SOFTBANK Services Group, formerly UCA&L, to open 600-seat Las Vegas Call Center for software and hardware sales and support

Business Wire, August 6, 1996

BUFFALO, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 1996--SOFTBANK Services Group (formerly known as UCA&L), the computer industry's leading provider of outsourced sales and support services, today announced that it has begun construction of a 600 seat call center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The new facility, which will be located at the Hughes Airport Center near the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, will service U.S. clients and complement the company's existing U.S.-based call centers in Buffalo, NY and Monterey, CA.

"The construction of our third U.S. call center is designed to meet the steady increase in demand for outsourced sales and support services among our clients," noted Tom Soltes, Vice President, Call Center Management. "Las Vegas is the city of choice for us because it is a truly central region from which to service our clients and, as one of the fastest growing areas of the country, offers an extensive and educated labor force."

Soltes added that Las Vegas' favorable business climate has fostered a strong industrial base, and with it the solid communications infrastructure that is central to SOFTBANK Services Group's operations. Nevada's telecommunications infrastructure is one of the most sophisticated in North America, serving existing back office businesses that depend on fast, reliable telecommunications networks for customer services, information sharing and financial transactions.

"The combination of our available labor force and communications infrastructure made Southern Nevada an appealing location for SOFTBANK Services Group's expanded operations," noted Terry Wright, Chairman of the Nevada Development Authority. "In return, a company of SOFTBANK Services Group's stature brings high quality employment and growth to our community."

The new 50,000 square foot facility will begin operations in late October. Designed to handle over 11 million calls per year, the center will house state-of-the-art-call center technology including automated call distribution, manpower forecasting, and computer telephone integration. The center will open with 200 trained associates, and is expected to employ more than 600 by year's end. The facility continues SOFTBANK Services Group's commitment to distinctive, associate-friendly work environments. The call center area is on one floor, and features clusters, rather than rows, of workstations -- a configuration designed to help groups of associates function as teams. The interior space has a raised section to facilitate management functions, and the design is open and airy to promote comfortable temperatures and low noise levels.

SOFTBANK Services Group is headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., with additional call centers in Monterey, C.A., Dublin, Ireland and London, England, and sales and distribution facilities in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland. SOFTBANK Services Group has become the leading provider of agent-based and electronic/online outsourcing services to the North American and international high-technology industry. SOFTBANK Services Group's pre-sales, sales, and support service set includes inbound and outbound telemarketing, lead management, technical support, end-user registration, CD-ROM unlocking, interactive voice response (IVR), online and Internet-based services, fulfillment, and end-user database administration.

CONTACT: Joanne Biltekoff

Tel: (716) 871-7631, email: joanneb@sbservices.com

or

Joy Testa

Tel: (716) 871-7542, email: joytes@sbservices.com