Raindance Communications
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1 April 1997 in Delaware, United States |
| Defunct | April 2006 |
| Fate | Acquired by West Corporation |
| Headquarters | Louisville, Colorado , United States |
| Products | Web Conferencing Pro (Meeting and Seminar editions) |
| Parent | West Corporation (from April 2006) |
Raindance Communications, Inc. was a U.S.-based firm that specialized in online meeting, web conferencing, and teleconferencing solutions. Its offerings included interactive services such as automated phone conferencing, web-based conferencing, and collaboration features like whiteboarding, web touring, and sharing of desktop applications.
History
Established in April 1997 in Delaware, Raindance maintained its main office in Louisville, Colorado. The company generated its initial revenue in January 1998 but experienced net losses during its early stages. In April 1999, it introduced its combined web and phone conferencing platform and subsequently enhanced its portfolio by launching the Web Conferencing Pro service after acquiring Contigo Software, Inc. in June 2000.
Following a settlement agreement in May 2001, the company changed its name from Evoke to Raindance Communications. This rebranding coincided with a strategic shift towards web and phone conferencing solutions, accompanied by significant organizational restructuring and workforce downsizing. Due to a brief operating track record and strong market competition, the company’s quarterly financial results showed considerable variability; net losses fluctuated between $1.8 million and $12.9 million, while revenues ranged from $9.1 million to $13.9 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002.
In February 2006, Omaha-based West Corporation, a provider of outsourced communication services, acquired Raindance for $110 million at $2.70 per share. The acquisition was finalized in April 2006, with Raindance becoming part of InterCall, Inc., a division within West Corporation.
Products
Raindance Communications developed the "Web Conferencing Pro" platform, originally called "Collaboration." This web conferencing solution supported virtual meetings and webinars featuring desktop application sharing, slide presentations, shared whiteboarding, and guided web tours. Presenters could interact with attendees through annotation tools, text-based chat, and live polling. The user interface allowed customization with company-specific colors and logos. Two editions were offered: Meeting and Seminar.
The Meeting edition of Web Conferencing Pro provided:
- Live desktop application sharing;
- Whiteboarding for real-time drawing or writing;
- Web Touring to navigate participants through websites;
- Live Text Chat;
- Polling functionality for audience engagement;
- Co-moderator roles to share control; and
- Recording and Playback capabilities for session archiving.
The Seminar edition incorporated automated event management features such as scheduling publication, attendee registration, and automatic email notifications. It also included advanced tools for managing large-group interactions like Q&A sessions.
Raindance lawsuit for patent infringement
On September 27, 2005, WebEx filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Raindance Communications. Raindance responded with a countersuit on October 14, 2005. Both companies sought monetary damages and injunctions related to the alleged patent violations. On March 31, 2006, they reached a settlement that dismissed all claims and included mutual releases for past infringements, financial compensation, and cross-licensing agreements covering patents. As part of the resolution, Raindance agreed to pay WebEx $1 million.
Awards
Raindance secured first place in both the Best Website and Most Effective Use in Web Conferencing categories at the 20th Annual TeleCon Awards. On May 15, 2002, they delivered a presentation at the AEA Micro Cap Financial Conference. The company's stock was traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker RNDC. Beginning November 19, 2001, Raindance made available a complimentary trial of Web Conferencing Pro 5.0 for up to five participants for a limited period. This 5.0 version included features such as full-screen display with 16-bit high color, enhanced resolution, and an optional 128-bit SSL encryption to ensure secure data transmission.