I see press releases similar to this often enough. I don't generally give them mention. This one's a little different because I had a chance to sit and chat in detail with Walter Snell, Pandora's CEO back at the IT Expo in San Diego last October. My thoughts and notes from that conversation are here. I'd begun watching them because of some nice press I'd seen about their Worksmart solutions.

For me personally, the chat with Walter was a pivotal catalyst in rethinking some of my own views on managed services. I have some deep exposure to Centrx in the past that left my somewhat disinclined to support them. Walter helped reshape my thinking so I've been more open and receptive to the values a managed VoIP service can bring.

As a follow-up, I've been watching Pandora closer than a lot of companies I watch. There's been a little news come from them - Pandora Networks Expands Business Advisory Board With Four Industry Veterans talked about the expansion of their advisory board with some real notable brainpower. Pandora Networks Partners with D-Link To Promote Worksmart Unified Communications Services highlighted some work with D-Link. What I didn't see was what I most hoped for - an indicator things were kicking into high gear for Pandora.

This announcement signals that for me. It indicates that the advisory board has helped the company formulate a strategy for growth and acceleration. I'll be watching to see how Mark Gebhardt helps take Pandora Networks to the next level of market penetration.

Pandora Networks Appoints Mark Gebhardt Vice President Sales
Veteran Sales Executive Joins Innovative Unified Communications Provider

EMERYVILLE, CA, February 15, 2007 — Pandora Networks (www.pandoranetworks.com), a leading provider of unified communications services for business, has announced the appointment of Mark Gebhardt as vice president of Sales.

With more than 20 years experience in technology solutions sales management throughout the United States and internationally, Gebhardt is responsible for Pandora Networks' national and international sales channels, as well as the company's newly-developed retail sector.

“Mark brings the right skills and experience to lead our global sales strategy. His solid track record will assist Pandora as we continue to deliver innovative communications services for small and mid-size businesses in particular,” says Walter Snell, CEO Pandora Networks. “Mark's expertise and leadership will be an invaluable asset to our sales team as more resellers and service providers discover the benefits of reselling IP communications services to their business customers.”

Prior to joining Pandora, Mark was vice president of Sales at Arel Communications and Software where he managed direct and indirect channel sales performance into customers such as Anheuser-Busch, Novartis and Go Daddy. Prior to Arel Communications, he held senior level positions with Polycom and its Network Systems division, managing sales in excess of $30 million.

“As we grow our business into other channels, Mark's experience will help drive added revenues,” adds Pandora executive chairman Hal Turner. “Mark's expertise and leadership will be invaluable to our growing team.”

“Pandora's integrated voice, video, messaging and collaboration service is unprecedented in the industry and delivers tremendous benefits to its end users,” adds Gebhardt. “I'm thrilled to be part of a company that is capable of delivering enterprise-grade unified communications services to SMB customers. I look forward to the opportunity to guide the company toward this expanding future.”

About Pandora Networks
Pandora Networks is a leading provider of unified communications services for the small or mid-sized business. The Company's Worksmart solution integrates voice and IP calling, switchboard and call-distribution services, instant messaging and conferencing, with options for advanced collaboration and call-center support. Pandora's service-based on-demand delivery keeps capital investment low and aligns operating expense to business value. Services are sold exclusively through service providers, distributors and resellers under their private labels, the Company's Worksmart(TM) brand, or co-branded. The Company is privately held with headquarters in Emeryville, California. For more information, visit http://www.pandoranetworks.com or call (800) 805-0558.