GTE and Compaq bring leading usage management system to United States telecom market.

GENEVA - GTE Data Services, Inc., a division of GTE Corp. (NYSE: GTE), today announced an expanded marketing alliance with Compaq to bring GTE's Usage Management System (UMS) to the United States telecom market.

UMS is a full-featured software application for the telecommunications industry that automates data collection from the most sophisticated network elements. UMS standardizes usage data, rates it, and accumulates it in preparation for billing. Under terms of the agreement, Compaq will support domestic marketing and sales and eventually manage installation and first-line help desk support. GTE will provide licensing, application modifications, help desk support, implementation and deployment.

"UMS has a great track record helping European and Japanese tier-one carriers quickly build their competitive advantage," said Deb Anders, president of GTE Data Services International. "As U.S. telecom companies add cable TV and data services, and cable companies offer pay-on-demand video and Internet services, they need the sophisticated billing capabilities of UMS to allow them to accurately bill for new revenue opportunities."

GTE and Compaq previously sold and implemented UMS with Japan's largest wireless carriers, DDI and TU-KA. DDI also offers long distance and personal communications services. Based on these two customers, UMS now processes 40 percent of the wireless transactions in Japan. UMS is also used in Europe by Portugal Telecom, KPN the Netherlands and Tele Denmark.

"After a very successful history of teaming with GTE Data Services worldwide, we are pleased to offer their Usage Management System (UMS) to our North American customers and prospects who require high-velocity event handling, said Ray Villareal, Vice President, Compaq North America Enterprise Solutions and Services Group. Recently announced mergers and acquisitions in the communications market have increased the need for robust data collection systems."

How UMS Works

Developed by GTE Data Services, Inc., UMS can adapt to changing market conditions and handle advanced network services and switching device activities at dramatically higher transaction volumes than comparable systems. The application is made up of four modular components: automated data collection, standardization of event records for itemized billing, flexible rating schemes, and systematic data accumulation and billing transfer.

A special feature of UMS allows quick additions and changes in services and efficiently processes all transaction types, including voice, fax, data, broadband, PSTN, wireless and video. A single transaction, which could be a fax transmission, telephone call, Internet access, etc., is identified by the network and converted into multiple detailed records with various formats. Its table-driven technology enables customization and maintenance without programming changes and the built-in graphical user interface (GUI) monitors continuously evaluate UMS' operating performance to ensure every event is accounted for and correctly presented to billing.

GTE Data Services continues to be committed to establishing and implementing a variety of quality standards and programs including a Continuous Process Improvement program, to ensure that its products and services maintain the highest level of quality. In addition, the UMS application is certified as Year 2000 compliant. It has been thoroughly tested against rigorous standards to ensure that it will continue to operate properly in the year 2000 and beyond.

About GTE Data Services

GTE Data Services, a unit of GTE Corp., is one of the largest IT organizations in the United States. It has more than 30 years of experience designing, connecting and operating data centers that have a record of providing 99.9 percent system availability to commercial customers and GTE affiliates. The company supplies applications development, data center processing, outsourcing, network management and service bureau services to telecommunications carriers and business customers worldwide.

About GTE

With 1998 revenues of more than $25 billion, GTE is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated telecommunications services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states and wireless service in 18 states, nationwide long-distance and internetworking services. These services range from dial-up Internet access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies, and video services in selected markets. Additional information about GTE Corp. can be found at http://www.gte.com.

# # #