Börsenschluß in New York.
Thursday January 13, 4:20 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
LHS Group and Alcatel Sign Memorandum to Pursue Wireless
and Wireline Market in China
LHS and Alcatel Deepen Existing Partnership Agreement
ATLANTA/FRANKFURT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 13, 2000-- LHS Group Inc. (NASDAQ: LHSG - news; Neuer Markt: LHI) and its global
partner Alcatel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue wireless and wireline opportunities in mainland China. The Memorandum is
in addition to the existing global partnership agreement between LHS and Alcatel. LHS and Alcatel will assemble a joint dedicated team to address
billing and customer care opportunities in China. The team will be based in Shanghai and integrated into Alcatel's subsidiary there. This is the first time
LHS has entered into an agreement with an existing global partner to create a joint dedicated team to pursue a specific market.
``This preferred alliance for China builds on our existing and fruitful partnership with LHS,'' stated Jean-Pierre Gaillat, vice president heading the OSS
Revenue Assurance Business Unit at Alcatel. ``The numerous synergies between our two companies will give us a head start in the opening Chinese
market for Customer Care and Billing for fixed and mobile operators. The joint dedicated team underscores the excellent cooperative working
relationship we have with LHS, and we will continue to explore other ways to extend our partnership.''
``We are very pleased to deepen our existing partnership with Alcatel, and to have the opportunity to pursue the Chinese market with a joint
dedicated team,'' commented Per Axelsson, senior vice president, Global Partner Sales, LHS. ``The mainland China market has tremendous growth
potential for our billing and customer care system (BSCS), but given the complexity of this market LHS could not address it without a strong player
like Alcatel who already has a strong presence in China and several joint ventures with Chinese companies. Our partnership with Alcatel is one of the
most productive we have, and we are confident that this move will further increase the output from this partnership.''
About LHS
LHS Group is a leading global provider of operating support system software and services to the communications industry. LHS products range from
pre- and post paid billing and customer care to enhanced services and acquisition software. They are installed at more than 300 customer sites
worldwide. LHS has 18 global and regional partners (system integrators, international operators and equipment manufacturers) representing one of
the largest implementation and support networks in the global customer care and billing market. In addition to its Atlanta headquarters, LHS has
major offices in Frankfurt, Germany; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Boston, USA; and Zurich, Switzerland. LHS is listed with
NASDAQ (LHSG) and on the Frankfurt Neuer Markt Exchange (LHI). For more information, visit LHS' web site at www.lhsgroup.com.
About Alcatel
Alcatel is a global company, headquartered in Paris, France, that builds next generation networks, delivering integrated end-to-end voice and data
communications solutions to established and new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers worldwide. With 120,000 employees and sales of
EURO 21.3 billion ($25.0 billion), Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. Its global solutions range from networking for full service network
operators, and high speed internet and optics for voice, data and multimedia communications to systems and products for enterprises and consumers.
The world leader in cables, Alcatel also provides a wide range of telecom components, as well as turnkey energy systems. For more information, visit
Alcatel's web site at www.alcatel.com.
Statements made in this press release, other than those concerning historical information, such as statements concerning future market opportunities in
China, should be considered forward-looking and subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to
the `safe-harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are made based on management's current expectations or
beliefs as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to management. For a detailed discussion of cautionary statements and
factors that could cause actual results to differ from the Company's forward-looking statements, please refer to the Company's filings with the
Securities Exchange Commission, especially in the ``Factors Affecting Future Performance'' included in the management's Discussion and Analysis
section of the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998 and in subsequent filings filed with the Securities Exchange
Commission.
