Bank On It: Two State Bankers Associations Endorse SES AMERICOM For Business Continuity on REDiSat Network

Three Louisiana banks the first to sign up for trusted, satellite-based emergency communications

REDiSat Network to be demonstrated at SATCON, Booth #531

PRINCETON, NJ – November 29, 2006 – One year after the world witnessed the devastation of the Gulf Coast, SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges: SESG), today announced that three branches of Louisiana financial institutions are among the first to sign on with its new REDiSat Network™, a satellite-delivered emergency communications solution designed to keep banks and other businesses up and running even when network connections and phones are out.

The Houma branch of the South Louisiana Bank and the Lafayette and St. Martinville branch locations of St. Martin Bank & Trust Co. followed the endorsement of the Louisiana Bankers Association, which also inked a deal for secure, emergency connectivity and data transmissions at its Baton Rouge headquarters. The Missouri Independent Bankers Association has also endorsed the REDiSat system, which can restore connectivity in a matter of minutes or hours versus days or weeks.

“REDiSat was developed with the banking industry in mind, where customer service and trust can deliver a powerful competitive edge,” explains Bryan McGuirk, president of media and enterprise solutions for SES AMERICOM. “The banks that can offer always-on connectivity in times of trouble will be the leaders, while other banks are struggling with days of downtime and the painful price of being unplugged from their business.”

Following Katrina and other recent natural disasters, business continuity plans and mandated telecom backup compliance are under increasing scrutiny from regulators and examiners. REDiSat offers a low-cost, customized solution and a compelling alternative to land-locked T1 circuits for both small and large financial firms. A single pre-installed REDiSat Network satellite antenna can enable a bank branch to mitigate risk and avoid business shutdowns due to network outages. The highly reliable REDiSat service leverages SES AMERICOM’s satellite fleet, which carries millions of secure financial transactions every day and has been used by U.S. Government agencies and Fortune 500 companies for 30 years.

The customer pays a small amount for the network’s initial equipment and a minimal monthly subscription fee to secure network access. An additional variable hourly rate applies only when the network is in use. The proactive REDiSat Network delivers high-speed Internet connections in two levels of service, selected by the customer in real-time based on their needs at the time the emergency connection is initiated.

“The Louisiana Bankers Association is on the REDiSat Network to ensure that we’re always open for business and always here for our member financial institutions across the state,” said Dan Digby, Louisiana Bankers Association. “We encourage every bank across Louisiana to follow our lead and proactively protect their lifelines of voice and data communication, keeping customers in touch and in business during an outage or storm.”

“South Louisiana Bank is dedicated to serving our customers through even the worst of network or natural disasters,” said Randy Bernard, assistant vice president of South Louisiana Bank. “Our REDiSat Network connection ensures that our bank branches will be self sufficient in establishing quick and critical Internet connections when local power and phones may be out, allowing us to do business with our customers no matter what.”

“St. Martin Bank is committed to banking made simple for our customers, and that certainly includes our ability to meet the community’s banking needs even in the face of a natural disaster or network outage in the region,” said Paul Durand, president of St. Martin Bank & Trust Co. “The REDiSat Network is an affordable business continuity service that enables us to proactively ensure that we will always be up and running for the people who are counting on us every day.”

“The REDiSat Network delivers the reliable and secure backup communications capabilities that banks across the state of Missouri can rely on to meet the needs of the people they serve day in and day out,” said Jerry Sage, executive director of the Missouri Independent Bankers Association. “The Missouri Independent Bankers Association is committed to supporting our member banks and ensuring that they’re open for business when their customers need them the most.”

About AMC-6
Launched in October 2000, AMC-6 is a hybrid C- and Ku-band satellite operating at 72 degrees west longitude. From this position in the eastern part of the U.S. orbital arc, both the C- and Ku-bands of the satellite provide service to government, VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) network and entertainment customers in the continental United States, Mexico, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean.

About SES AMERICOM
SES AMERICOM is an innovator in global satellite communications and the largest supplier of satellite services in the Americas. The company, which operates a fleet of 18 spacecraft, was established more than thirty years ago with the first satellite circuit for the U.S. Department of Defense. As a member of SES GLOBAL, SES AMERICOM can provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in the world, leveraging a global fleet of 44 satellites. SES AMERICOM serves broadcasters, cable programmers, financial institutions, aeronautical and marine communications integrators, Internet service providers, mobile communications networks, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and secure global data networks.

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Monica Morgan

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SES AMERICOM

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