Computers furnish the foundation for Mother's Day festivities; Amdahl computer systems will help mail greetings, connect phone calls, print cards, and make dinner reservations throughout North America.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 1996--If there is one day of the year that your call HAS to go through or your card MUST be delivered, it's Mother's Day.

With the quiet strength of Amdahl enterprise computing systems behind them, phone companies, greeting-card manufacturers, florists, and restaurant chains will make May 12, 1996, a success.

Mother's Day is the third largest card-sending occasion in the United States -- after Christmas and Valentine's Day -- with more than 150 million(1) greeting cards expected to be purchased this year. Mother's Day ranks second in the list of holidays for which fresh flowers and plants will be purchased. In 1995 the holiday accounted for 23 percent(2) of all fresh flowers and plants bought in the year. This year celebrating May 12 will also mean that sons and daughters will make more than 125 million(3) calls to their mothers.

"Hallmark Cards uses large-scale S/390 computers because they are reliable -- which lets us focus our attention on making and distributing cards for Mother's Day and all of the other memorable occasions in life," said Andy Clippard, Director of Information Services - Product and Marketing. "Inventory is one critical factor we track. From careful evaluation of point-of-sale data, we can predict the type and quantity of cards that will sell in a particular region, which means a better selection for our customers."

Powerful Amdahl System/390 compatible computers, many installed in Fortune 500 corporations, governments and private companies, support activities associated with the celebration of Mother's Day. The restaurant industry, for example, benefits from Amdahl large systems when more than 39 percent(4) of Americans take their mothers out for a special meal on Mother's Day -- the second most popular occasion for restaurant family dining. Sophisticated order control and stock checking systems, running on today's computers, check last year's most popular menu items at each restaurant in a chain and send the appropriate goods to each outlet. The same systems even take into account regional variations and predicted weather conditions to ensure that wastage is kept to minimum and that Mom gets what she wants.

"Amdahl systems are at the heart of many companies in the Mother's Day industry," commented William Flanagan, Vice President and General Manager of Compatible Systems for Amdahl Corporation. "Across America mothers will get a card, candy, flowers, or a call that was helped on its way by our computers."

Anna M. Jarvis was the force behind the establishment of Mother's Day. On the second anniversary of her mother's death (the second Sunday of May 1908)(5), Jarvis announced to her friends that she wanted to establish a day to honor mothers. The holiday officially started in 1914.

Amdahl has been designing and manufacturing leading-edge, large-scale computer systems since 1970. This year marks the twenty-sixth anniversary of the company's founding.

Amdahl (AMEX: AMH) is a worldwide supplier of large-scale System/390 compatible processors, UNIX systems software and servers, data storage subsystems, data communications products, applications development software, and a variety of educational and consulting services. Amdahl products are sold in more than 30 countries for use across all types of computing environments. -0- Amdahl is a registered trademark of Amdahl Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Notes (1) Hallmark Cards, Inc. (2) American Floral Endowment Consumer Tracking Study (3) AT&T Public Relations, Network Services Division (4) National Restaurant Association (5) Hallmark Cards, Inc.

CONTACT: Amdahl Corporation

Ali Jenab, 408/746-7111

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Lakeview Associates

Stephanie V. D'Alleva, 203/739-5598

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