Bellsouth and QC Data sign long-term agreement

BELLSOUTH AND QC DATA SIGN LONG-TERM AGREEMENT Atlanta - BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) and QC Data, Calgary, Alberta, have signed a long-term agreement that extends and enhances their relationship for outside plant records maintenance and work order posting through 2006. The contract, originally signed in mid-1997, had been scheduled to run through 2002. Under the agreement, QC Data is providing on-site turnkey maintenance and posting services for engineering records representing 23 million telephone lines throughout BellSouth's operating territories. QC Data currently provides some 200 employees who perform engineering work order posting at six BellSouth Regional Maintenance Centers (RMC) in the Southeastern United States. As part of the enhanced relationship, some 10 QC Data employees will be added in BellSouth's Jacksonville, Florida, Regional Landbase Administration Centre. Terry Peak, BellSouth's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Solutions director, said, ``We are pleased with how QC Data has worked with us as a valued partner in our RMC operations. Both companies have learned a great deal during the first two years of this relationship. QC Data has demonstrated its ability to perform BellSouth's engineering records administration with a high degree of accuracy, timeliness and efficiency.'' Since initiating the project, BellSouth has shifted to QC Data all outside plant records maintenance activities such as posting of engineering drawings, construction material lists, financial records and final updates to corporate records for some 1,650 wire centers. BellSouth's Supply Chain Management director, Roland Tunez, said, ``This effort has proven to be successful in large part as a result of establishing long-term, value-based partnerships with key vendors such as QC Data.'' BellSouth is a $25 billion international communications company, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, providing telecommunications, wireless communications, cable and digital TV, directory advertising and publishing, and Internet and data services to nearly 36 million customers in 19 countries worldwide. QC Data International Inc., (http://www.qcdata.com), with world headquarters in Calgary, is an innovator in the field of information services for oil and gas companies, utilities, telecommunications providers, health and pharmaceutical organisations, and government agencies. The company's Petroleum Data, Spatial Data and Health Informatics divisions employ nearly 900 information management specialists in Canada, Cyprus, Ireland, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. For further information: Terry Peak, BellSouth Telecommunications Inc., Phone: +1 (404) 927-1563; Steve Gerard, GMRC Inc., Phone: +1 (303) 805-1131, sgerard(at)gerardmarketing.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/19/20000119BIT00010/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/19/20000119BIT00010/bit0002.pdf