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CONTACT INFORMATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cass Information Systems to Acquire
Web-Enabled Utility Payment Division from InSITE Services, Inc.
ST. LOUIS, January 18, 2001- BUSINESS WIRE - Cass Information
Systems (Nasdaq:CASS) announces that it has entered into a letter
of agreement to Acquire business and substantially all assets of
"The Utility Navigator®," a division of privately held
InSITE Services, Inc., White Plains, N.Y.
The acquisition reaffirms the goal of Cass Information Systems
to remain the premier provider of back office utility information
in North America. As part of the agreement, Cass will assume bill
payment services and web hosting for nearly 10,000 locations currently
being served by InSITE. In addition, Cass will purchase InSITE's
payment and web presentation tool - The Utility Navigator® - which
provides energy information to both utility companies and end users.
The move solidifies the market leadership of Cass in the fast growing
utility information services market. Including the new customers
gained from InSITE, Cass will be performing payment and extended
data capture services on 2.4 million gas, electric, water, sewer
and phone invoices yearly, nearly double the volume of its nearest
competitor. Cass Information Systems serves the growing Energy Service
Providers (ESP) market by providing data and reporting tools to
help them identify facility-related savings opportunities.
"We think the demand for detailed energy information is becoming
increasingly important in an era of rising costs and deregulation.
The acquisition fits perfectly into our strategy of being the premiere
"back office" provider of that information to Leading
energy service providers throughout North America," said Lawrence
A. Collett, Cass chief executive officer. "We know InSITE and
their systems well, and are pleased to be able to incorporate their
technology into our product."
InSITE is a pioneering application service provider fostering next-generation
utilities through strategic, customer-focused and web-enabled billing
solutions. Founded in 1995 to provide billing and energy services
to the energy industry, InSITE's sole focus is on energy
billing application services. The sale will allow InSITE to Continue
the aggressive expansion of its fast-growing billing services product
line. The company currently provides billing services to some of
the nation's largest utilities.
"This move makes sense for both companies, and more importantly,
for our respective customers," said Jonathan Shaevitz, president
of InSITE. "Our customers get a seamless transfer of their
utility bill payment processing while continuing to enjoy our acclaimed
website. InSITE divests itself of a product line that was successful
in the marketplace, but took us away from our core competency -
leading edge technology development for the utility industry."
About Cass Information Systems
Cass Information Systems has been a leading provider of payables
services and information support systems to companies throughout
North America since 1956. The company pays approximately $8.5 billion
worth of freight and utility liabilities on behalf of customers
from processing centers in St. Louis, Columbus, Ohio and Boston,
Mass. The support of its bank subsidiary, Cass Commercial Bank,
founded in 1906, makes Cass Information Systems unique in the industry.
Certain matters set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking
statements that are provided to assist in the understanding of anticipated
future financial performance. However, such performance involves
risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ
materially from those in such statements. For a discussion of certain
factors that may cause such forward-looking statements to differ
materially from the company's actual results, see the company's
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999.
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