360 Degree Communications expands CDPD contract with CBIS.

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 1996--CBIS(TM) announced today it has entered into a contract with 360 Degree Communications Company to provide additional modules of its CDPD Customer Care and Billing Solution. 360 Degree Communications currently uses the CBIS Accounting Collector and will now augment its system to include CDPD Distribution, Provisioning, and Ad Hoc Reporting functions. The agreement runs through 2002.

CBIS's UNIX-based Accounting Server Collector supported 360 Degree Communications initial CDPD offering to a regional oil and gas company in Farmington, New Mexico, by collecting and distributing CDPD usage data into its existing CBIS billing system to enable the production of a single, consolidated voice and data bill. In addition to Farmington, 360 Degree Communications is now offering CDPD service in Norfolk, Virginia; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Raleigh and Greensboro, North Carolina. The offering includes features such as wireless e-mail, location services, and credit card validation.

The CBIS CDPD customer care and billing solution is a user-friendly tool which allows us to analyze usage patterns and research billing information all on our current platform, said William C. Vail, 360 Degree Communications vice president of information technology.

"Ultimately, what separates CBIS from any other provider of CDPD billing systems is the comprehensive knowledge and experience we've gained as the leader of the cellular voice billing industry," said James F. Orr, president and chief executive of CBIS. "That advantage, coupled with an Accounting Server that is both flexible and modular, allows CBIS to provide an efficient, end-to-end CDPD solution that is high in value and built to meet evolving client needs."

CDPD call records are dissimilar to voice records because they track packets and characters instead of minutes of use. The Accounting Server CBIS is providing to 360 Degree Communications overcomes these significant differences. The Accounting Server, operating in a service bureau environment, collects usage from the switch as it is generated, reformats, and distributes it for billing. An Ad Hoc Reporting system is also available to perform traffic analysis.

The CBIS Accounting Server is the first to market with the ability to distribute home accounting segments to other Accounting Servers facilitating Interoperability among carriers. As a member of the CDPD Forum Accounting Committee, CBIS was the sole vendor which actively assisted the carriers in producing industry Accounting Interoperability Standards (CDPD-1023).

The CDPD solution offers single-point provisioning which allows customer service representatives to enter customer information one time. The CBIS software sends a network transaction to the switch to activate service and establishes the customer in the billing database, saving time in the activation process and ensuring data accuracy.

Chicago-based 360 Degree Communications is the second largest stand-alone wireless communications company in the country, providing wireless voice and data services to more than 1.6 million customers in nearly 100 markets throughout 14 states. In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, 360 Degree Communications stock is listed on the Chicago and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol "XO".

CBIS is Cincinnati Bell Information Systems, the global leader in the provision and management of customer care and billing solutions for the communications industry. CBIS software, running under license at client sites or in CBIS's data centers, produces more than 225,000,000 bills for cable TV, wireless and wireline telephony, and convergent services each year.

CBIS uses its extensive billing systems expertise and service bureau experience to create advantages for leading companies in wireless, wireline, cable, and emerging communications services. CBIS -- a subsidiary of Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE:CSN) -- is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to a diverse work force. CBIS is on the Internet at http://www.cbis.com. -0-

CBIS is a registered service mark of Cincinnati Bell Information Systems Inc.

CONTACT: CBIS, Cincinnati

John Pratt, Follow Me: 500/447-2247 or 800/327-3900

E-Mail: john.pratt(at sign)cbis.com