Bellcore and Peritus enter into teaming agreement launching joint attack on Year 2000 computer crisis.

MORRISTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 1996--Bellcore and Peritus Software Services, Inc. announced today that they will work together on a comprehensive approach to Year 2000 problems. Together, Bellcore and Peritus will work to provide network operators and their equipment suppliers with consulting, conversion, and testing services to reduce the risk of date-related business, operations, and network systems problems on both a stand-alone and interoperability basis.

A crisis has been predicted by information technology experts, descending upon computer-based systems as the calendar year changes from 1999 to 2000. Many computers have been programmed to allow only the last two digits to represent a year. For example, 1996 would be represented by the digits 96. As a result, on January 1, 2000 many software systems will interpret this as the year 1900. Other computers may know the correct date but have problems communicating with computers that do not. Although all businesses are at risk, the urgency is especially critical to the telecommunications and financial industries where date-manipulating software is critical to business.

Bellcore, the telecommunications software, engineering and consulting company, has an extensive history working with large-scale systems within the telecommunications industry. Bellcore's in-depth research capabilities and technical expertise helped to define the nation's telecommunications infrastructure for local and long distance carriers. Bellcore is now applying that same expertise to resolving the issues associated with Year 2000 systems and networks for businesses, universities, government agencies, and other industry groups.

"I believe that Bellcore and Peritus have products and services that are completely complementary," said Paul Minkin, executive director of Year 2000 External Solutions, part of Bellcore's Technology Solutions organization. "Bellcore will provide the expert technical quantitative analyses of end-user computer systems, making evaluations and recommendations relative to the impact of the year change on these systems. Peritus will use its own conversion tools, service and methodology necessary to effect our recommendations."

According to Bichlien Hoang, Bellcore's executive director of Year 2000 Network Solutions, many network operators and equipment suppliers have yet to develop a Year 2000 strategy to protect their businesses and their customers from its impact. "My greatest concern is that some network operators and suppliers may think they have 3-4 years to take care of their Year 2000 problems. In fact, since some systems use "99" as a special code, the time left is much shorter. Also, while suppliers may find the majority of problems in their own equipment, they may often require additional resources to verify that their equipment will interoperate with that of other suppliers' once the Year 2000 change occurs. The combination of Bellcore's telecommunications software products and consulting services and Peritus' Automate2000(TM) service, conversion tools and methodology will provide cost effective solutions that can be implemented immediately."

"We are fortunate that Bellcore will be teaming with Peritus to present solutions in solving customers' Year 2000 problems. Bellcore's technical competency, and consulting and analysis services working with large scale systems and networks within the telecommunications industry, is an ideal fit with Peritus' technology and processes," noted Dominic Chan, president of Peritus Software Services.

Bellcore, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., is a leading provider of communications software, engineering and consulting services based on world-class research. Bellcore creates business solutions that make information technology work for telecommunications carriers, businesses and governments worldwide. Bellcore has sales offices throughout the United States, and international sales offices in Europe, Central and South America, and Asia Pacific. More information about Bellcore's products, solutions and services is available at Bellcore's web site, http://www.bellcore.com, or by calling 1-800-521-CORE.

Peritus, a private company, develops technologies to sharply reduce the cost of software maintenance. Peritus combines people, process, mathematical techniques, computer- based tools and continuous improvement into an approach which employs state-of-the-art concepts and scientific principles to significantly increase productivity, responsiveness and quality in software maintenance. Peritus' global customer base includes computer manufacturers, software developers and large computer users. Peritus is headquartered in Billerica, Mass., and has offices in Westboro, Mass., Trumbull, Conn., Phoenix, Ariz., Boulder, Colo., Schaumburg, Ill., Toronto, and partners in the United States, Canada, Italy and Spain.

CONTACT: Mara Gordon

Bellcore Media Relations

908-699-2241

[e-mail]

or

Ken Branson

Bellcore Media Relations

201-829-2165

[e-mail]

or

Ted Swoyer

Peritus Software Services, Inc.

Director of Marketing

508-670-0800