Union Safe Deposit Bank Implements Technology From APPRO Systems For Consumer Loan Automation.

Business Editors

BATON ROUGE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 2003

APPRO Systems, Inc., the leading provider of automated credit risk management and financial technologies for the lending industry, announced today that Union Safe Deposit Bank (USDB), one of the oldest and largest independent community banks in California's Central Valley, has selected APPRO's LoanCenter Consumer(TM) loan automation system to process its direct loans -- including home equity and lines of credit -- for its customers. The bank has assets of more than $1 billion and serves more than 40,000 households.

USDB installed LoanCenter Consumer in February 2003. The bank based its purchase of the system on its ability to streamline the consumer lending process, allow instantaneous reporting capability, create process efficiencies and allow branches to review the current status of their loan applications in real time. USDB selected the ASP version of LoanCenter Consumer in order to reduce the expense of internally supporting the system and to ensure consistent access to the system via the Internet.

"APPRO provides us with a faster turnaround in the entire lending process, and superior tracking ability resulting in better and quicker customer service and branch support," said Ralph Sutliff, manager of the consumer loan department at USDB. "What sold us on the system was the value and quality of the overall process, screen flow, the user friendly application, reporting capability, scalability and support."

LoanCenter Consumer enables consumer lenders to improve auto-decisioning processes and increase application origination efficiency while providing connectivity to most commercial bankcard and loan servicing vendors, as well as the major document preparation vendors in the sector.

"USDB needed a solution to streamline its current lending processes while, at the same time, providing the flexibility required to deliver future enhancements," said Steve Uffman, chairman and CEO of APPRO Systems, Inc. "With LoanCenter Consumer, the bank has positioned itself to achieve this while ensuring continuity of service to its customers."

About Union Safe Deposit Bank

Union Safe Deposit Bank is one of the Central Valley's oldest and largest California independent community banks, with 19 branch locations throughout San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Our size enables us to provide the same products and services as the big banks and the personalized service provided by smaller banks. For information about USDB visit the Web site at www.unionsafe.com.

About APPRO Systems, Inc.

APPRO Systems, Inc. is the lending industry's leading provider of comprehensive, automated credit risk management and financial technologies for the Internet and traditional lending environments. APPRO supports more than 400 financial institutions, with customers of all types in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The company provides rapid implementation time and professional services for its signature product, LoanCenter(TM), a scalable software system that enables high decision quality and speed and automates the entire workflow of processing credit applications and originating loans for lenders of all sizes. The 25-year-old company is based in Baton Rouge, La. with additional offices in Dallas, Texas. For additional information about APPRO, visit the company's Web site at www.approsystems.com.