FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Past INNMUG/ISLUA President Mary Powell appointed as A1 Teletronics' Vice President of Strategic Sales and Marketing

September 8, 2000 - Mary Powell, past president of INNMUG/ISLUA ('97-'99), today steps into the position of vice president of strategic sales and marketing with A1 Teletronics.

The position Powell assumes is a new one for A1, created to develop a stronger awareness of the company, and a wider acceptance of the independent distribution channel that drives it, among telecom end users.

Appointing Mary to a position such as this, to a task such as this, is A1's way of making a stand that we are no longer going to accept the terms 'gray' or 'secondary' market in reference to independent distribution. 'Secondary,' in particular, suggests that independents are second choice, when in actuality, they are a clear, first choice. In our industry, customers have three distinct sources to buy from: authorized dealers, the gray market, and independent distributors. The independent channel offers lower prices and longer warranties without the longer lead times sometimes associated with buying from authorized dealers and the unethical practices that many customers associate with the gray market. The thrust of this new position that Mary is so ably taking on is championing the independent distribution model, of which A1 stands as a proven leader.

And Powell is eagerly accepting the challenge. Prior to her term as INNMUG/ISLUA president, she launched her career as an end user in the telecommunications department of Philadelphia's Drexel University. In twelve years of service to the university, Powell conducted much of her business with independent distributors. "Outside of the industry's authorized channels, I found better quality as a result of longer warranties, and better service through faster response time and cheaper prices. With the independents, my order was always important - no matter how big or small. You add those core values to A1's stocking capability, five-million-dollar-plus inventory, and ISO 9002 certification, and you've got a company that's serious about satisfying customers," Powell believes.

Powell's additional career experiences include serving as a national accounts sales representative for Shared Technologies Fairchild, an Intermedia Company, and devoting over six years as an INNMUG/ISLUA board member.