Former Cingular Chief Technology Officer William Clift Joins WFI
SAN DIEGO, CA, November 11, 2004- Wireless Facilities, Inc. (WFI) (NASDAQ: WFII), a global leader in the design, deployment, and management of wireless communication networks and security systems, announced today that wireless industry veteran William E. Clift, former chief technology and strategy officer for Cingular, has joined WFI in the role of President of U.S. Professional Services for the Wireless Network Services division.
Clift will join WFI November 11 and brings nearly thirty years of experience in leading technology deployment and network operations, as well as driving the latest wireless technology adoption. Clift will report directly to President and CEO Eric DeMarco, working closely with him to oversee U.S. operations for the Company's wireless design, deployment, operations & maintenance service offerings. Clift will be based out of WFI's Reston, VA office.
"Bill Clift has the depth of experience to help take our domestic engineering and deployment business to the next level, and he will provide the leadership to help WFI grow our service offering and expand our customer base," DeMarco said. "I am excited and honored to have someone with Bill's exceptional talent and industry experience join the WFI team; it's an important milestone for the Company when we can attract top industry talent like Bill. He will be a very significant addition to WFI."
Clift said that he decided to join WFI to because of the growth opportunities of the company as well as the experienced and proven management team that has been assembled. "Through my previous experiences with WFI, I am impressed by the long-term prospects for the company," Clift said. "WFI has strategically positioned itself to take advantage of high-growth opportunities in wireless, government and enterprise markets, and this position presents a wealth of opportunities for me to grow a significant division of the Company. I look forward to the opportunity to help WFI provide new solutions that address the unique market dynamics of the wireless industry."
Mr. Clift is a senior wireless industry veteran, bringing nearly thirty years of experience to WFI. Most recently, Clift served for four years as chief technology and strategy officer for Cingular Wireless. During Clift's tenure, Cingular was the second largest wireless carrier in the U.S. until its recent merger with AT&T Wireless Services, making it the largest domestic wireless carrier. At Cingular, Clift was responsible for creating and implementing overall technology strategy, including network architecture planning, evaluation and selection of technology for deployment, technical product and service deployment processes, and the company's involvement in standards bodies. Among his many accomplishments at Cingular, Clift was responsible for driving the adoption of new technologies which have had a significant impact on the wireless industry as a whole, including Adaptive Multi-rate Vocoders, GSM at 850 MHz and the EDGE packet data standard.
Before Cingular, Clift most recently served at BellSouth Wireless Services as president of American Cellular Communications Corporation and BellSouth Mobility DCS. Clift first joined BellSouth Mobility in 1991 as director of engineering and was promoted several times to his eventual role of president of American Cellular Communications Corporation and BellSouth Mobility DCS in January, 2000. Clift served in this role as president until October, 2000 when he was appointed chief technology and strategy officer when Cingular Wireless was formed. Prior to BellSouth, Clift worked for sixteen years in various network operations positions for South Central Bell.
Clift received a bachelor's degree from Tennessee Tech and an M.B.A. from the University of Memphis. He presently serves on the boards of Mitec Telecom, Oz and Innopath.
About Wireless Facilities
Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Wireless Facilities, Inc. is an independent provider of systems engineering, network services and technical outsourcing for the world's largest wireless carriers, enterprise customers and for government agencies. The company provides the design, deployment, integration, and the overall management of wired and wireless networks which deliver voice and data communication, and which support advanced security systems. WFI has performed work in over 100 countries since its founding in 1994. News and information are available at www.wfinet.com. (code: WFI-mb)
Editor's Note: Complete biography and headshot available.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements including, without limitation, expressed or implied statements concerning the Company's expectations regarding future financial performance and market developments that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are only predictions, and the Company's actual results may differ materially. Factors that may cause the Company's results to differ include, but are not limited to: changes in the scope or timing of the Company's projects; slowdowns in telecommunications infrastructure spending in the United States and globally, which could delay network deployment and reduce demand for the Company's services; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer contracts and agreements, or consolidation by or the loss of key customers; the adoption rate of new wireless data services; financial constraints on our customers that could cause us to write off accounts receivable or terminate contracts; failure to successfully consummate acquisitions or integrate acquired operations; changes in the Company's effective income tax rate; the rate of adoption of telecom outsourcing by network carriers and equipment suppliers; the rate of growth of adoption of WLAN and wireless security systems by enterprises; and competition in the marketplace which could reduce revenues and profit margins. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on September 20, 2004 and in other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Media Contact:
Michael Baehr
Director of Communications
Wireless Facilities, Inc.
858.228.2799 Direct
michael.baehr@wfinet.com
Investor Contact:
Rochelle Bold
Senior VP of Corporate
Development & Investor Relations
Wireless Facilities, Inc.
858.228.2649 Direct
rochelle.bold@wfinet.com