SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS JOURNAL NAMES BLACKSTONE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR – MARKETING OVER $10 MILLION

Blackstone (www.blackstoneonline.com), a pioneer of the prepaid telecommunications industry, was named Business of the Year - Marketing Over $10 million by the South Florida Business Journal during a luncheon held today at the Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura, Florida.

Blackstone (www.blackstoneonline.com), a pioneer of the prepaid telecommunications industry, was named Business of the Year - Marketing Over $10 million by the South Florida Business Journal during a luncheon held today at the Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura, Florida.

Accepting the award for Blackstone was Mike Acton, Blackstones general manager, who thanked the employees of Blackstone for making all of this possible and making Blackstone what it is today.

The Union Planters Bank 2003 Business of the Year Awards by the South Florida Business Journal recognizes the accomplishments of various business industries in the South Florida marketplace - including General Business, Professional Services, Real Estate & Construction, Marketing and more. The judging panel was comprised of CEOs and business owners who themselves know the challenges of operating a business in South Florida. The criteria used to determine winners included revenue growth, creation of jobs, commitment to employees and community involvement.

A pioneer of the prepaid telecommunications industry, Blackstone is currently one of the countrys largest providers of prepaid products and services through over 300,000 retail locations nationwide. Established and headquartered in Miami, Florida since 1995, Blackstone provides innovative solutions to local, national and international companies seeking to maximize their full potential – from calling cards, POS terminals, merchant processing, marketing & distribution to self-service, interactive kiosks – Blackstone offers a complete array of services to design, integrate and maintain high-impact, strategic business solutions via our global network of alliances and resources.

For more information on Blackstones products and services visit www.blackstoneonline.com or call 1-800-639-9590.

Blackstone POS are trademarks of Blackstone Communications Co.; US and foreign patents pending.