New Edge Networks Names Linda Beck as President

January 9, 2007; 07:51 AM

VANCOUVER, Wash. – New Edge Networks named Linda Beck, a veteran executive with deep operations and IT experience, as president of the business network company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of EarthLink Inc., (NASDAQ: ELNK).  The appointment is effective immediately.

Beck, an executive vice president of EarthLink and general manager of EarthLink Business Solutions, had been interim president of New Edge Networks since last August.

“Linda’s knowledge and experience in IT and operations will go a long way for building trust and confidence among IT decision makers who are responsible for developing technology and networking solutions for their businesses,” Bill Heys, president of EarthLink’s value and small to medium enterprises business unit. 

“She understands their challenges and will help our company translate their complex needs into high quality, flexible solutions that will contribute to the financial bottom lines of their businesses,” Heys said.

Mike Lunsford, interim CEO of EarthLink added, “Linda is a proven and seasoned executive with the knowledge and experience necessary for helping the company become a growth engine for EarthLink’s expansion into business communications services.”

With EarthLink, Beck was previously executive vice president of operations managing EarthLink's network operations, software development, system administration, quality engineering and information technology teams, as well as the CTO and CIO functions. She was responsible for the backbone and infrastructure that provides EarthLink's Internet service, including three major data centers, hundreds of network points of presence and mail farms that deliver more than three billion messages each month.

“Applications convergence is creating a new level of network complexity for businesses,” Beck said.  “New Edge Networks has systems, processes, and people who know how to manage complexity and help turn a customer’s network into a strategic asset. We clearly understand their challenges and we will make it easy for them to work with us in a strategic relationship with each other.” 

Prior to joining EarthLink, Beck was vice president of engineering of Internet service providers Netcom and MindSpring.  EarthLink merged with MindSpring in 2000.

Beck is on the board of directors of Naperville, Ill.-based telecommunications equipment maker Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB).

Beck has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Iowa State University and an MBA from St. Mary's College. She was named "National CIO of the Year" by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association in 2003 and was honored as one of Computerworld magazine's "Premier 100 IT Leaders" for the year 2001.

Beck and her husband have four children.  They plan to relocate to the Vancouver, Wash., area from California.

About New Edge Networks

New Edge Networks, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a wholly owned subsidiary of EarthLink Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK).  New Edge Networks builds and manages private networks for businesses and communications providers.  Through its nationwide backbone network with about 900 switches and Internet routers, New Edge Networks uses any blend of access technologies (xDSL, frame relay, ATM, cable, wireless, and satellite) for providing broadband connectivity at any business address in the United States. Network options include any combination of access, network management functions, and on-site installation services.  For more information visit www.newedgenetworks.com or call 1-360-693-9009.