New Paradigm Resources Group Merges with Connecticut Research; NPRG Expands to Deliver New Depth and Breadth in Business Planning, Technology Trend Analysis and Strategic Consulting for Rapidly Converging Communications Markets.

CHICAGO -- New Paradigm Resources Group, Inc. (NPRG), one of the nation's leading research and consulting firms for the competitive telecom industry, today launched a major expansion of its market scope and services capabilities by merging with Connecticut Research, Inc., a nationally recognized consulting group for the telecommunications, electronics, electric utilities and information services industries for over 25 years.

Blending the strengths of the two firms, NPRG will deliver actionable, practical analysis and strategy recommendations with new depth and speed, meeting the needs of clients in a converged world of IP-based telecom and Information Services marked by rapid, continuous transformation. The new expanded company will retain the name New Paradigm Resources Group, Inc. and be headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Glastonbury, CT and Houston, TX. Richard G. Tomlinson, Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Founder and CEO of Connecticut Research, Inc., joins the firm as Executive Vice President focusing on strategy development, business analysis and technology assessment for NPRG's clients.

The new combined NPRG will be exploiting the dynamism of new information delivery technologies to create innovative sets of products for its clients. These services will permit NPRG's clients to tap directly into the firm's knowledge base, and will empower them to customize their consulting projects "on the fly" and obtain up-to-the-minute analysis and insights.

Real-time access to NPRG's knowledge base and consulting expertise will support clients in the mission-critical areas of business plan development, technology analysis and assessment, transactional support and due diligence for mergers and acquisitions, as well as project management, vendor evaluation, research and development prioritization, and emerging technology forecasting. NPRG's broad customer base - competitive and incumbent operators, utilities, equipment manufacturers, as well as investment bankers and law firms involved in telecom - will benefit from the merged companies' enhanced depth and expertise in technology and business planning.

"The next growth driver of the competitive telecom industry will be in emerging technologies that not only displace legacy systems and disrupt the status quo but create an entirely new set of business protocols," said NPRG President Terrence Barnich. "As they contend with change at an unprecedented pace, carriers, vendors, investors and legal advisors need an expert consulting service that understands the technology and its implications, sees "big picture" trends, and can anticipate future advances to help service providers stay ahead of the curve. By expanding NPRG's horizons through this merger, we have created a single-source repository of knowledge and expertise that will serve the full span of the communications industry, now and for the next generation."

"We are combining the best of two worlds," said Craig Clausen, NPRG Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "NPRG has long been recognized as the leader in tailored research and strategic consulting as well as industry analysis reports for the competitive telecom sector. With a quarter century of experience in providing consulting insights to hundreds of corporate leaders, investors and legal counselors across the industry, Connecticut Research is one of the most respected consultancies in telecom."

"Telecommunications has long ceased to be an independent discipline based on switches, wires and a few simple services," said NPRG's EVP Richard Tomlinson. "The transition to IP networks has triggered a chain reaction in the volume and types of knowledge requisite to running a next generation services provider, spanning the network, operations, Information Technology, and the diverse equipment and software to deliver Information Services. By broadening our expertise and product portfolio, NPRG is best positioned to manage this cyclotron of information, using the latest technologies to deliver strategic insights that create market advantage for our clients."

Since its founding in 1986, Connecticut Research, Inc. has served diverse clientele including the investment community, venture capital firms, competitive and incumbent wireline and wireless carriers, technology innovators, software companies and energy utilities, providing services that range from strategy development, business planning, product planning and development, technology trend analysis and evaluation, to due diligence for merger and acquisition activities. NPRG has provided research and consulting services for the spectrum of the competitive and incumbent telecom service provider and equipment manufacturing industries, and publishes in-depth reports on every sector of the competitive telecom marketplace.

About New Paradigm Resources Group

New Paradigm Resources Group, Inc. (NPRG) is one of the nation's foremost research and consulting firms focused on analyzing and explaining the converging telecommunications and information industries. NPRG's comprehensive industry analysis reports have been recognized for over a decade as the most authoritative, reliable resource evaluating the competitive telecom industry. Reports such as the Competitive Carrier Report(TM), the Fixed Wireless Carrier Report(TM), the VoIP Report(TM), the Broadband Provider Report(TM), the Cable Broadband Telephony Report(TM), the Competitive IOC Report(TM) and the ILEC Report(TM) have been highly valued because of the scope and breadth of their useable data and information.

NPRG's consultative engagements, including forecasts, business plan and technology assessments, product and pricing models, are informed by rigorous methods of gathering and analyzing street-level data. This methodology provides clients with real-world, here and now insights and analysis. NPRG was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Chicago with offices in Glastonbury, CT and Houston, TX. Additional information about New Paradigm Resources Group is available on the Internet at www.nprg.com