Bull S.A. and EDB 4tel AS, the telecom software branch of EDB Business Partner ASA, have formed a worldwide partnership within the area of fault handling systems. Bull, a global provider of systems integration services, and EDB 4tel, an acknowledged software vendor specializing in solutions for the telecom industry, will through their partnership provide a world-class fault handling system developed specifically for telecom operators.

"We see a rising demand for FHS-solutions in the market. Market trends like deregulation and increasing customer focus create a need for sophisticated solutions that provide proactive customer support," said Kjersti Wiklund, Vice President of EDB 4tel. "Churn rates are increasing, and effective fault handling systems are critical to ensure customer retention. By giving prompt and accurate information about fault situations and a higher degree of service, telcos can build customer loyalty and reduce churn."

Bull and EDB 4tel offer the most effective and integrated Fault Handling System on the market, FHS 4tel. The solution is based on proven experience and technology, and handles both customer and network reported faults. FHS 4tel enables telcos to reduce their fault correction times, act proactively against network reported faults, increase customer revenue, and reduce churn. The two partners will through the power of their integration experience be able to deliver a fault handling system more cost efficiently and faster than any of their competitors.

"In today's world, it is absolutely necessary to be able to provide proven, world class solutions to telcos," stated Solofo Rafeno, Vice President of Bull Consulting and Systems Integration Division. "We selected EDB 4tel's products for their efficiency and proven technology. Through this partnership, we will be able to increase our capability to market. We are delighted to be partnering with a company with significant reach into markets we have targeted."

"We are delighted to be able to offer FHS 4tel to telecom operators world wide. Through the joint expertise of Bull and EDB 4tel, we are able to offer our customers rapid and cost-effective implementation of a proven solution. We have, together with Bull, proven FHS 4tel's capabilities and cost-effectiveness through the implementation of the solution in the Norwegian incumbent operator Telenor. Bull's worldwide presence and extensive expertise within system integration are ideally suited to our own skills and product range - thus this partnership enhances both companies' offerings to the telecommunications industry," said Asbjørn Eide, President of EDB 4tel.

About FHS 4tel
FHS 4tel is a system for registration and follow-up of faults reported by customers and internal operations, allowing the telecom operator to offer an improved and efficient fault handling service. FHS 4tel provides the telco with full overview over and follow-up on customers' enquiries. Its automatic reporting of fault events on the network shortens correction times and gives advance preparedness for customer reactions. The system further contributes to reducing correction time and optimizing workflow by routing orders directly to the maintenance group concerned. FHS 4tel is based on a Vantive, Windows/NT client/server solution and Tuxedo middleware, using AIX servers and Oracle databases.

About Bull

Bull is an international IT group based in Europe with operations in nearly 100 countries. In 1998, Bull earned revenues of 24.9 billion French francs (3.8 billion euros) including nearly 60% outside France, its country of origin.

Bull offers a wide range of systems, infrastructure software and IT services, through focused innovation, alliances with the best partners and its own integration expertise.

In its industry, besides GCOS mainframes, Bull is recognized for innovative products: the Escala family of UNIX servers, the NT EXPRESS5800 range, smart cards and software such as OpenMaster for secure management of systems and networks. In IT services, Bull is ranked in Europe as the fifth largest systems integrator and maintenance and support services. Information on Bull is available at: http://www.bull.com

About EDB 4tel
EDB 4tel AS is a subsidiary of one of Norway's largest IT groups, EDB Business Partner ASA, a public company listed on the Norwegian Stock Exchange. EDB 4tel specializes exclusively in IT solutions for the telecom industry, offering state-of-the-art software solutions, system integration, implementation, support, and consultancy services within the areas of Customer Care and Billing, Customer Relationship Management and Network Management. Our business is to provide telcos with a broad range of software solutions and services specifically designed to create competitive edge, reduce costs, and increase profitability. Our unique combination of telecom, IT, and business expertise constitutes an unparalleled understanding of the telecom industry and considerably differentiates us from most other vendors in the marketplace. Our products and services allow operators and service providers to achieve maximal benefit from their IT investments. Enduring customer satisfaction is the very heart of our philosophy.

For information about EDB Business Partner ASA, please visit the group's web site:
http://www.edbasa.no
For more information about EDB 4tel and our products, please visit our website: http://www.edb.4tel.no


For additional information, please contact:

Asbjørn Eide, President, EDB 4tel,
tel +47 90 78 53 05, e-mail: asbjorn.eide@4tel.no

Bjørn Trondsen, CEO, EDB Business Partner,
tel +47 2294 40 30, e-mail: bjorn.trondsen@edbasa.noHYPERLINK