LOUISVILLE, Ky - July 7, 2008 -- When people in the Southwest want Dish Network in their homes, they call Southern Star, Inc., the largest provider in the region. When Southern Star needed to take their telecommunications platform to the next level, they chose Smoothstone IP Communications.

Smoothstone’s Managed Network eliminates the need for organizations like Southern Star to buy, install and maintain traditional PBX and voicemail systems and Internet firewalls. Smoothstone’s Smart Network delivers a wide range of communications applications including voice, data, Internet, and video collaboration through a single Internet Protocol (IP) connection.

Smoothstone’s multi-year contract with Southern Star includes:

• Smoothstone’s Voice and Internet Services,
  
  
• Smoothstone Intelligent Call Control (ICC), which enables sophisticated, real-time call flow management, call recording and call monitoring. Included in ICC for use at Southern Star is a complex Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system. The IVR allows repair and installation agents to record and track service hours in the field.

“With Smoothstone, we were able to tailor a solution that fit our needs and enhanced our control and capabilities in the process,” said Nathan Sterling, Southern Star’s Chief Technology Officer. “The ICC product and the customized IVR system Smoothstone developed for us really helped transform our day-to-day business.”

“Southern Star is the perfect example of an enterprise taking full advantage of tomorrow’s communications technologies,” said Christopher Assif, Executive Vice President. “Our Smart Network allows them to focus on what’s important—their core business—and provide them with features and applications they didn’t have access to before. It’s a perfect partnership and we couldn’t be happier.”

About Southern Star:
Southern Star, Inc., is the largest regional service provider for Dish Network, installing satellite systems in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arkansas. Southern Star maintains 14 offices receiving, installing, and delivering equipment 365-days-a-year, as well as a call center that directly dispatches all work order information to and from Dish Network.

For more information, visit www.ssidish.com or call (877) 230-7827.

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