BNbank signs a five-year contract with EDB

(Oslo, 31 March 2004) Bolig- og Næringsbanken (BNbank) has signed a contract with EDB Business Partner for the supply of IT solutions and operating services for its banking activities. The contract runs for five years from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2009, and represents business volume in the order of NOK 60 million over this period. The contract is a renewal of an existing agreement for the supply of solutions and operating services.

"We want IT solutions that support our banking production and customer service, as well as helping to reduce the bank's operational risk. By agreeing this renewal of our long-term customer relationship with EDB we secure consistent product development and a known level of costs", explains Olav Isak Sjøflot, Head of IT at BNbank.

The new five-year contract is renewal of the current agreement with EDB. EDB Bank & Finance provides BNbank with a complete IT solutions portfolio and infrastructure for its core activities in the areas of lending, deposits, integration with accounting and reporting, payment services and foreign exchange, customer dialogue and information distribution, Internet banking, branch banking procedures and sales and integration with the bank's other systems. IT operating services are provided by EDB IT Operations.

"This contract confirms our strong position as a supplier of mission-critical solutions to Norwegian banks. Our products give BNbank the opportunity to strengthen its competitiveness while ensuring a low risk profile at competitive terms. Our long-standing collaboration with BNbank also helps to strengthen EDB's environment for the development of new and forward-looking solutions for the banking and finance sector", comments Ole Urdahl, Executive Vice President Bank & Finance in EDB.

Any enquiries may be addressed to:

Ole Urdahl, Executive Vice President Bank & Finance, EDB, tel: + 47 22 52 82 60
Reidar Gjærum, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications, EDB, tel: +47 908 55 101

Olav Isak Sjøflot, Head of IT, BNbank. Tel: + 47 73 89 20 95

EDB Business Partner is one of the leading suppliers of IT operations and software in the Nordic region. The company provides industry-leading total solutions in the areas of banking and finance, telecommunications and IT operations. EDB's objective is to contribute to its customers' value creation by offering productivity-enhancing IT solutions combined with flexible and reliable operating solutions with unique economies of scale. EDB Business Partner has some 2,500 employees and reported turnover of NOK 4.3 billion in 2003. EDB is represented in Norway, Sweden, the USA, England, Spain and Switzerland. EDB Business Partner ASA is listed on Oslo Børs with the ticker code EDBASA.

Bolig- og Næringsbanken ASA (BNbank) is the fourth largest commercial bank in Norway, with total assets of NOK 38.3 billion at the close of 2003. The group's strategy is to offer competitive terms through marketing a limited number of standardised products based on efficient operations and low risk. BNbank's objective is for selected customer segments to find it an attractive alternative to larger financial groups that offer a wide range of financial services. Shares in BNbank are listed on Oslo Børs.