VIA NET.WORKS USA (VIA USA), an Atlanta-based managed Web hosting company and the local U.S. operation of VIA NET.WORKS, Inc. today announced the appointment of Patrick Gaul as its new managing director.

Gaul was brought to VIA USA from The Netherlands to enhance sales operations and add an element of discipline for VIA NET.WORKS Web hosting Center of Excellence.

"There was a decision at VIA NET.WORKS for a change in management in the US," says Gaul, who had been serving as the VP of Sales Operations for VIA NET.WORKS, Inc. "Sales automation across the Group had been successfully implemented and I felt the time to do something different had arrived. The move to the U.S. is a good decision for both me and my family, giving me the opportunity to manage the operations for one of VIA NET.WORKS' largest growth opportunities while giving my family an opportunity to enjoy and learn more about American culture. My focus will be to streamline operations, improve customer service and to grow sales for VIA USA's global service offering."

Founded in 1997, VIA USA has been providing world-class Web hosting solutions for many customers. Following the technology bubble burst, VIA was challenged to be not only a provider of Web hosting solutions, but to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction and uptime -- challenges that have met Gaul at the door.

"The Internet and e-commerce are fueling economic growth in multiple ways. According to Forrester Research, 91% of web-hosting revenues will be driven by e-commerce in 2004. It is a vital function of the business world in today's marketplace," adds Gaul. "If customers don't have confidence in VIA NET.WORKS, they will seek it with our competitors. We are working to improve every aspect of our operation to provide a managed information structure for ecommerce needs -- one that is sound, stable and functional with as close to 100 percent uptime as can be reasonably delivered."

Almost immediately following his appointment to VIA USA, Gaul moved all servers to a new, state-of-the-art data center facility, immediately improving the reliability and performance of the company's network operations.

"The new data center marks an exciting milestone for VIA USA," adds Gaul. "Not only are we now ensuring our customers server integrity and protection, this service improvement allows us to decrease the space we need to operate, allowing us to accelerate to cash-flow positive."

Additional milestones for VIA USA in 2004 will be the migration to the Sphera hosting platform during Q1, the addition of enhanced levels of monitoring for all customers and one of Gaul's most important milestones, creating a work environment that develops his team and promotes an energetic atmosphere. "Financial stability, price performance, ROI and attention to our customers are all key criteria in creating a successful web-hosting enterprise. We provide e-commerce revenue assurance through the provision of reliable web hosting. For many of our customers, we are their business plan and for this reason customers can expect continued change, for the better, in 2004 with an emphasis on them and their business needs. We're doing things and putting processes in place to empower our customers with more reliable and proactive management. Customer-centricity will be a major driver in 2004 and everyone will be measured on our performance in this critical area," says Gaul.

"We're not better today than everyone else", says Gaul. "However, we are leveraging our strengths; we only use high-end IBM servers, we're a Microsoft Certified Web hosting partner in multiple areas and we're making improvements to our advanced monitoring and support services. Add the element of empowerment we're unrolling to our customers in Q1 and we're getting closer to our goal of being a leading international provider of Web hosting solutions."

Gaul, an American by birth, has lived out the United States for the past 18 years including stints in Japan, the United Kingdom and in the Netherlands for the past 6 years. Prior to joining the information technology field, Gaul served 9 years in the United States Marine Corps and is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam Conflict. Although he grew up in the south, he has never lived in Atlanta before, but in just a matter of weeks Gaul has been struck by the friendliness, sincerity and openness of Atlanta. "There are so many things that I am re-learning," says Gaul.

Gaul's wife, Kathryn Anne, was born in the United Kingdom and is a certified teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD). They have two children Joseph Michael (age 7), Ellisa Marie (age 5). Gaul also has an older son by a previous marriage (Patrick David Jr. age 31). And two grandchildren, Patrick David III (age 4) and Ashley Jeanette (age 6). Gaul's family is scheduled to join him in the States in the late spring.

About VIA NET.WORKS USA

VIA NET.WORKS USA (VIA USA), an Atlanta-based managed Web hosting company, is a local operation of VIA NET.WORKS Inc. VIA USA provides business customers in more than 85 countries with superior managed hosting services, Internet infrastructure and exceptional customer service. For more information on VIA NET.WORKS USA, visit www.vianetworks.net , e-mail sales@vianetworks.net or call 404.495.5660.

About VIA NET.WORKS Inc.

VIA NET.WORKS Inc. is a leading provider of business communication solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in Europe and the United States. VIA's local operations offer a comprehensive portfolio of flexible and reliable managed services including internet access, DSL and lease line connectivity, VPNs, hosting, security, applications and voice. Through its bundled solutions and market-specific partner relationships, VIA is in a unique position to deliver long-term value-added services to its many customers. For further information, please visit our Web site: www.vianetworks.com

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