Punch Networks Unveils WebGroups for Windows

Yesterday at Internet World, Punch Networks released WebGroups for Windows, the latest version of its file management and collaboration service

Punch Networks is an ASP of digital information management tools.

WebGroups for Windows is downloadable/installable software that allows users to connect their Windows operating systems directly to Punch’s data center and its WebGroups file management and collaboration service. The service allows users to securely store files on the Web, and collaborate with others inside and outside the company. WebGroups also includes rich management features such as automatic file versioning, audit trail/member tracking, file access controls, change notification and check-in/check-out functions.

“It takes the best of documentation management and merges it with the simplicity of e-mail,” Dan Campi, chief executive officer, explained to ASP-News.

Punch Networks is currently targeting the legal, scientific and architectural communities for its WebGroups for Windows.

ASP-News learned that Punch Networks has 12 clients and according to Campi, tens of thousands of users, moving very rapidly to hundreds of thousands.

WebGroups users are provided with two WebGroups and up to 10mb of data free of charge. Crossing either limit requires users to sign up for a monthly or yearly subscription, beginning at $9.95 per month.

“Normally, users set one group up for each client,” Campi said. “Our goal is to give people the flavor of the service and convert them to a paid model.”

Campi explained that while there are a lot of other lower end products on the market, Punch Networks is going after the higher-end user for WebGroups, as opposed to the masses. “This is not a consumer product,” he added.