PingTone Hires Prez, EVP

CHANTILLY, Va. -- PingTone Communications, one of the first companies to bring Internet Protocol (IP) telephony to the desktop, today announced the appointment of Jerry Cady to the position of president and Mark Pugerude to the position of executive vice president of sales and marketing. Cady will lead PingTone Communications' executive team, driving the company's strategic direction and expansion. Pugerude will spearhead PingTone's sales and marketing initiatives, including partner and channel development. Robert Flood, PingTone Communications' CEO, states, "Jerry brings a wealth of experience in launching IP telephony initiatives and has a keen understanding of the nuances involved in building a successful IP-based business. I'm thrilled to have him on board and look forward to putting his expertise to good use in taking PingTone to the next level." Previously, Cady was the chief operating officer and executive vice president of operations and engineering for Bazillion, Inc., a company delivering carrier class toll quality Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. While with Bazillion, Cady was recognized by industry experts for his market leading service offering and innovative deployment strategy. Pugerude was most recently vice president of sales for Blue Ridge Networks, a virtual private network service provider. At Blue Ridge Networks, Pugerude established a nationwide sales organization, successful sales channel programs and critical partnerships with leaders in the IP services market place. PingTone Communications Inc.