Mercantile Bankshares Chooses SunGard Wealth Management Services.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 2004

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SunGard Wealth Management Services, an operating group of SunGard (NYSE: SDS), today announced that Baltimore-based Mercantile Bankshares Corporation (NASDAQ: MRBK) will implement SunGard Wealth Management Services' comprehensive solution for wealth management technology and back-office support. The solution includes SunGard's AddVantage for real-time, fully Internet-enabled asset management, and SunGard Advisor Technologies to research, build, manage and administer separately managed accounts.

SunGard Wealth Management Services' integrated offering helps financial services institutions provide their clients with highly individualized wealth management technology and back-office services in a scalable and cost-effective manner. After its present provider announced last year that it was exiting the trust accounting technology business, Mercantile explored options for a new core accounting system. After extensive due diligence, it selected SunGard Wealth Management Services to support its $46 billion in wealth management assets.

SunGard's open architecture wealth management solution is comprehensive in scope, covering the front-, middle-, and back-office.

For the front-office, SunGard's AddVantage QuikFlow streamlines workflow processes by combining forms design with workflow process management and integrates these capabilities as a component of the accounting system. It offers greater control over daily workflow, improved productivity, less dependency on paper, and fewer data input errors.

For the middle-office, an automated asset management system helps financial services institutions to manage individual accounts in a low-cost, personalized, and tax sensitive manner by automating the task of individualizing portfolio management. Web-based asset consulting services include asset acquisition tools and a rigorous due diligence review process for mutual funds and separate account managers.

For the back-office, SunGard's AddVantage asset management and accounting system allows for consolidated accounting and reporting for all of a client's financial and non-financial assets on a real-time basis. Integration of these systems is essential to give advisors the time needed to focus on their clients.

John J. Pileggi, chief executive officer, investment and wealth management at Mercantile, said, "SunGard Wealth Management Services allows us to employ new technology to enhance overall service capabilities. Specifically, for us the benefits of AddVantage include 24/7 access to information for our staff and our clients, an automated workflow that creates efficiencies, straight-through processing capabilities, and the technological resilience demanded by today's industry."

Deborah A. Kakaris, executive vice president, Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust, added, "When evaluating systems, back-office operations, and the needs of our investment and wealth management business, SunGard offered us not only the flexibility and stability of a large integrated technology company, but also the ability to efficiently and agilely support our growing business needs."

Phil Owings, president, SunGard Wealth Management Services, said, "One of the current movements in the financial services industry and a primary growth area for Mercantile is greater personalization and tax-sensitivity for the mass affluent. Mercantile Bankshares was looking for an integrated solution that would allow it to sell premium services to the emerging affluent without increasing costs. This is a perfect example of how SunGard's strategy to integrate best-of-breed products and provide a total solution for our customers works in today's competitive industry."

About Mercantile Bankshares

Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, with nearly $14 billion in assets, is a regional multibank holding company with headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. It is comprised of 20 community banks. Sixteen banks are located in Maryland, three are in Virginia and one is in southern Delaware. The largest bank, Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Company, represents about one-third of total assets and has 24 offices in Maryland, one in Washington, D.C., and one full commercial branch in Pennsylvania. Investment & Wealth Management Division provides investment and wealth management services to clients throughout the Bankshares network. At December 31, 2003, MSD&T and its subsidiaries had $46 billion in assets under administration, of which $22 billion were discretionary assets under management.

About SunGard Wealth Management Services

SunGard Wealth Management Services provides comprehensive technology and wealth management processing services to banks, registered investment advisors and other financial services organizations. SunGard delivers a single, integrated solution for processing securities operations, investment accounting, trust operations, employee benefit recordkeeping, investment programs and financial planning, as well as training programs. The SunGard solution enables financial services organizations to focus on building trusted relationships with their customers.

About SunGard

SunGard is a global leader in integrated software and processing solutions, primarily for financial services. SunGard also helps information-dependent enterprises of all types to ensure the continuity of their business. SunGard serves more than 20,000 customers in more than 50 countries, including the world's 50 largest financial services companies. SunGard (NYSE:SDS) is a member of the S&P 500 and has annual revenue of $3 billion. Visit SunGard at www.sungard.com.

Trademark Information: SunGard, the SunGard logo and AddVantage are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.