Encore Networks today announced the appointment of Bruce Russell to the position of Vice President of Business Development, Utilities Industry. Mr. Russell, formerly with the Tennessee Valley Authority, brings to Encore more than 28 years of diverse technical expertise and experience in operations, administration and business development in the utility industry. �Bruce will provide strategic planning and counsel on the emerging trends and unique network security challenges facing today�s utilities,� said Peter Madsen, President of Encore Networks. �His depth of experience in managing transmission communications systems related to the operation and protection of power systems will help guide the future direction of Encore�s SCADA applications development.� Prior to joining Encore, Bruce held various management positions within TVA where he implemented strategic initiatives and managed projects relating to their power generation facilities. He led the drive to replace TVA�s Land Mobile Radio systems under the Federal Narrow Banding Mandate by utilizing Nextel�s iDEN radio solutions, which introduced high speed cellular data applications into their enterprise network. He also developed the migration strategy to upgrade and expand their satellite solution for power system operations and represented all TVA Business units in fostering external partnerships and customer relationships. Bruce currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Utility Telecommunications Council (UTC), is a member of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and supports other industry trade associations. �With the successful commercial launch of the BANDIT line of rugged VPN routers, I feel confident that Encore is poised to make a tremendous impact on the utility industry,� stated Mr. Russell. �I am excited about joining a team that is actively expanding its product line addressing today�s security concerns surrounding electrical SCADA monitoring and controls functions.� Mr. Russell can be reached at the Encore Networks Knoxville, TN Office at 703-318-4317 and by e-mail at brussell@encorenetworks.com For more information about Encore Networks and its complete line of hardened VPN routers, visit www.encorenetworks.com or e-mail sales@encorenetworks.com. About Encore Networks Encore Networks (www.encorenetworks.com) is a market leader in developing manageable equipment for Secure, Converged, and Broadband solutions for carriers and enterprises. Customers currently rely on Encore's innovative VPN and security solutions for wireless, satellite, and terrestrial networks that support both legacy devices and the Internet Protocol (IP) routing standards. Encore�s industrially hardened (rugged) routers are designed for mission critical applications in harsh environments with wide temperature ranges such as those found in electrical power substations, industrial plant floors, mobile transportation, banking (ATM) and traffic control systems. Encore�s advanced signaling and voice inter-working solutions support circuit-to-packet migration of voice services, on premises or in the central office.