Transaction Network Services, Inc. Teams With Bell Atlantic Mobile To Provide Wireless Service For Credit Card Processors

BEDMINSTER — Transaction Network Services, Inc. (TNS) (NASDAQ:TNSI) announced today that it has signed an agreement with Bell Atlantic Mobile to begin offering a seamless end-to-end wireless solution for card processors who want to provide processing services to merchants and vendors who do not have access to telephone lines.

The Bell Atlantic Mobile AirBridge® wireless data network will be interconnected with TNS' TransXpress® X.25 network, eliminating the need for merchants to use dedicated or shared telephone lines to carry transaction traffic. Because there is no need for a physical "hook-up,"the solution is particularly attractive to mobile merchants such as taxi and limousine drivers, as well as in-home service providers such as plumbers, electricians, and home delivery companies. Mall kiosks and sporting and special event retailers, as well as fixed site merchants, will benefit from the freedom of the wireless solution as well.

"Our decision to incorporate wireless data into our network services is based on our ongoing commitment to offer processors new technologies that will enable them to broaden their electronic merchant base,"said Brian Bates, senior vice president and general manager of TNS' POS division. "Moreover, we want to ensure that the implementation process, especially when it involves new technology, is made as easy for our customers as possible. We also want to ensure the same high level of TNS customer support as processors bring up new technologies, so by offering turnkey solutions, we can minimize customer effort and maximize customer satisfaction,"Bates explained.

"This agreement with TNS is consistent with our strategy to focus on the growing needs of the huge retail market for faster, cheaper credit card processing," said Bill Davidson, vice president-wireless data sales and marketing for Bell Atlantic Mobile. "Our AirBridge Wireless Retail Solutions Group will work with TNS to provide merchants with flexible options for conducting credit card transactions."

Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless network in the East, covering 112,000 square miles, and the largest chain of retail outlets devoted exclusively to wireless voice, data and paging. Based in Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic Mobile has 5.5 million customers and 7,000 employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work..."community relations program, the company uses its technology to help individuals and communities improve security and emergency communications. Bell Atlantic Mobile's parent is one of the world's largest wireless communications companies, with domestic operations in 25 states and international investments in Mexico, Europe and the Pacific Rim. For more information on Bell Atlantic Mobile visit: www.bam.com; on global operations visit: www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.

Transaction Network Services, Inc. (TNS), headquartered in Reston, Virginia, provides data communications services for transaction-oriented applications. The company is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol TNSI. Additional company information is available on the TNS website at www.tnsi.com.

The statements and information contained in this news release that are not descriptions of historical fact may contain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially.

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