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July 1, 2003

VISTA Awards Massachusetts Relay Support Contract to Sprint

From: FinanzNachrichten.de, Germany  - Jul 1, 2003

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Vista Information Technologies of Herndon, Va., the contracted provider for Telecommunications Relay Services for the deaf within the state of Massachusetts, has announced it has selected Sprint to provide the relay software platform as well as extensive data and voice services for VISTA''s relay efforts in the state. TRS provides the deaf and hard of hearing with multiple options to communicate with the hearing through the use of skilled relay operators.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001013/SPRINTLOGO )

"We''re pleased to provide relay services to the citizens of Massachusetts," said Tom O''Neill, vice president for VISTA. "And we''re excited about the opportunity to include Sprint in our efforts. Twenty-nine other states, the Federal Government and Puerto Rico use Sprint for their relay services, and we''re confident our new agreement with Sprint will allow VISTA to provide an even greater level of excellent service to the deaf and hard of hearing within the state."

The new contract, effective today, enables Sprint to provide service to VISTA through July 2005, with two one-year renewal options.

VISTA has been the TRS provider of Massachusetts since 1999, and provides service from Holyoke, Mass., where it employs nearly 130 relay operators. Information on the Massachusetts Relay services can be found at http://www.massrelay.org/ .

"Sprint looks forward to working with VISTA to deliver quality relay services to Massachusetts through the Sprint relay platform," said Mike Ligas, region vice president, Sprint Relay. "With over a dozen years of experience in providing these types of lifeline services to citizens, we''re truly committed to bringing innovative communications technologies and services to the deaf and hard of hearing."

Traditional relay services involve a relay operator serving as an intermediary for phone calls between a deaf user and a hearing party. The TRS operator reads aloud words typed by a deaf user on a text telephone (TTY) or via the Internet, and relays the hearing person''s spoken response by typing back to the deaf user.

About Vista Information Technologies, Inc.

Vista Information Technologies, Inc. is a leader in the emerging field of Customer Interaction Solutions, and an expert in converged communication services that unify and build customer relationships across multiple communications channels -- voice, voice over IP, interactive voice recognition, email, Web, fax, speech recognition, wireless, imaging and e- commerce systems -- while reducing costs and increasing revenues. VISTA is headquartered in Herndon, VA, and can be found on the Web at http://www.vistait.com/ .

About Sprint

Sprint is a global communications company serving more than 26 million business and residential customers in over 70 countries. With approximately 72,000 employees worldwide and nearly $27 billion in annual revenues, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the- art network technologies, including the United States'' first nationwide all- digital, fiber-optic network and an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint provides local voice and data services in 18 states and operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States.

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