Microspace Works With Client Affected By WTC Terrorist Attack

Capitol Broadcasting Company's television and radio stations began airing non-stop news as the terrorist attacks began to unfold on September 11, but another non-broadcasting subsidiary of the mother company had to jump into action as well. Microspace Communications Corporation, the world's largest provider of broadcast video, data and audio satellite services for business applications, had a client in the World Trade Center and worked diligently in the hours after the attack to help them.

Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm, occupied 15 floors in WTC 2. The content they provide Microspace to broadcast to their brokers across the country came directly from their offices at the WTC. Microspace Director of Sales & Marketing Greg Hurt explained, "Morgan Stanley typically uses the satellite network that they have with us to relay general financial information across the country. On Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday and Thursday, that became second priority."

The Microspace staff worked to create a video communications link between all Morgan Stanley locations so that executive management had a means to communicate. They broadcast the MS CEO live to the brokers across the country. Management could then make their remote locations aware of exactly what was happening in New York and devise a game plan. "We worked very closely with Morgan Stanley to re-route the way in which they get content back to us so we could broadcast it for them," explained Hurt.

"Our initial reason for contacting them was to find out about people, not business," Hurt said. " It took the better part of two days to verify that the folks we deal with each and every day did survive the tragedy." Of the estimated 4,500 employees who worked at the Morgan Stanley location in the WTC, approximately 40 were lost.

Microspace will also be helping clients across the country deal with the changes in travel and business communications due to the changing atmosphere after the terrorist attacks. "We believe that as a result of this tragedy that many companies will place a greater emphasis on communicating via technology, such as satellite, that don't require air travel each time a meeting takes place," said Hurt. Microspace technology will help make this possible.