Gabriel Communications completes TriVergent merger

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Gabriel Communications Inc., a Chesterfield-based Internet and phone service company with a branch office in Springfield, announced Nov. 2 the completion of its merger with Greenville, S.C.-based TriVergent Communications. |ret||ret||tab|

TriVergent has moved its headquarters from South Carolina to Gabriel's headquarters in Chesterfield.|ret||ret||tab|

According to a news release issued by Gabriel Communications, the two companies merged because "both companies saw that together, a single company could be greater than the sum of the two."|ret||ret||tab|

Gabriel President Jerry Howe said the companies merged in order to expand their geographic presence.|ret||ret||tab|

"We can link offices via our network in a greater number of cities," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

With the merger now complete, Gabriel Communications has extended its reach, formerly concentrated in the Midwest, to embrace the Southeast market. |ret||ret||tab|

Gabriel now has branch offices in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, and the combined company provides integrated voice and data services to more than 19,000 customers, according to the Gabriel release.|ret||ret||tab|

The merger, according to Howe, has several benefits for customers, particularly better services and solutions for their communication needs. The company's offerings include high-speed Internet access, Web page hosting and domain name and data services, local voice and domestic and international long-distance services.|ret||ret||tab|

"Gabriel and TriVergent focus on small- to mid-size businesses," Howe said. "These companies are experiencing an increase in their needs as we move into the Internet age. The incumbent local exchange carrier isn't able to meet their needs, but we can."|ret||ret||tab|

The merger will allow small businesses to utilize TriVergent's Web Architect at the beginning of 2001. |ret||ret||tab|

"The Web Architect will allow them to build their own Web site," Howe said.|ret||ret||tab|

Gabriel Communications began operations in the St. Louis area in June of 1999, opening the Springfield branch in September of that year.|ret||ret||tab|

In March of this year, Gabriel Communications formed a joint venture with Solutech Inc. to launch WebBizApps LLC. |ret||ret||tab|

"WebBizApps provides business services over the Internet to our customers," Howe said. "These services include human resource management, customer relations management and expense and time reporting."|ret||ret||tab|

WebBizApps offers a comprehensive suite of web-enabled business applications for small- and medium-sized businesses. |ret||ret||tab|

These include modules with associated management reports, charts and features for employee time and expense reporting, contact and sales funnel management, employee database management, company internal and external communications, project tracking and fixed asset accounting, according to a Gabriel release.|ret||ret||tab|

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