Certain Software is getting into mobile meeting communications with the release of Certain Meetings 6.0, the latest version of its meeting management software.

Certain Software's new Certain Mobile tool creates mobile Web sites for events.

The updated software’s new Certain Mobile application not only allows meeting planners to use smartphones and tablet computers to access online registration and event management data, but it is broadening the company’s focus, allowing it now to play a role in the attendee experience. Meeting planners can use the system to make meeting information and feedback tools available on attendees’ mobile devices.

Accessing the Certain Mobile meeting Web site, attendees can use their smartphones to

• review the meeting agenda,
• create a personalized schedule,
• read and post to the event’s Twitter feed,
• rate sessions they attend, and
• read event-related messages on the “event wall.”

“Our company DNA really has been around either the independent meeting planner or the corporate meeting planner,” said Peter Micciche, CEO of San Francisco–based Certain Software. “Increasingly the focus is shifting to a wider body of stakeholders,”—C-level decision makers, speakers and exhibitors, and attendees—and the “opportunity to bring these stakeholders, who are really kind of disconnected, into one seamless ecosystem.”

Micciche tracks the evolution of his company’s offerings, from simple online event registration a decade ago, to full event-lifecycle management mid-decade when “corporations began waking up to the fact that they could use technology to get a consolidated view of their meeting spend,” to today. “As we enter the 2011 time frame we think that we’re at a huge inflection point,” Micciche said. “What today’s announcement is all about is extending the power of our platform to the world of mobile. For the first time, we’re empowering attendees by letting them provide interactive feedback to the conference organizer, speakers, exhibitors, other participants at the meeting, and participants outside the meeting. All of a sudden we’re into a whole other exciting dimension of events and meetings because we have dynamic, interactive, engaged participants instead of people who are just planted in their seats.”

In addition to its mobile capabilities, Certain Meetings 6.0 includes a new digital marketing module, which allows users to

• manage e-mail campaigns and evaluate their results,
• analyze traffic on Certain-powered event Web sites using Google Analytics, and
• promote viral marketing by allowing participants to share their event participation via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Certain Software reports close to 2,000 customers worldwide and Micciche says the company will process over 8 million meeting registrations in 2010. Clients include Dow Jones, Talaris, AusBiotech, and Wendy’s Arby’s Group.