Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
BURNABY, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2003--Mr.
Yutaka Ueda, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norsat
International Inc. (Nasdaq - NSAT; TSX - NII), today announced the
appointment of Mr. Chris McCormack to the position of General Manager,
Norsat OmniLink(TM) Business Unit. He replaces Mr. Michael Heaven, who
has resigned from the Company.
Mr. Ueda praised the contributions of Mr. Heaven during his
service as a member of the Norsat executive team for the past two
years. "Mike has been instrumental in helping us to focus our efforts
and in exploiting our competitive advantage in this growing and
evolving market for high quality portable terminals," he said.
Mr. McCormack, who joined the Company in 2002 as the Director of
New Product Development for the Norsat OmniLink(TM) program, brings to
the new role extensive experience managing technology projects, as
well as a wealth of strategic planning and project management
expertise. At Norsat, he has been working with Mr. Heaven and has been
responsible for the development of a comprehensive business plan and
marketing program for the Norsat NewsLink(TM) product. He has
spearheaded the execution of the marketing plan, making the first
sales to early adopters. In the new role, he will be responsible for
overall management and profitability of the OmniLink(TM) business
unit, including the product development and marketing of all
applications for the technology, including the Norsat SecureLink(TM),
developed for military and security-related functions.
"We are delighted we have attracted someone of Chris' caliber, who
has complete knowledge of the product, relationships with existing and
prospective customers, and an understanding of the global marketplace
for this world-class technology," Mr. Ueda said.
The Norsat OmniLink(TM) technology allows the transmission of
broadcast quality MPEG-2 video via DVB-S over satellite and is ideally
suited for the transmission of video, voice, and IP data in remote or
hostile environments. It allows users to communicate from anywhere in
the world where there is no infrastructure or it has been damaged -
from mountaintops, the desert, mid-ocean, or from the middle of
nowhere. The compact and specially designed Norsat NewsLink(TM)
terminal is carried in two suitcases and deployed easily in the field
in several minutes without special tools.
Norsat OmniLink(TM) family of products
The Norsat OmniLink(TM) family of portable satellite terminals
combines Norsat's expertise in both microwave products and the open
networks businesses. Its first application was seen in the first
Norsat "pico-terminals," which featured top-level privacy and security
features and was subsequently renamed the Norsat SecureLink(TM). The
Company's long-term strategy is to develop and introduce portable
terminal applications for education, emergency response, mineral and
natural resource exploration, and medical services.
About Norsat International Inc.
Norsat International Inc. designs and markets satellite products
for high-speed data transmission, including the Norsat OmniLink(TM)
group of portable satellite terminals for application in remote or
hostile environments.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this release relating to matters that are not
historical fact are forward-looking statements based on current
expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ
materially. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences
include, but are not limited to general economic conditions, changes
in technology, reliance on third party manufacturing, managing rapid
growth, global sales risks, limited intellectual property protection
and other risks and uncertainties described in Norsat's public filings
with securities regulatory authorities.
--30--JB/na*
CONTACT: Norsat International Inc.
Troy Bullock, 604/292-9032
tbullock@norsat.com
www.norsat.com
KEYWORD: INTERNATIONAL CANADA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
MANAGEMENT CHANGES
SOURCE: Norsat International Inc.
