First Union Selects USI as Sole Strategic Real Estate Alliance Partner.

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 30, 1999--

First Union National Bank (NYSE: FTU), a leading provider of financial services, has recently selected United Systems Integrators Corporation (USI) as its sole strategic alliance partner for real estate services. USI will place a team of employees on-site in First Union's Charlotte, NC headquarters and Philadelphia, PA office to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the real estate occupied by First Union branches, offices and customer service centers. First Union National Bank utilizes a portfolio of more than 40 million square feet in 3,300 sites.

"The First Union/USI alliance will provide our division with the opportunity to focus more energy and resources on providing strategic assistance to our internal and external customers, while USI manages the portfolio and transactional processes. With the substantial growth First Union has achieved, our efforts had to shift to greater focus on strategic initiatives, and this alliance with USI allows us to achieve that objective," said Bill Transou, First Union Vice President.

"The objective of our strategic real estate alliance partnership with First Union is to contain, control and reduce costs while maintaining flexibility in the real estate component of their business," stated Rick Bertasi, USI Senior Vice President and National Managing Director.

USI will provide infrastructure management services for First Union including portfolio and asset strategy, acquisition and disposition, and lease and tenant data management. In addition, USI will select and manage the providers of tactical execution services on behalf of the First Union portfolio. "The opportunity to work with the First Union portfolio to create a best-of-class corporate real estate service delivery model is unique, and we are looking forward to this opportunity," said Andy Goldstrom, USI's Senior Director for the Southeast Region.

USI is a leading corporate real estate alliance services firm. Its exclusive alliances include Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevators, Centex Corporation, Pratt & Whitney, Delta Air Lines, Hamilton Standard, Sikorsky Aircraft and Olsten Corporation. Its real estate alliances represent a combined portfolio of more than 12,000 properties occupying more than 250 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space. USI is headquartered in Stamford, CT, and is supported by 14 regional offices. For more information about USI, visit the web site at www.usirealestate.com.

Charlotte-based First Union National Bank is a leading provider of financial services to more than 16 million retail and corporate customers throughout the East Coast and the nation. It is the nation's sixth largest bank and ninth largest brokerage affiliation, with assets totaling $223 billion as of March 31, 1999. The company operates full-service banking offices in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington D.C. For more information about First Union National Bank, visit the web site at www.firstunion.com.