``Open-c Solutions'' Selected as New Name by National Water & Power Technologies.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2000

Emerging customer-care and billing solution provider

chooses more suitable name

National Water & Power Technologies, Inc. (NW&PT) has announced that it has changed its name to Open-c Solutions. The new name will be accompanied by the tag line "customer-centric solutions for the open-access era". Dennis McMaster, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, is enthusiastic about the choice of Open-c Solutions as the new identity: "Our former name did not properly reflect what we do and the value that we deliver to our clients. The name "Open-c Solutions", however, speaks to the powerful and flexible functionality that we build into our customer-centric software solutions. It also emphasizes the concept of open competition, and the challenges that it presents to customer-care organizations in creating new customer offerings, taking them to market, and delivering exceptional service to customers. These are precisely the challenges that our software helps the new customer-care organization overcome, and with far greater speed and ease than ever before possible."

The tag line was chosen for similar reasons, as explained by Mr. McMaster: "We wanted a tag line that clearly articulates the differences between us and our competition. As we assess the marketplace for customer-care solutions in the converging energy and telecom markets, we see a real need for solutions that are designed to address the specific demands of open-access. This is especially true in light of the fact that our clients' industries and businesses are undergoing constant change. So with the premise of unavoidable change in mind, we developed Open-cIS(TM), our customer-care and billing solution. Open-cIS fully addresses today's most stringent requirements, and also allows our clients to implement business change however and whenever they require."

McMaster added that establishing the new identity prior to June was an important consideration. Open-c Solutions plans to officially launch its new identity at the CIS Users Conference in Las Vegas, where Open-c Solutions will participate as an exhibitor.

Open-c Solutions is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Open-cIS is a flexible CIS with an architecture and data model that allows companies to configure Open-cIS to meet their specific needs, whether they are a utility, a marketer, a billing service bureau, or a hybrid company. Open-c Solutions offers Open-cIS as a supported software license and as an application service. Open-c Solutions currently has two customers: DQE, Inc. (DQE) and National Water and Power, Inc. (NW&P). For more information, visit www.open-c.com.

DQE is a growth utility delivering essential products, including electricity, water and gas, to more than one million customers throughout the United States. DQE offers the stability of a utility and the spirit of a dot com business by applying leading-edge technology to create greater value for customers and shareholders. DQE subsidiaries include AquaSource Inc., which acquires, develops, and manages water and waste-water assets; Duquesne Light, a Pittsburgh based electric distribution company; DQE Financial, a financial-services company that makes long-term investments and provides financing to both DQE and other firms in the energy and utility markets; DQE Enterprises, an energy, communications, and E-commerce business; DQE Energy Services, a diversified services company offering a wide range of energy outsourcing solutions; and DQE Systems, a propane, gas, and telecommunications delivery company.

National Water & Power, Inc. is the national leader in utility billing services for the multifamily housing industry. Based in Santa Ana, California, NW&P provides meter reading, billing, customer service, field operations, and related services to multifamily housing clients in 35 states. NW&P also provides similar services to a variety of commercial and retail clients.