Rob Gaudet and the rest of the management team at Meriton Networks Inc. feel a little like a group of skiers who have spent the last four years climbing to the top of the hill. With a round of contract wins being announced today, and others expected to follow in rapid succession, they're ready to start enjoying the ride.

Meriton, a privately held company founded in 2000, builds the architecture to let communications companies expand their high-speed networks without breaking the bank.

The three contracts being announced today with companies in Missouri and Oklahoma represent potential revenue of more than $10 million over the next two to five years, said Gaudet, Meriton's director of product management.

That's a significant development for a company that only scored its first revenue eight months ago, he said.

'DOING BETTER'

"We're still new in that respect, but month by month we're doing better. The market is starting to pick up and our products are ready for prime time."

He said Meriton's customer list is "getting close to double digits," and the pipeline for future orders looks good.

Most of the contract wins to date have been with smaller carriers, including Missouri's Sho-Me Technologies, the fiber-optics subsidiary of Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative.

The first phase of that deal is worth more than $1 million, Gaudet said.

He didn't disclose the value of the other two contracts, one with Fidelity Communications Company of Sullivan, Mo., and the other with Pioneer Telephone Cooperative Inc., the largest telephone co-operative in Oklahoma.

Meriton also hopes to soon begin finalizing deals with the large incumbent telephone companies, he said. "Those take a little longer," said Gaudet. "It's moving a big ship for them."

geoff.matthews@ott.sunpub.com