Board portal software, but used by about one in five companies?

This figure from the New York-based Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals is cited by the Wall St. J., Oct. 23, 2006 at R11. The 20 percent figure feels quite high, given how recently software for board members has arrived (See my posts of July 19, 2006; and Aug. 9, 2006).

The article summarizes the standard features included in these packages. Those features typically can cost from $3,300 per year for a basic portal from InfoStreet (Tarzana, CA) to more than $100,000 per year for a sophisticated, multi-company portal from BoardVantage (Menlo Park, CA).

Law firms, too, can use board portals for their clients. The article references Reed Smith, which uses a portal from New York-based Diligent Board Member Services LLC. The article mentions other portal packages for boards of directors, such as BoardLink (Thomson Financial) and Leaders 4 (80-20 Software Pty. Ltd. of Melbourne, Australia).