Collaborative: Cata Launches Web Conferencing Tool, Channel Program

Posted: 08/2002

Cata Launches Web Conferencing Tool, Channel Program

ASP Cata Technologies has set up indirect channels to market the online meeting tool it introduced in April. Already the company has signed five companies as partners.

Cata's service uses the Internet to allow interactive meetings with as many as 50 people in one virtual room. With a computer, Internet connection and phone line, users can make sales presentations, present financial information in a spreadsheet, share ideas with PowerPoint presentations and Web pages, conduct polls with results displayed in bar graphs and send instant messages.

Unlike other services per-call and per-hour fees, Cata provides unlimited meetings for a flat rate of $39.95 per month and a one-time, set-up fee of $19.95.

The company is making its services available through agents, resellers and direct sales representatives, says Dan Dembicki, vice president of sales and marketing for the company.

Dembicki says the product "dovetails" especially well with services other telecom service providers and traditional telephony agents offer because it works with existing audio conferencing services for the voice component instead of Internet telephony options many other products employ.

The service can be integrated with existing e-mail invitation features and the audio phone number can be placed on the Cata Web Conferencing Web-based initiation page, says Dembicki.

The service also can be used with direct calling, three-way calling or a company's in-house audio conferencing system.

The company also is targeting agents and resellers outside the telecom industry.

Agents receive a monthly recurring commission of less than 20 percent on subscriptions sold. They are supported with product training and demonstration support.

Resellers can sell the Cata product or a private-labeled version, purchasing it from Cata at a wholesale rate with volume discounts. Resellers can price the service however they wish, but Dembicki estimates margins as high as 50 percent. He says there are additional opportunities for revenue from providing custom content to customers.

For now, Cata provides customer service for its resellers but expects to offload that function as resellers become more familiar with the product. Other support includes product training and assistance with collateral development. Billing data are provided via e-mail or FTP.