Governor Gilmore Announces FastComm's Agreement With Brazilian Company

Contract with Mapra Eletronica resulted from trade mission to South America

Richmond - Governor Gilmore today announced that FastComm, based in Loudoun County, has entered into an agreement with Mapra Eletronica Ltda. to supply the Brazilian market with FastComm's advanced voice/fax/video/data router product line. FastComm designs, develops, and manufactures advanced WAN/LAN/Global network routing and switching equipment, controllers and processors, Internet access products, and related networking devices. The agreement resulted from negotiations between FastComm and Mapra during the Governor's 13-day trade mission to South America this spring.

"As the first Virginia Governor to travel to South America for trade development purposes, our mission was designed to open new markets for Virginia products and services," Governor Gilmore said. "I am pleased that those meetings are now producing solid results for Virginia companies like FastComm." 

FastComm was introduced to Mapra at the Comdex Trade Show in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the trade mission. Mapra will act as a full-service distributor for FastComm, providing sales, service, installation and maintenance of FastComm equipment. Founded in 1993 and based in Sao Paulo, Mapra Eletronica Ltda. is one of the premier telecommunication product distributors in Brazil. Mapra specializes in the areas of transmission of data, voice and wireless communications, and represents such industry leaders as CyLink, CyLink Wireless, GE Spacenet, Timeplex and INNOVA. Mapra will use FastComm equipment to provide its customers with "last mile access" over frame relay lines. This equipment will also complement Mapra's wireless solutions. 

"Brazil represents the largest potential market in Latin America for FastComm products and services," FastComm CEO Peter Madsen said. "We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Governor Gilmore, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia's export development team for all of their efforts." 

"This agreement is great news for FastComm and for the Commonwealth," Secretary of Commerce and Trade Barry E. DuVal added. "Increasing international exports was one of the main objectives of The Virginia Strategy, Governor Gilmore's strategic plan for economic development." 

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