Wednesday August 4, 3:02 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Loral Data Services Acquires Williams Global Access Services Business Television Unit
Loral Expands Business Television Capability Worldwide
ROCKVILLE, MD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 4, 1999-- Loral Data Services today announced that it has acquired Williams Global Access Services, a business television unit of Williams (NYSE:WMB - news) of Tulsa, Okla. This acquisition will substantially increase Loral's business television (BTV) service offerings by combining the international audio/video networking capabilities of Global Access Services with the data networking and broadband distribution services of Loral Orion and CyberStar, which make up Loral's Data Services group. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Global Access Services currently provides business television, video teleconferencing and other communications services to companies in various parts of the world through networks operated in Singapore, Dallas, London and Johannesburg. With this transaction, Loral will add these four operations to its existing business to offer global service delivery for business television and interactive data applications.
''This agreement is an exciting move that will further strengthen our position in the broadband data services market for enterprises,'' said Neil Bauer, group vice president for Loral Data Services. ''Corporate video distribution is an increasingly significant medium for enterprises, and by adding Global Access' capability to our existing business television platform, Loral will become the pre-eminent global player in the business television arena with a substantial position in the key U.S. and European markets.''
With the addition of Global Access' business, which is the leading cross-border business television service in Europe, Loral will enhance its business television capabilities by adding resources in network development, systems integration, transmission services, maintenance, network management services and special event coordination for corporate-owned, private business television networks around the globe. Business television -delivery of broadcast quality video from one point to multiple geographically dispersed points for one-way or two-way, interactive transmissions - is used by corporations, large associations and educational institutions for professional training, internal communications and distance learning applications. A growing number of corporations that use business television are focused on adding enhanced video and data applications based on Internet Protocol (IP) standards, to allow more effective communication between large audiences of people in multiple, geographically spread locations.
Loral will provide enterprise customers with IP-broadband connectivity and services virtually anywhere in the world using dedicated satellite capacity leased from both Loral and other companies and combined with strategically located up-link facilities, fiber and virtual private networks. With this infrastructure, Loral will be well positioned to meet the growing demand for data services including Internet access, video streaming, distance learning, electronic file transfer and multicast services.
As part of the joining of these two companies, Nick Thompson, previously worldwide vice president for Global Access Services based in London, will become president of Loral Orion Europe. He will be responsible for all European operations of both Loral Orion and Global Access.
Loral Data Services was created by Loral Space & Communications to provide broadband data, Internet and multimedia services for businesses and Internet Service Providers worldwide. The group encompasses both Loral Orion and CyberStar, combining their service and marketing strengths in the growing broadband, IP-services market. The group delivers IP-based data broadcasting and multicasting services, Internet access and value-added services as well as content delivery services. The applications include virtual multicast networks, data networking, high-speed file transfer, distance learning, and audio and video streaming services. These broadband services will enable customers to send digital IP-content over Loral's satellite and terrestrial infrastructure for delivery at multiple megabits per second to sites around the world.
Loral Space & Communications is a high technology company that primarily concentrates on satellite manufacturing and satellite-based services, including broadcast transponder leasing and value-added services, domestic and international corporate data networks, global wireless telephony, broadband data services, Internet services, and international direct-to-home satellite services. For more information, visit Loral's Web site at loral.com.
Williams, through its subsidiaries, provides a full range of communications and energy services. Williams Communications owns and operates a U.S.-based long-distance fiber-optic network; sells, installs, integrates and maintains business communications equipment in North America; and has fiber-optic and wireless interests in Australia and South America. Additional information is available at www.williams.com.
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Contact:
Jeanette Clonan 212/338-5658
Melissa Kozicki Williams 918/573-5115 |
