Area Businesses Join Forces to Fight Breast Cancer

Area Businesses Join Forces to Fight Breast Cancer

Corporate Partners Introduce Buddy Check^TM 9 Program

June 2, 1999

WASHINGTON -- Bell Atlantic and other corporate sponsors today held
a rally to stop breast cancer in its tracks. The event, held at Bell Atlantic's
offices in Arlington, Va., was designed to increase breast cancer awareness
among employees and promote early detection, which offers the best
chance to treat the disease successfully.

Bell Atlantic and its partners -- Comverse Network Systems, the Cancer
Research Foundation of America, the Lombardi Cancer Center at the
Georgetown University Medical Center, Channel 9 Eyewitness News and
WHUR 96.3 FM -- are sponsoring Buddy Check^TM 9, a program to inform
women about the importance of early detection and how to perform breast
self-exams.

At the rally, Marie C. Johns, president and CEO of Bell Atlantic -
Washington and Andrea Roane, news anchor, Channel 9 Eyewitness News
highlighted the importance of breast self-exams and challenged to
audience to get involved. Attendees also received Buddy Check^TM 9 T-
shirts and Buddy Check^TM 9 brochures with important information about
breast health awareness. Most women have to be taught how to perform
the exams correctly. Therefore, nurses from the Lombardi Cancer Center
were on hand to demonstrate the correct procedure.

In addition, Bell Atlantic is using its technology to further promote breast
cancer awareness. Starting in July, Bell Atlantic® Home Voice Mail
subscribers in the Washington metropolitan area can sign up to receive a
free monthly voice mail message reminding them to conduct a breast self-
exam.

"It is very important to educate the public about the most common
form of cancer affecting women in this country," said Johns.
"And our Home Voice Mail service provides a convenient way to
encourage everyone to join the fight against breast cancer."

All women-and one percent of men-are at risk of breast cancer. The
disease cannot be prevented because the cause is unknown. However,
when breast cancer is detected and treated in its early stages, the five-year
survival rate is 97 percent.

"There is no more rewarding use of Comverse's technology than to
deliver these life-saving reminder messages each month to Bell Atlantic
Home Voice Mail customers," said Francis E. Girard, chief
executive officer of Comverse Network Systems. "For over 10
years, Comverse and Bell Atlantic have worked together to bring voice
messaging services to consumers and businesses. We are honored to
extend that partnership to include the Buddy Check^TM 9 program."

Breast self-exams are not meant to replace mammograms or clinical exams
performed by physicians. However, they are an important third step of the
breast cancer early detection triad recommended by major U.S. cancer
organizations.

"The good news is that early stages of breast cancer are highly
treatable," Johns said. "Thanks to breast cancer early-
detection programs, there are over two million breast cancer survivors in
the U.S. today. With the help of Buddy Check 9, I'm hopeful that figure
will climb even higher."

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With 43 million telephone access lines and nine
million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are
premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest
investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations
and investments in 23 countries.

Comverse Network System, a division of Comverse Technology, Inc.
(NASDAQ: CMVT) and the world's leading supplier of enhanced services
platforms to communication network operators is headquartered in
Wakefield, MA. Comverse's Access NP^TM and TRILOGUE^TM INfinity^TM
enhanced services platforms enable communications network operators to
offer a range of revenue-generating multimedia messaging and
information services to business and residential users. These services
include call answering, voice/fax mail, short text message service, fax-on-
demand, audiotex, interactive voice response, virtual phone/fax, and next-
generation Advanced Intelligent Network-based personal communications
services such as pre-paid services, personal number, call screening/caller
introduction, mobile attendant and voice dialing. Comverse Network
Systems is the worldwide enhanced services platform market leader
serving over 290 network operator customers in more than 75 countries.
For additional information, visit Comverse Network Systems' website at:
http://comversens.com.

Access NP is a registered trademark, and TRILOGUE and INfinity are
trademarks of Comverse Technology, Inc.