FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Sherman Robert Mercer, DIRECTV, Inc.
Tel. 662-893-8360 Tel. 310-726-4683
Cell Phone: 901-351-9861 Cell Phone: 310-200-3192
Email: msadvertising@aol.com Email: rgmercer@directv.com
Multiband Announces The Creation Of Multiband Subscriber Services,
One Of The Largest Providers Of DIRECTV Services To
Multi-Dwelling-Units And Timeshare Resorts In The Country.
Kent Whitney Becomes President Of Multiband Subscriber Services for Multiband Inc. Effective August 1, 2004
To Better Manage The Tremendous Growth
New Hope, Minnesota, August 18, 2004. Multiband (NASDAQ: MBND–News) announced today that, as a result of their completed acquisitions of Minnesota Digital Universe and Rainbow Systems LLC and continuing future acquisition plans within this industry, they have formed a new business group, Multiband Subscriber Services (MSS) and chosen Kent Whitney to lead it.
Multiband, an exclusive DIRECTV Master System Operator, expanded its marketing and service strategies in the Multi Dwelling Unit (MDU) market, resulting in the launch of Multiband Subscriber Services (MSS). “The new business group will directly address MDU installation issues with property owners and managers who are looking to satisfy residents’ desire for DIRECTV service and also how to provide competitive access for local and long distance telephone, and Internet services,” said Kent Whitney, MSS president.
In addition to DIRECTV, Multiband MSS provides consumers with several other benefits including multiple feature local phone services such as call waiting, call forwarding and three-way calling; better than industry average response times; one number for billing and service needs; and one bill for local, long distance, satellite television and Internet service availability. The company currently operates nation wide.
“Mr. Whitney was a co-founder of Minnesota Digital Universe and has a long history of achieving remarkable results in this industry,” according to James Mandel, CEO of Multiband Inc. “Having Kent Whitney lead this new business division is a very positive step towards assuring growth and profitability for this new business. Our completed acquisitions, as well as internal growth will build a very solid revenue and profit foundation for Multiband.” As President of Multiband Subscriber Services for Multiband, Mr. Whitney will report directly to James Mandel in New Hope, MN.
“The creation of Multiband Subscriber Services under the leadership of Kent Whitney demonstrates a clear commitment by Multiband to focus its efforts on growing the DIRECTV MDU business nationwide,” said Daren Benzi, vice president, Sales Development and Strategy, DIRECTV Inc. “MSS will offer a wide range of affordable and convenient one-stop services that will generate high levels of customer satisfaction and provide a superior alternative to competing services.”
Currently, Multiband provides services for approximately 40,000 DIRECTV customers and approximately 400,000 additional units passed for development. “Our exclusive relationship with DIRECTV provides a huge benefit for our Video Subscribers and it helps give us the ability to continue to build market share and subscribers over the localized competition by providing the best video product available in America” said Mr. Whitney.
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If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Kent Whitney or Jim Mandel, please call Michael Sherman at 662-893-8360 or send an email to msadvertising@aol.com
About Multiband Corporation
Multiband Corporation (NASDAQ:MBND), formerly Vicom, Incorporated, formed in 1975, provides voice, data and video systems and services to business and government clients, and to multiple dwelling units (MDUs), including apartment buildings and time share resorts. The Company’s products and services are sold to clients located throughout the United States. The Company has two operating divisions, Multiband Business Solutions and Multiband Subscriber Services, which encompasses the wholly owned subsidiary corporations, Multiband USA, Inc. and URON, Inc.
In July 2004, the Company acquired Rainbow Satellite LLC, a private cable operator. Rainbow, with locations throughout the United States, has subscriber concentrations in California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Florida and New York. In August of 2004, Multiband acquired assets from 21st Century Satellite LLC, adding 23 upscale RV and Mobile Home Parks to its portfolio and raising its owned and serviced subscriber base to over 70,000. Multiband has offices in Fargo, Minneapolis, Rochester, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, and Tampa with satellite facilities through subcontractors in St. Louis, Dallas, and New York. For additional information, please go to www.multibandusa.com.
Multiband Business Solutions
Multiband provides a full range of voice, data and video communications systems and service to more than 2,600 clients, including system integration, training and related communication sales and support activities for commercial, professional and institutional clients, most of which are located in Minnesota and North Dakota. Multiband partners with Hewlett Packard Co, Cisco Systems, Inc., Microsoft, Citrix Systems Inc., Veritas Software Corp., Nortel Networks, Tadiran Telecommunications, Inc., Iwatsu America, NEC America, Inc., Nortel Networks Corp. and other manufacturers of communications and electronic products and equipment. Multiband uses these products to design telecommunications and computer systems to fit its clients’ specific needs and demands.
Products sold by Multiband include Voice over IP (VoIP), Private Branch Exchange (PBX), telephone systems, hubs and routers used as interconnection devices in computer networks, personal computers, desktop video-conferencing units and the wire and cable products required to make all the other aforementioned products integrate and operate as necessary. Multiband is authorized for depot and on site warranty repair for many manufacturers, including Apple Computers, Hewlett Packard Co., Xerox Corp., Sun Microsystems, Inc., International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Okidata Corp.
Multiband Subscriber Services
Multiband Subscriber Services is an exclusive DIRECTV Master System Operator and one of the largest providers of DIRECTV Services to apartments, lodging, hospitality locations, restaurants and timeshare resorts in the United States. Multiband Subscriber Services addresses the MDU (Multi Dwelling Unit) market, satisfying MDU property owners and managers by delivering solutions to deal with satisfying residents who desire satellite television service without visually unattractive installation or presenting a structural/maintenance problem and providing competitive access for local and long distance telephone, DIRECTV and Internet services. Multiband also provides the consumer with several benefits, including lower cost for service. In addition, Multiband provides DIRECTV, multiple feature local phone services such as call waiting, call forwarding and three-way calling, better than industry average response times, one number for billing and service needs, one bill for local, long distance, DIRECTV and Internet. The company currently operates nation wide.
About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV is the nation’s leading digital multichannel television service provider with more than 13 million customers. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (NYSE: DTV). The DIRECTV Group is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment, broadband satellite networks and services, and global video and data broadcasting. The DIRECTV Group is 34 percent owned by Fox Entertainment Group, which is approximately 82 percent owned by News Corporation Ltd.
