Web Hosting Provider, HostRocket.com, Sponsors US FIRST Robotics Team

Clifton Park, New York - (The Hosting News) - January 10, 2008 - Hosting services company, HostRocket.com, Inc., and Internet phone service, ViaTalk, are sponsoring the US FIRST Robotics team at Shenendehowa High School, with a $20,000 cash donation.

In addition, the companies have committed to donate hundreds of hours as mentors and volunteers. Since 2004, the Tech Valley companies have contributed $100,000 in cash to the student organization known as 'Team 20: The Rocketeers.'

Brendan Brader, CEO of HostRocket explained, ''We are very fortunate to have succeeded with our companies, so giving back to our community is important, if not first and foremost. The US FIRST Robotics team provides students with hands on technology opportunities that they wouldn'T normally be exposed to in the classroom.''

Many HostRocket and ViaTalk employees have devoted a significant amount of time serving as mentors for the program throughout all four seasons. Company founders Brendan Brader and John Reyes are especially involved in the program. The two participated in the program as students at Shenendehowa High School and remain involved as mentors.

Team 20, The Rocketeers, was created in 1992 as a part of the initial launch of the US FIRST program (www.usfirst.org). FIRST, the acronym for ''For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology'' was a robotics engineering competition founded by Dean Kaman in order to encourage teenagers in the U.S. to become more actively interested in the fields of science and technology.

John Reyes, CTO of HostRocket added, ''The Rocketeers is a great way for students to channel creative talent in a productive manner. We are enthused to play a role in giving kids exposure to this national competition.''

The Rocketeers team will assemble for a live webcast where FIRST announces this year's challenge. The team will meet nightly and on weekends in preparation for the contest developing strategy and robot design. The contest will take place in the end of February.

HostRocket.Com, Inc. is a privately owned, multi-million dollar, debt-free corporation located in New York’s Tech Valley that provides shared web hosting services to approximately 100,000 top websites and offers internet phone service in 2,200 markets in all 50 United States through sister VoIP company ViaTalk, LLC.

For more information about ViaTalk LLC, please visit: www.viatalk.com.

To learn more about HostRocket, Inc., please visit: www.hostrocket.com.

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