LHS Group Signs Global Framework Agreement With Bell Atlantic International Wireless

ATLANTA/FRANKFURT/PHILADELPHIA — LHS Group Inc. (NASDAQ: LHSG) and Bell Atlantic (NYSE: BEL) today announced a global framework agreement under which the parties have elected to strengthen their existing relationship. The agreement defines the terms and conditions under which LHS and Bell Atlantic will co-operate in the future. Through the agreement, Bell Atlantic ensures that its wireless ventures worldwide will benefit from the closer relationship with LHS.

Bell Atlantic is one of the world's largest international telecommunications providers, with interests in operations in the US and more than 20 other countries. Under the agreement, Bell Atlantic and its global wireless investments will have access to BSCS product licensing and related maintenance and support services from LHS.

Bell Atlantic says it has already begun helping five of its global wireless investments gain operational and cost efficiencies by upgrading certain customer support systems to LHS products covered under the new agreement.

"We have worked with Bell Atlantic in several of their international ventures and we are very pleased to have a formal partnership arrangement in place that will enable us to participate in,and contribute to, Bell Atlantic's growth ambitions worldwide," states Per Axelsson, Senior Vice President, Global Partner Sales for LHS.

"We're pleased to have LHS provide us another opportunity to leverage our scale, scope, and experience in customer care, information systems, marketing, and network management to bring significant savings and operating efficiencies to all our major wireless partnerships," said David Riffelmacher, Vice President-Professional Services for Bell Atlantic International Wireless.

Bell Atlantic is one of the world's largest wireless communications companies, with domestic operations in 25 U.S. states and international investments spanning Latin America, Europe, and Asia. For information on Bell Atlantic's global operations, visit http://www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.

LHS is a leading provider of convergent client/server modular customer care and billing software and services for the telecommunications industry. Its over 120 systems are installed in more than 50 countries, operating in 13 languages. In addition to its Atlanta headquarters, LHS has major offices in Frankfurt, Germany; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Zurich Switzerland. LHS is listed with NASDAQ (LHSG) and on the Frankfurt Neuer Markt Exchange (LHI). For more information, visit LHS' web site at www.lhsgroup.com.

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