Corporate

Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
August 3, 2004

Broadband company makes deal

by Nadia Gergis

Vero Beach-based Broadband National Inc. has hired three employees, and plans to hire two more, as a result of the new business relationship with Swank Audio Visuals of St. Louis.

Broadband National Inc. Inc. has been selected by St. Louis-based Swank Audio Visuals to provide commercial-grade broadband connections to support its operations in 100 hotels nationwide.

Swank, a national provider of in-house audio and visual networks in convention halls, operates offices in major hotels such as Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Wyndham.

"Broadband National Inc. gives Swank Audio Visuals the ability to find the most effective broadband solution coast to coast, across multiple broadband providers," said A.J. Koontz, Broadband National Inc.'s founder and executive vice president of sales. "This reduces Swank's investment in human resources, which saves time and money."

Vero Beach-based Broadband National Inc. is a full-service, nationwide provider of broadband services to businesses and consumers in the retail, education and hospitality sectors. The company's service, powered by its proprietary IBIS system, enables users to compare broadband solutions offered by more than 40 different suppliers.

Because of the new business relationship, Broadband has hired three additional employees at its Vero Beach office and has plans to hire two more.

"You can call us the Google for broadband," Koontz said. "We find the best price for the locale."

Swank represents Broadband National Inc.'s 500th multi-site business customer. This week, Broadband National Inc. successfully deployed its 100th broadband connection for Swank at the Swank Audio Visuals office in Washington, D.C.

"We spend a significant amount of time here setting up and scheduling broadband (for clients)," said Robert Hunter, vice president of information technology for Swank. "Broadband National Inc. represents a single competitive source which finds the lowest prices."

Swank is currently utilizing Broadband National Inc.'s free online marketplace to evaluate high-speed Internet services and pricing from more than 40 different suppliers.

Swank also is using Broadband National Inc.'s free consulting services to identify the broadband services best suited for its diverse office-location and bandwidth requirements.

"Essentially, this is a cost-saving measure," Hunter said. "We'll be saving in terms of manpower having to make different calls to find these services."