strategy for Next-Generation IM Security

San Diego, CA - January 30, 2006 - Akonix Systems, Inc., the premier provider of enterprise-class solutions for ensuring security and compliance for employee use of instant messaging (IM), has developed an Advisory Board composed of industry leaders experienced in corporate IT and firewall security. This leading consortium will help drive Akonix's product innovation to best meet the needs of global enterprises.

Bringing diverse experience and industry knowledge, the Board consists of key executives from major corporations, including Reuters, Turner Broadcasting Systems and Aspect Communications. This group will help ensure Akonix is on the cutting-edge of IM security, compliance and management solutions, consistently delivering new features and meeting market demand.

As executive vice president and global head of Collaboration Services at Reuters, David Gurle will play a significant role in shaping Akonix's advanced support for enterprise instant messaging systems like Reuters Messaging. Having previously worked at Microsoft as a product unit manager and director of program management for the company's Real Time Communication division, Gurle's industry and technical expertise will be invaluable to the Board.

"As the first company to launch an IM management and security gateway, Akonix is definitely a leading player in the IM security and management industry," said Gurle. "I am honored to be a part of Akonix's Advisory Board, along with the other leading executives. As a veteran in the real-time communications industry, I know we will work closely together to help shape the industry and drive new advancements."

Vice president of IT Infrastructure at Turner Broadcasting System, James Robertson manages the architecture, strategy and operations responsibilities for IT security, IP data networking and IT project management for Turner and its properties. Robertson's corporate background will help ensure that Akonix's solutions meet the needs of large, Fortune 1000 customers.

As former CIO of Aspect Communications and Legato Systems, Bill Maguire will provide Akonix's Advisory Board with a wealth of knowledge on how to optimize IT systems to align with business objectives. His background includes 25 years of experience in strategic planning, business development and information systems management for national and global operations.

"Having worked closely with Akonix for the past couple of years, I am pleased to be offered a position on its Advisory Board to help the company further expand its market leadership and advance its IM management product line," said Maguire. "IM security and compliance problems are only growing and Akonix is at the forefront of protecting large organizations from these potential risks. With my experience, I hope to assist Akonix in pinpointing the exact needs of CIOs and corporate executives worldwide."

"We're pleased and honored that each of these individuals has agreed to commit their time to help guide the company, as we continue to develop our product roadmap and market positioning in the growing IM security space," said Peter Shaw, CEO of Akonix. "Each executive brings tremendous industry and hands-on experience that will be valuable to the continued growth of our business. The Advisory Board will enable Akonix to deliver premiere products and services to our customers across the globe."

About Akonix
Akonix is the most deployed IM security product in the world, enabling Global 1000 companies to deploy productive, enterprise-wide IM that is secure, compliant and managed.

Over one million global users across hundreds of organizations in the Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment industries use Akonix solutions. With more than a dozen patents pending, Akonix's award-winning products provide the industry's only automatically-updated protection to block viruses for both enterprise and public IM systems. Akonix has certified partnerships with all leading IM and presence providers including America Online(r), Microsoft, Yahoo!, Reuters, IBM, Parlano and Bloomberg.

An IM industry first, the Akonix Security Center (www.imsecuritycenter.com) provides real-time information about worms, viruses and other vulnerabilities that target IM and P2P networks. The company issues monthly and quarterly IM threat watch reports to track key trends and vulnerabilities.