Accessing pointpath Gift Card Statements Online is Easy for Customers, Thanks to iE's ScreenSurfer.

Business/Technology Editors

COLUMBUS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 21, 2001

--iE ScreenSurfer, the most powerful and versatile host-to-Web

integration solution on the market, permits pointpath to securely

deliver mainframe-based gift card data over the Web--

pointpathbank, N.A., is providing a unique solution to customers searching for the perfect gift. pointpath is offering its own VISA-branded Gift Card at www.pointpath.com. The Gift Card can be used online or offline. These cards carry a pre-paid balance and can be used anywhere VISA and MasterCard are accepted. Customers can also check their account balances at the pointpath website.

pointpath has also developed a membership center that offers clients opportunities to organize their gift giving. The Gift Card reminder calendar allows members to type in dates of special occasions and pointpath will remind them by email of the upcoming event. The membership center will also hold Gift Card orders that will be sent at a future date.

The gift card accounts of pointpath clients are maintained on a Total System mainframe computer. pointpath uses a powerful and secure Web-to-host integration solution to enable its Gift Card clients to access and manage their accounts over the Web. iE ScreenSurfer, the most powerful and flexible Web-to-host solution on the market, provided pointpath with exactly what it required. With the iE ScreenSurfer solution, pointpath's clients have secure, reliable, fast and intuitive access to their Gift Card balances and statements.

Thanks to the rejuvenated 'point-and-click' GUI presented by iE ScreenSurfer, these customers are protected and isolated from the fact that they are talking, online, to a mainframe. iE, the leading provider of integrated e-finance applications, specializes in such leading edge Web-to-host and online credit card automation applications. iE ScreenSurfer is widely used in various diverse Web-to-host integration scenarios across industry sectors, while iE NetFinance is a unique solution for helping banks seamlessly integrate credit card applications into their existing Web portals.

David Mize, Director of Web Development at pointpath says, "iE has allowed pointpath to be able to interface mainframe functions to the Web through its flexibility and design. We allow our Gift Card clients at pointpath to receive real-time inquiries of their balances and previous transactions online. This functionality is the beginning of what iE and pointpath can produce together."

Mr. Roger Willcocks, chief executive of iE, said, "This highly contemporary pointpath gift card related application clearly highlights two of iE's hallmark strengths - our exceptional in-depth expertise in Web-to-host integration technology as well as our unparalleled hands-on experience when it comes to online card applications. pointpath is the second Synovus company to successfully leverage our technology. Total Solutions, another Synovus family company, also uses iE ScreenSurfer for host integration. We receive repeated confirmation on the power and flexibility of ScreenSurfer. It is indubitably the most versatile, easy-to-use and simple-to-implement Web-to-host solutions on the market. That is why it has the industry's highest success rate. 96% of developers who evaluate ScreenSurfer end up using it for their production applications. The ScreenSurfer customer base around the world is growing in leaps and bounds. ScreenSurfer complements NetFinance - our incisive solution for online credit card applications."

iE ScreenSurfer, which runs on Windows NT Servers, is a highly secure, scalable, robust and proven Web-to-host solution that works with IBM (or compatible) mainframes and AS/400s. It offers unparalleled integration with all popular Application Servers including Microsoft ASP/MTS, IBM's WebSphere and Allaire's ColdFusion. ScreenSurfer invariably is the quickest and most economical means for implementing feature-rich Web-to-host solutions.

About iE

iE (www.ie.com) is a leading provider of integrated e-finance applications. It specializes in e-business financial systems for banking, credit card processing, investment management and insurance customers. iE is an international leader in complex mainframe integration and e-commerce tools. Since 1989, the company's integration products and advanced technology services have enabled clients, particularly in financial services, to deploy business-critical customer service applications. Starting in 1996, such systems have also been deployed via the Internet. From locations in Boston, MA, and London, England, the company distributes its products in 20 countries and has sold over 10,000 licenses worldwide. Its major customers include Blue Cross Blue Shield, Merrill Lynch, Central Insurance, IVANS, HFC Bank, The Woolwich, and AXA. Founded in 1985, iE is a public company, quoted on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) as IEN.

About pointpathbank

pointpathbank, N.A. (www.pointpath.com) is the 39th affiliate bank of Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE: "SNV") (www.synovus.com), a $14.2 billion multi financial services company based in Columbus, Ga. Synovus owns 80.8 percent of Total System Services, Inc. (NYSE: "TSS") (www.totalsystem.com), one of the world's leading processors of payment transactions. Synovus is No. 8 on FORTUNE magazine's list of "The 100 Best Companies To Work For" in 2001.

iE ScreenSurfer and iE NetFinance are trademarks of iE. All other product names and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

For more information, contact Jennifer Tryder of iE at [phone], email [e-mail], or visit the iE's web site at http://www.ie.com or Aimee Davis of pointpath at [phone], email [e-mail], or visit pointpath's web site at www.pointpath.com.