Clear Communications Announces Global Channel Strategy - Initial Focus is to Broaden Distribution, Targeting European Market and Channel Partners - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Dec 13, 1999

Clear Communications, a leading telecommunications software company, recognized for its service assurance software applications that are used by major U.S. telecom service providers, Tuesday announced a global channels strategy to expand distribution and delivery of its products. The company's initial focus is on expanding direct sales to target the European market, and establishing indirect sales through channel partners to broaden distribution and target global markets.

"Clear has become a technology leader by pioneering the market for telecom quality-of-service software with many of the world's largest telecom carriers," said Robert Copithorne, president and CEO of Clear. "To become a market leader, our entire company - including our board of directors - is committed to this global channels strategy. Tony van Marken, who is a new addition to the Clear board, led a similar global channels strategy as CEO of Architel, and will support Clear's efforts in this regard, joining other Clear directors like Peter Fuss, who has overseen global expansion efforts as president of Tellabs International."

"We are strengthening our management team, and will be leveraging the efforts of our staff through channel partnerships with systems integrators (SIs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)," Copithorne continued.

In support of its commitment to a strong international presence, Clear has opened an office in the United Kingdom, which will be its European base of operations, and has announced the organization of an international management team.

-- Lawrence Brinded is Clear's new director of business development, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa). Brinded, who will head the UK office, will be responsible for spearheading Clear's presence in the international telecom community by initially targeting European service providers and forging partnerships with OEMs and SIs who are global leaders.

Before coming to Clear, Brinded was sales director for EMEA at Telesciences, Inc., which specializes in real-time billing mediation, traffic analysis and fraud/revenue assurance solutions for telecom carriers. He has also held various marketing and engineering positions at GPT UK, Novell, and Wang UK. Brinded is a graduate of the London Guildhall University, where he received a B.A. in Economics with honors.

-- Andrew Bosko joined Clear as vice president of worldwide sales, where he will support Brinded's efforts in Europe, manage direct sales in the U.S., and recruit staff to establish channel partnerships with SIs and OEMs. Bosko brings a strong telecommunications background to Clear, most recently as vice president of sales for Convergys Corp., a provider of outsourced billing and customer care, where he was in charge of worldwide sales for the firm's telecommunications industry group. Previously, Bosko was the manager of business solutions at ARDIS Co., where he managed and directed a professional services and project management team to implement wireless data solutions for client companies. He has also been a lead analyst and project manager at Ameritech Services, and the partner and cofounder of DHS Associates, an information technology-consulting firm.

Bosko holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Loyola University, and an MBA in Marketing and Business Policy & Strategy from Northwestern University's JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

-- Jay MacDougall has been promoted to vice president of client services, and will consolidate all the professional services required to deliver Clear products to customers directly and through channel partners. In his previous role as engagement principal, MacDougall successfully managed Clear deployment projects to support major customers such as MCI WorldCom European operations in Amsterdam, and BellSouth Mobility operations based in Atlanta. Before joining Clear in 1995, MacDougall spent 22 years managing engineering and field operations groups at the telecom division of Teradyne, a leading manufacturer of test equipment.

"Managing the transition from technology leader to market leader will require new management skills," noted Copithorne. "All of us at Clear are committed to the changes needed to deliver our quality-of-service software to the global marketplace."

Clear Communications develops and supplies service assurance software solutions that are Year 2000-compliant to ensure network reliability, peak performance and improved efficiency for telecommunications service providers. The company's solutions help telecom customers identify and correct problems before they escalate into major outages. Clear's customer base includes many of the local exchange, interexchange, competitive local exchange and wireless carriers.

Clear is headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area in Lincolnshire, IL. In addition, the company has a network of offices nationwide and in the United Kingdom. For more information on Clear and its products and solutions, call 847-317-2500, or access the company via the Internet at http://www.clear.com.