PassCall Appoints MCI Worldcom International VP, Frans van Belle, as New CEO

Tirat Carmel, Israel, July 11, 2000 - PassCall Advanced Technologies, a leader of mobile Internet text and voice applications, today announced that Frans van Belle, formerly Vice President of International Wholesales at MCI WorldCom International, has joined the company as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Nicky Pappo, founder of PassCall and predecessor of Frans van Belle, will now be in the position of PassCall’s President, and lead the company’s strategic direction and development. 

Frans van Belle brings with him over 15 years of executive experience in international Sales, Marketing and General Management. He started his career at the Dutch companies Philips International and PTT Telecom (present name KPN Telecom). At PTT Telecom he was responsible for setting up the UK operations in London. In 1992 Frans van Belle founded Telecom Carrier Services B.V., a private company that started the WorldCom-operations in the Benelux. Subsequently he became Managing Director of the Dutch operating company of MCI WorldCom and Vice President of MCI WorldCom International, where he was responsible for the European Wholesale Business Unit, the largest division of MCI WorldCom International, which included customer segments such as large ISP’s, ASP’s, Carriers, Mobile Carriers and other telecommunication companies. 

“Having Frans van Belle with PassCall will make our company a true global player in the wireless Internet market so that we will be able to better serve our multi-national customers. The combination of a leading technology and the capabilities of Frans van Belle, is no doubt a winning card”, says Nicky Pappo, President of PassCall. 

“I absolutely believe that the current mobile revolution is going to change the way of doing business,” says Frans van Belle, CEO of PassCall. “The possibilities of the mobile interaction with Internet by text and voice, in particular, will be a key to this development. PassCall is able to deliver this technology right now and with new applications on the shelf for the mobile industry. I am interested in working with creative people that know how to combine technology with market awareness.” Frans van Belle is operating from the Amsterdam office of PassCall.


About PassCall 
PassCall Advanced Technologies Ltd. is a leader of mobile Internet text and voice applications that enable Internet access utilizing existing standards. The company has achieved the state of the art capability to send any web page to any mobile device. PassCall’s services are based on its product GateWave, a simple solution compatible with any Internet standard that can display web pages on any wireless device screen or vocally transmit the information to users of any phone.

PassCall is a privately owned company founded in 1998 by Nicky Pappo, Eyal Zohar and Sergey Korabelnikov. PassCall has recently attracted investments from Infinity (US & Israel), Holland Venture Fund and Intel Capital. PassCall is headquartered in the high tech area of Tirat Hacarmel, Israel. The company also has offices in Amsterdam and New York. 

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