A&R Continues Strong Growth With Addition of Three New High Tech Clients; Biz360, CenterSpan and Mirapoint Join A&R Client Roster

Business Wire, March 13, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2002

A&R Partners, Silicon Valley's largest independent high tech PR firm, today announced that it has added three new accounts to its client roster, continuing the agency's strong growth from 2001. Biz360, CenterSpan and Mirapoint have selected A&R for a combination of ongoing PR, message development, and strategic positioning services.

Biz360, www.biz360.com, provides the industry's first marketing analytics tools for measuring the effects of media relations on a company's image. Biz360's software analyzes a range of variables, including corporate and product news, message content, competitive coverage, industry trends, newsgroup postings, etc. Its products allow marketing and PR professionals to assess how a company is faring in the media and what the next course of action should be, based on continuously updated reports on the volume and quality of coverage.

"Biz360's innovative marketing analytic tools have gained acceptance in the past year with the addition of premiere customers," said Keith Goldberg, vice president of marketing for Biz360. "As we enter the next phase of branding the company, we think A&R will be an integral part of our team to forge this new market category."

CenterSpan Communications, www.centerspan.com, hosts a fee-based Web distribution service for rich audio and video media using a peer-to-peer model. In particular, CenterSpan delivers commercial movie and music files via a peer network instead of a central server, resulting in faster delivery with fewer file glitches. Moreover, files are wrapped in a digital rights management codes ensuring copyright holders are compensated for each download. CenterSpan recently signed a broad digital music distribution agreement with Sony Music Entertainment.

According to Andy Mallinger, vice president, product management and marketing for CenterSpan, "When we evaluated PR firms we were most impressed with A&R's case studies and the agency's ability to help clients raise awareness in new markets with carefully planned campaigns."

Mirapoint, www.mirapoint.com, provides a fully integrated "architected messaging" system of server products designed specifically to manage, route, store and access Internet messages. According to a study by market research firm Radicati Group, Mirapoint's award-winning solution allows the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry. The Mirapoint system is 40 percent more cost-effective to own and operate than its closest competitor's.

"A&R has made a name for itself as an agency that specializes in helping clients upstage competitors with aggressive de-positioning strategies," said Joe Hielscher, vice president of marketing for Mirapoint. "We see the agency as a key partner in our effort to dominate the messaging market."

About A&R Partners

A top-ranked public relations agency with offices in Silicon Valley and New York, A&R Partners is an experienced team of communications professionals and creative thinkers working with technology companies to raise visibility, build momentum and increase market advantage. The agency's clients are among the industry's most innovative and closely watched companies, from groundbreaking start-ups to industry leaders. A&R offers complete public relations and investor relations programs, representing technology companies in the e-business, infrastructure, wireless, mobile and network publishing markets. For more information, visit www.arpartners.com.