October 28, 2009 08:00 ET

XO Communications Receives NPRG Communications Innovators Award for Most Innovative Virtualized Solutions

XO Cited for Solutions-Oriented Leadership in Software-as-a-Service and Virtualized Solutions Offerings

HERNDON, VA--(Marketwire - October 28, 2009) - XO Communications today announced that it has received the "Most Innovative Virtualized Solutions" award from the New Paradigm Resources Group, Inc. (NPRG), a leading strategic consulting and research firm serving innovators within the communications industry.

XO Communications was recognized for its leadership in the convergence of software and network infrastructure services and virtualized solutions offerings, including its Software-as-a-Service multi-modal mass notification service, XO Connect. The award also cited XO Communications for its resolve to move out of the traditional telecommunications role and into a solutions-centric one.

"We are proud to be honored as an innovator that is leading the industry in the convergence of software and network infrastructure services into the 'Cloud,'" said Michael Toplisek, chief marketing officer for XO Business Services. "With solutions such as XO Connect, XO is demonstrating its commitment to innovation and offering solutions that help businesses overcome real business challenges in the most cost-effective manner possible."

"XO Communications has not only pushed a 'services-oriented' culture within their ranks, but it has also recognized the opportunity presented by the trend towards virtualized services," said NRPG's Executive Vice President, Craig Claussen. "We're pleased to honor XO Communications with this award and recognize the company for its ingenuity and leadership in implementing new market strategies and technologies."

XO Connect is a robust multi-modal mass communication service that helps businesses and large enterprises deliver urgent and time-sensitive communications to thousands of employees and partners instantly and simultaneously. As a Software as a Service (SaaS) application, XO Connect requires no capital investment in hardware or software, making it an extremely cost-effective and simple solution for communicating instantly with individuals on virtually any device via voice, email and text messages. This powerful platform serves as a key component of effective business continuity plans and employee communications strategies. For more information about XO Connect, go to www.xo.com/connect.

The NPRG Communications Innovators Awards® recognize and honor service providers who are at the very edge of technology innovation. Nominees are evaluated on a variety of criteria, including technology deployment, market strategies and success, revenue growth, capital expenditures, customer breadth, service expansion and geographic growth. Awards recipients are chosen based on NPRG's evaluation of measurable quantitative and qualitative metrics. For more information about the NPRG Communications Innovators Awards, visit http://nprg.com/NEWSCENTER/CommunicationsInnovatorsAwards/tabid/628/Default.aspx

About XO Communications

XO Communications, a subsidiary of XO Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: XOHO), is a leading nationwide provider of advanced communications services and solutions for businesses, enterprises, government, carriers and service providers. Its customers include more than half of the Fortune 500, in addition to leading cable companies, carriers, content providers and mobile network operators. Utilizing its unique combination of high-capacity nationwide and metro networks and broadband wireless capabilities, XO offers customers a broad range of managed voice, data and IP services with proven performance, scalability and value in more than 75 metropolitan markets across the United States. For more information, visit www.xo.com.

About New Paradigm Resources Group, Inc.

New Paradigm Resources Group, Inc. (NPRG) is one of the nation's leading strategic consulting and research firms serving innovators within the communications industry. We identify, analyze and forecast emerging trends and technologies, and we provide clients with market data and information on competitive developments affecting their businesses. Our services support the mission-critical decisions made by end-users, service providers, technology developers and financial institutions, enabling them to navigate evolving market conditions. For more information about NPRG, visit www.nprg.com.