First American Bank Installs PCI/Links.

ELK GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 1997--

PCI/Links Gives Bankers Access to all Data

First American Bank announced that Bell & Howell Protocorp International's PCI/Links(TM) installation was a complete success.

The new PCI/Links product builds on the premise that all the data required to service a customer can be assembled at one time on a single screen while the customer is on the telephone and without the bank enduring long and costly systems integration projects to accomplish this feat. Protocorp is a division of Bell & Howell Company (NYSE:BHW).

First American Bank, headquartered in Cook County, with 19 branches and more than $1 billion in assets, focuses on providing the most accurate, timely and best service to the consumer. Kim Kohon, Vice President of Operations said, "PCI/Links gives us a real competitive edge over other financial institutions. We are able to provide answers to virtually any question a customer might have in seconds. This system enables us to link applications (cold/check images) to each other. Document images and signature cards are viewed by pointing and clicking a mouse from a Windows 95(TM) or NT workstation. The product is very intuitive and knows the various access paths Customer Support Representatives need to follow to complete various tasks. It saves the CSR time in locating information and rekeying data between different systems. They never have to leave their desk. They can even fax everything to the customer on demand."

Ken Long, President of Protocorp said, "PCI/Links is the system I've wanted to build for the banking industry for over twenty years but the technology has only recently become available that makes it possible. PCI/Links enables bankers to search and display information from any system on their network regardless of whether it is on the checking imaging, core processing, optical storage or any other system without significant programming effort, and best of all, the end user can build their own unique links in a few minutes. Each individual's utilization of PCI/Links will be unique to their particular desktop setup. This information can also come from any vendors application, mainframe or client server, local or remote. PCI/Links positions Protocorp as much more than another COLD or document imaging vendor. This product enables Protocorp's clients to bring the necessary information for handling an inquiry to one screen while the customer is on the phone."

At First American Bank, as with many other financial institutions, the call center is one of the main focal areas. The call center functions as the central location where the bank's customers can telephone a bank representative regarding any information or questions about their accounts. Kohon said, "Our goal in the call center is to resolve as many calls as we can the first time and as quickly as possible. PCI/Links will not only reduce our talk, wait and call back time but will also increase the quality of service we can provide to our customers."

She continued, "Protocorp's strategic approach to overall data access by point and click will allow us to train new employees much more easily and with less confusion as well as enable them to be more efficient since they will only need to learn one user interface. Today, CSR's are expected to use at least four or five different vendors' software applications to do their job and that is very confusing. Training in this environment is a nightmare. PCI/Links gives all the applications a common look and feel; it eliminates the confusion about all the different systems layers, security issues, learning new upgrades from multiple vendors, etc. CSR's do not realize they are working with many different software products and re-keying data between systems is virtually eliminated.

"All banks operate differently but there are procedures common to all of us, reconciliations, customer inquiries, research large dollar items, forgeries, subpoenas etc. PCI/Links really has the most widespread potential of any product I have ever seen in banking. It has very powerful but simple connectivity capabilities. All individuals within any department in the bank can receive equal benefit from PCI/Links. The product has no foreseeable limits. I can see it running on every desktop in the bank. It's the only system we've ever installed that everyone who sees it wants it," said Kohon.

Protocorp is a leader in integrated second generation, high capacity, document imaging, data archival and access solutions. The company specializes in data archival, document imaging and signature card/ID verification technology, providing complete hardware, software and systems support. PCI/Links is a client server-based system integrating Document Imaging and Data Archival to other databases such as Check Imaging and mainframe products. Founded in 1991 by Kenneth W. Long, Protocorp serves institutions of all sizes across the United States. Protocorp also offers PCI/File Folder(TM), an integrated text and document imaging system and PCI/Reports Archival(TM) (COLD).

Bell & Howell Company, headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, is a leading worldwide provider of solutions for information access and dissemination. Revenues in 1995 totaled $820 million. Additional information about Bell & Howell is available on the Internet at: http://www.bellhowell.com .

For more information on PCI/Links or other Protocorp products, contact Steve Fortson, at 800-849-8581 or 704-289-5979 (fax number is 704-289-5040), or write Protocorp, 2661 West Roosevelt Boulevard, Monroe, NC 28110. Please visit their web site at http://www.protocorp.com . -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: PCI/Links, PCI/Reports Archival,and PCI/File Folder are all trademarks of Bell & Howell Protocorp International. All rights and privileges are reserved for Bell & Howell Protocorp International.

Windows 95 and NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

CONTACT: Protocorp

Ken Long, 800/849-8581

[e-mail]

or

For Protocorp

Catherine Laws, 404/264-7206

[e-mail]

or

Bill Mills III, 404/264-7200

[e-mail]