To: Trooper who wrote (1105 ) 2/2/1999 8:55:00 AM From: GARY P GROBBEL Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 1530
To: GARY P GROBBEL (41 ) From: GARY P GROBBEL Tuesday, Feb 2 1999 8:39AM ET Reply # of 42 There is another SIRC release out this am and I will post it when it gets to Y. It reflects the progress SIRC is making in the telecommunications area. Pls review all releases at Yahoo...I think this one is worth your time. here it is...also see yesterday's and prior releases ref internet development and various inet rev streams...SIRC (nasdaq) closed yesterday around 1.87/1.91: Sirco Announces CLEC Affiliate, Access One Communication's, Signing of Region Wide UNE-Platform Agreement With BellSouth Company believes it is the first region wide UNE-Platform agreement between an RBOC and an independent CLEC, which will facilitate region wide competition for local telecommunication services STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 1999-- Sirco International Corp. (NASDAQ: SIRC - news) announced today the signing of a region-wide UNE-Platform agreement by its affiliate, Access One Communications, Inc., that will permit Access One to utilize combinations of unbundled network elements (''UNEs'') from BellSouth (NYSE:BLS - news) to provide local service to its customers throughout BellSouth's nine state territory. The Company believes that this is the first region-wide agreement of its kind in the industry. Ken Baritz, Access One's Chairman and CEO stated, ''In our opinion, this Agreement marks the true opening of competition in the local communications market. With this Agreement, Access One can combine the benefits of the ubiquitous BellSouth network with the profit margins enjoyed by facilities based carriers to offer competitive services throughout the BellSouth franchised territory. In effect, Access One now has a virtual network available to it that addresses over 24 million access lines. BellSouth should be commended for its leadership and the pro-competitive approach it has taken with this Agreement.'' Baritz continued, ''We plan on initially converting approximately 12,000 of our resold lines to this virtual network platform over the next 90 days. Upon conversion, the operating gross margins on our business should dramatically increase from approximately 9% to approximately 30%. In addition, compared to the current strategy of building competing networks, with ''Virtual Facilities'' there are no significant up front capital expenditures, no possibilities of stranded plant, no delays to build out, and no delays in provisioning new customers. We are actively seeking to acquire additional lines through an acceleration of our own marketing efforts and the acquisition of other CLECs' resold customer bases. It is the Company's intent to become the first nationwide CLEC offering products and services through the use of ''Virtual Facilities.'' Access One Communications, which first began selling local telephone services in 1996, is a Florida based competitive local exchange carrier that provides an integrated suite of telecommunications products to small and medium sized businesses in the Southeastern United States. Sirco is the single largest shareholder of Access One with over 30% of the outstanding shares. Sirco International Corp. is a diversified publicly traded company with operations organized into two divisions. Sirco's telecommunications division focuses on developing integrated telephone service in the emerging competitive local exchange carrier industry. Sirco's travel division, which includes Airline Ventures, Inc., designs, imports and markets luggage, sport bags, backpacks, children's bags and related products. This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, among others, general economic and business conditions; industry trends; the loss of major customers; changes in demand for the Company's product; the timing of orders received from customers; dependence on third party sources of supply; the loss of licenses; availability of management; availability, terms and deployment of capital; and changes in state or federal governmental regulations of telecommunications services. Contact: Sirco Joel Dupre, CEO, 203-359-4100 jdupre@sircointl.com or Access One Ken Baritz, CEO, 954-714-0000 kbaritz@accessone.org gpg