Acxiom Unveils Comprehensive Solutions to Help Financial Institutions Comply With USA PATRIOT Act.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 3, 2002

Acxiom(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ACXM) today introduced Acxiom PATRIOT Act Solutions, a full complement of advanced technological solutions to help financial service providers such as banks, brokerage companies and insurance providers comply with stringent new regulations under the USA PATRIOT Act designed to fight terrorism. The solutions incorporate Sentricx(SM), Acxiom's new data-driven identity verification product.

The USA PATRIOT Act (United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism), which was signed into law by President Bush on October 26, 2001, broadly expands law enforcement's investigatory powers to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world.

Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act contains regulations that will require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identities of customers seeking to open financial accounts. Financial institutions are further required to store the information used to verify the customers' identities, and finally to determine if these customers appear on any federally supplied terrorist files. The act defines financial institutions as banks, savings associations, credit unions, securities brokers and dealers, and insurance companies.

In research published recently by Gartner, Inc., analyst Richard De Lotto noted that the USA PATRIOT Act "places extraordinary demands on a wide range of U.S. domestic enterprises. Few people outside of the specifically targeted financial community have paid any attention to the act's provision, and informed debate has been scarce in the media." Also in the research, De Lotto points out that many financial services providers "will lack the skills and infrastructure necessary to implement this regulation and may not even be aware it is now required."

Acxiom Company Leader Charles D. Morgan noted that the regulations would take effect in October 2002. "Financial institutions are looking for the fastest, simplest way to meet the requirements," Morgan said. "The Acxiom PATRIOT Act Solutions provide a comprehensive data and technology solution to enable a company's compliance practices. The solutions are a remarkable technological development because they include all of Acxiom's proven resources along with Sentricx, which attacks fraud by enabling data-driven identity verification of customers and prospects. Implementing such solutions will not only help in complying with the PATRIOT Act, but will also result in significant savings through improved identification verification and fraud prevention."

Because the Acxiom PATRIOT Act Solutions are integrated using industry-leading methodologies, financial service institutions can benefit from the latest technologies possible for identity verification. Acxiom combines Sentricx with industry-leading matching, storage, and reporting technology to provide its customers with a seamless solution for new account processing.

Acxiom and its new PATRIOT Act Solutions can assist financial institutions in complying with the five basic requirements of Section 326:

-- Establish a customer identification program.

-- Establish procedures describing how identification will be verified.

-- Maintain records of information used to verify identity information.

-- Determine whether prospects or customers appear on any lists of known or suspected terrorists issued by the federal government.

-- Develop procedures for determining when an account should not be opened (or when an existing account should be closed) as a result of an inability to verify the identity of a prospect or customer.

As a key component of the Acxiom PATRIOT Act Solutions, Sentricx accesses multiple reference databases in real-time or batch mode to verify information provided at point-of-sale, call center and Web environments. Sentricx offers rapid access to a wide array of data; best-of-breed methodology for integration of data sources; and a flexible design that can be incorporated into existing processes. Instead of necessitating creation of entirely new systems, Sentricx functions as an augmentation to underlying, existing systems, thus saving money by not requiring elaborate new technology architecture.

Sentricx is currently being used by leading financial institutions and insurance companies for prevention of identity and application fraud.

About Acxiom

Acxiom Corporation (Nasdaq:ACXM) integrates data, services and technology to create and deliver customer and information management solutions for many of the largest, most respected companies in the world. The core components of Acxiom's innovative solutions are Customer Data Integration (CDI) technology, data, database services, IT outsourcing, consulting and analytics, and privacy leadership. Founded in 1969, Acxiom is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, with locations throughout the United States, and in the United Kingdom, France and Australia. For more information, visit www.acxiom.com.

Acxiom is a registered trademark of Acxiom Corporation. Sentricx is a service mark of Acxiom Corporation.