| Deployed in several hundred corporate networks |
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Sonork meets the demands of a changing corporate environment by providing a reliable foundation for mission critical communications and information delivery - regardless of the strain placed on it by the network. |
| Low resource requirements |
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Sonork doesn’t require demanding hardware or software to run reliably. It performs well even on old Windows 95 hard/software, making it ideal for communicating with nodes in areas of poor line quality and bandwidth. |
| Encrypted data transfer and storage |
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Sonork offers complete control over IM usage, reducing corporate security violations by archiving all conversations & files transferred across the system. Allows or prohibits employees’ access to the system, and enforces the use of professional screen names. Provides protection against ‘snooping’, something common-place with public instant messengers. |
| Flexible extranet configuration and access options |
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Sonork provides VPN-style support for extending access and usage outside a company’s intranet without compromising security. Allows for real-time communication and file transfers with colleagues, suppliers and customers in or outside the company. Reduces many of the costs associated with long-distance phone and fax usage, travel, overnight deliveries and email attachments |
| Intuitive Client Console with sophisticated messaging features |
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The interface is easily learned and effectively utilized by end users. A clear and logical layout ensures that the learning curve is low and that anyone can use the product effectively within less than 5 minutes. |
| Selective Visibility for showing a different presence status to different users |
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Advanced presence management gives users control over how others see their online status. By being able to see when contacts are available, presence settings not only enhance the efficiency of all communications, but also provide each user with a means to control privacy and accessibility while simultaneously increasing their accountability |
| Session Notes (persistent away messages) |
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For each state of presence a note can be displayed before messages are sent. It informs other users about (temporary) details of one’s online status and reduces –if not eliminates – intrusive messaging. |
| Message and file transfer to offline users |
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One of the most useful features! One doesn’t have to wait for other users to be online. One can send files and messages to offline users, which in return will receive files and messages when they log on, and can respond to sender at any time as well. This allows for email type functionality, enabling communication at any time consolidated through one centralized contact list. Three different time-stamps show remote, local and GMT time, so one knows right away the age of the message and at what time it had been sent. |
| Reply and Query modes |
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A Sonork innovation, it allows for the creation of structured conversation threads in an otherwise loose communication environment. These threads can be isolated and shared with colleagues without first having to manually remove irrelevant messages. |
| Extensive support for Drag & drop |
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Files and messages can simply be dropped on the user’s messaging console in order to initiate the transfer. Sonork also remembers the location of all sent/received files for easy reference. Email server overhead is reduced with peer-to-peer data transfer within a secure network. |
| Highly sophisticated file transfer agent |
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Sonork pervasively and automatically encrypts, compresses and temporarily stores files sent between users. Capacity of repository is configurable, including rules for when to automatically delete old or unclaimed files. Unlike e-mail servers, the agent stores a single compressed copy of a file sent to several users, reducing network and storage resources and providing enhanced security |
| Time-stamped Message Logs |
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Financial and health are among those who need to keep accurate records of conversations. Sonork allows the central logging of all message transfers. The client-side unlimited message history is on-screen at all times. Several search options allow for quick retrieval of past messages and threads. |
| Built-in Conference (“chat”) Rooms |
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Conference rooms enables online meetings with teams, customers, colleagues, or others with whom group discussions are required. Users can be “invited” into a conference by simply dragging them from the User List in the Main Console and into the Conference Room This reduces the need for expensive conference calls, and provides a written transcript of meetings and discussions for later reference. Enables quick decision-making and other activities where group consensus, input, or consultations are required. Encrypted group communications traffic also means enhanced security for sensitive organizational discussions. Permanent conference bots can be set up to run unattended, further reducing administrational effort. |
| Extended feature set |
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A built-in quick reference multi-clipboard, a calendar with reminders, a multi-account email sender/checker, and an applications menu provides centralized access to information and frequently used applications directly from the user interface. |
| Integrated HTTP engine |
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This feature extends Sonork’s use far beyond messaging and file transfer. It enables the creation of web-based applications, running on any web server, that interact with the Sonork environment and network (e.g. digital forms, database apps, etc) It saves time and confusion with integrated web-based forms that send pre-formatted instant messages to users or interact with a database to collect, store, organize and disseminate structured information. Web Applications introduce a more organized means of communication and management of information. |
| Tracker Rooms & Call Signs |
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These built-in “Help Desk” features allow for the looking-up of and communication with colleagues without them having to be on a user’s list of contacts. Users may belong to (or have been assigned to) more than one group, such as “Technical Support”, “Marketing” or “Human Relations”. Tracker Rooms are defined server-side and populated client-side on a voluntary basis. Call Signs are defined and populated server-side. For example, when a user finds a virus, a search for the Call-Sign “Technical Support” will find the people that may help and see who’s online/available at that moment. |
| Supports most ODBC complaint databases |
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Sonork supports MS-Access, MySQL, MS-SQL, Informix and Sybase Anywhere. Support for other databases is under development. It offers a DB API for easy integration with current employee directories and new or existing web-based applications. Oracle and PostgreSQL support are under development. |
| Flexible configuration via graphical user interface or direct table access |
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Sonork offers an extensive administrative toolset to tailor-make the system, but also allows direct table data access to effect changes. This provides great flexibility in administering and extending the system. |
| Client customization tool |
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The IPC enables low-level integration with external applications and the ability to embed Sonork localization and data transfer functionality into non-Sonork applications. It can also be used as a “presence engine” to launch instances of other networking applications between users on the network (e.g. MS NetMeeting) without having to enter IP addresses. Empowers businesses to unify external applications within their secure private networks around a secure communication backbone. |
| Client source code under open source license |
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The Sonork client engine code is open source for the creation of custom applications. Anyone with even basic programming skills can create their own customized client application from the ground up, or modify the standard client to fit their specific needs. |
| Light-weight, 800kb client |
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Uses very little system resources and the small size makes the Sonork client ideal to embed in external applications to add localization and data transfer functionality. |
| UDP & TCP ports |
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UDP parameters used by the server to automatically adjust to network conditions are adjustable. The UDP channel is less prone to DOS (Denial Of Service) attacks.
The advanced UDP protocol is highly reliable on low speed/high-packet-loss connections, making it ideal for mobile connection devices in a LAN, WAN or globally distributed satellite networks.
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| Automatic P2P connections |
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Sonork automatically establishes P2P connections to relieve the server load. This can be disabled server-side when message logging is required and the penalty for higher server load accepted. |
| Support for NT Service |
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The Sonork Server can run as an NT Service, allowing for an automatic restart in the unlikely event of a shut-down. |
| Unobtrusive and configurable system- and event notification sounds and visual indicators |
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Sonork notifies you when you receive messages and files, and keeps you informed of various systems events (unread messages, changes in network status, etc.) without disrupting the workflow. Sounds can be adjusted. |
| SOCKS and NAT compliant |
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Sonork can be adapted to run even under demanding network environments with severe restrictions. Connections and addresses can be freely configured to ensure maximum flexibility and as a result also security. |
| Customer-friendly licensing model |
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Licenses are based on concurrent usage with unlimited amount of profiles stored on the same computer. It improves efficiencies and cost savings across any organization. This is of particular importance to multi-national companies with employees working on different time zones, who enjoy large savings over a ‘per seat’ model. |
| Full service Technical Support, but hardly ever required |
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Sonork offers comprehensive, speedy and competent technical support in case of customers experiencing problems with the system. Since the release of Sonork in January 2001, it has been shown that Sonork runs extremely reliably, and that no to very little support is required in the majority of cases. Where the system is used for demanding and complex messaging operations, support queries and feature requests are answered promptly and professionally. |
