CBIS acquires X International companies in strategic expansion -- CBIS to provide new generation of billing and customer care products for international mobile communications.

CINCINNATI, Ohio and LONDON, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 1995--Cincinnati Bell Information Systems (CBIS(R)) announced today it has taken an important step forward in the international communications marketplace by adding GSM product capabilities through the acquisition of the X International group of companies of Bristol, England.

Under terms of an agreement signed today in London, XI Services, Ltd., and XI Systems, Ltd., will become part of CBIS and CBIS Ltd., its subsidiary headquartered near London.

X International is an established information technology company that provides software and services for a wide range of telecommunications companies. It supplies state-of-the-art business solutions to support Mobile Service Providers and GSM Operators, and also markets products supporting paging, wireline, cable, cellular resellers, and intelligent networks. X International's employees will become employees of CBIS Ltd.

``Through this strategic acquisition, CBIS's capabilities will be enhanced with the GSM technology and experience necessary to increase our international presence and complement our billing solutions leadership in North America,'' said James F. Orr, president and CEO of CBIS. ``The strength of our telecommunications industry experience, our size, and global coverage will provide clients with the further international commitment and resources necessary to ensure essential, long-term support.''

``In addition,'' Orr said, ``the enhanced expertise, resources, and solutions now available through CBIS Ltd., will fulfill the international client's billing and customer support needs for multiple, advanced technologies in a fully-integrated and seamless manner. When combined with the feature-set offered by Precedent 2000(SM), our third-generation billing solution for the non-GSM market, these new CBIS capabilities will meet the widest range of billing requirements.''

CBIS Ltd., will immediately begin the international marketing of this newly-acquired line of turn-key billing solutions and services under the name CBIS Advantage(TM). CBIS Ltd. is committed to supporting and serving XI's existing clients with uninterrupted quality and service. These clients are expected to benefit from the increased strength of CBIS in meeting their needs.

CBIS Advantage products are state-of-the-art, third-generation billing solutions targeted primarily toward the international mobile communications (GSM) and convergence markets. (GSM -- Global System for Mobile Communications -- is the digital cellular technology which is the standard for new European digital mobile telephone services.) In addition to GSM, CBIS Advantage products also support other channels and technologies including analogue cellular, wireline, paging, value-added services, cable telephony, cable TV, video-on-demand, and interactive cable services.

``This acquisition provides a new synergy -- a rounding-out of CBIS's offerings in mobile billing systems and services -- by adding GSM skills and deliverables to CBIS's reputation for high quality, international presence, significant scale, and experience with large projects,'' said Robert Thompson, managing director of CBIS Ltd. ``The robust new solution-set represented by CBIS Advantage products will complement, and are compatible with, our advanced Precedent 2000 billing solution.''

CBIS Ltd., the UK subsidiary of CBIS, is an ISO 9001-certified supplier with ``TickIT'' accreditation.

CBIS is a subsidiary of Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE:CSN), a $1.2 billion corporation which supplies telecommunications, information management, and marketing services. Other subsidiaries include Cincinnati Bell Telephone, a major, independent telephone company, and MATRIXX Marketing, the world's largest provider of telephone marketing services.

CBIS is the global leader in the provision and management of billing solutions for the communications industry. More than 50 percent of the wireless communications bills generated in the United States are produced by CBIS software, and CBIS's advanced data centers process more than 75,000,000 wireless bills and more than 45,000,000 wireline bills each year. CBIS uses its extensive billing systems expertise and service bureau experience to create demonstrable advantages for leading companies in wireless, wireline, and emerging communications services.

-0-

CBIS is a registered U.S. service mark, Precedent 2000 is a service mark, and CBIS Advantage is a trademark of Cincinnati Bell Information Systems Inc.

CONTACT: Cincinnati Bell Information Systems, Cincinnati

John Pratt, UK +44.753.551955 or US 800-327-3900

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