Two New Executives Bring International Business and Marketing Expertise To StarBurst; StarBurst Gains Competitive Edge in Global Market With Addition of New Executives

Business Wire, August 10, 1998

CONCORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 10, 1998--StarBurst Communications today appointed two executives with more than 30 years of combined experience in international business and marketing. The company has named Richard Ford as its new director of international sales and Carol Schmitt as vice president of business development.

Ford, a 20-year veteran of high-tech marketing, joins StarBurst from the Carrier Systems division of 3Com, formerly US Robotics, where he managed all aspects of international product marketing and initiated high-level sales. Schmitt has led product marketing, executive-level business strategy, and partner and channel programs for companies such as S2 Systems, an independent software subsidiary of Stratus Computer, and Sterling Commerce. Ford will oversee StarBurst's international sales and marketing initiatives, while Schmitt will be in charge of business development and global business partnerships.

"StarBurst has recognized a huge increase in demand for our product in South America, Europe and Asia Pacific, as well as continued success domestically," said StarBurst Vice President of Sales and Marketing Bill Andrews. "We provide the highest quality information delivery systems available using multicast over satellite or terrestrial networks. With the addition of Rick and Carol we will not only target and penetrate new worldwide markets, but establish lasting partnerships to drive increased market demand around the world."

Ford will oversee sales to communication vendors worldwide while managing international business development and marketing. Ford will also initiate sales to new market regions, including Europe, Latin America and Asia. He brings a strong background in developing international marketing and business strategy to the position, including extensive experience in high-level sales to multinational corporations.

Ford spent the last two years in an executive level position at the Carrier Systems division of networking giant 3Com, which developed remote access products and application/multimedia solutions. Ford was responsible for an international marketing team that covered Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Prior to 3Com, Ford spent nine years at Motorola ISG/Codex, where he rose to the position of senior director multinational and indirect channel distribution. In addition, Ford has eight years of international sales and marketing experience with Computervision Corporation.

Ford holds a bachelor's degree from Robert Morris in Pittsburgh, PA.

Carol Schmitt, Vice President of Business Development

Schmitt will oversee business development and initiate partnerships and strategic alliances with top technology companies, including independent software vendors (ISVs), satellite technology and service providers, network service providers, and hardware and software companies.

Schmitt brings 10 years of experience in business development, product marketing, and high-tech sales experience to StarBurst. As vice president of marketing for S2 Systems, Inc., a software provider for electronic funds transfer (EFT) and electronic commerce software for Fortune 5000 companies, she managed all facets of product marketing and strategies as well as high-level business partnerships with companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Informix, Hewlett Packard, TSI Software, and others.

Before joining S2 Systems, Inc., Schmitt was the director of business development at Sterling Commerce, an electronic commerce software/services provider. There, she managed all aspects of business development and strategic marketing, including product launches and a series of market research and sales programs. Prior to Sterling Commerce, Schmitt served as director of marketing at Shared Financial Systems, a software provider of online processing applications, where she developed marketing strategies, initiated new product launches and managed corporate communications.

Schmitt holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University.

About StarBurst Communications

StarBurst Communications Corporation is the leader in developing information distribution solutions that provide fast, efficient and guaranteed delivery of information such as video, audio, software and large data files to hundreds of thousands of sites. StarBurst customers include automotive companies such as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler; retail companies like Toys `R Us, TJ MAXX, The Gap, Wal-Mart, and Rite-Aid; hospitality companies including Choice Hotels and Promus Hotels; financial companies such as Ohio Companies and Thomson Securities Information Services; communications companies such as WebTV; and many other industry leaders from a wide array of markets worldwide. The Concord, Mass.-based company is privately held and venture capital-funded. More information can be found at StarBurst's World Wide Web site: http://www.starburstcom.com.

    CONTACT: StarBurst Communications
              Shannon Bourget, (978) 287-5560
              bourget@starburstcom.com
               or
              Beaupre & Co. Public Relations Inc.
              Christa Branscombe, (603) 559-5804
              cbranscombe@beaupre.com