CONTACT INFORMATION



Bryce Cooper
613 226-5511 x2132
bcooper@harriscomputer.com

OTTAWA, ONTARIO; February 27, 2004 - The City of Scottsdale, Arizona ("Scottsdale") awarded Harris Computer Systems ("Harris") a contract to provide a software solution to replace Scottsdale's legacy utility billing system on February 17, 2004. Harris' NorthStar Customer Information System will become the primary system for managing customer service and billing for Scottsdale's 85,000 water, sewer, and refuse customers. The new system is scheduled to be put in production on January 1, 2005.

Scottsdale has purchased NorthStar CIS and the eCARE web portal extension. eCARE provides an out-of-the-box customer self-service web portal, allowing utility customers to continue to access their account information, initiate service requests, and pay bills via the internet.

Advancements in technology combined with the need to replace the outdated operating system hardware initiated the replacement project at Scottsdale. The challenge was to find a system that was robust enough to match the customization of an in-house supported system, yet flexible enough to meet the current and growing requirements of the City. After a rigorous selection process, Scottsdale selected Harris.

"A strong commitment and partnership for a successful implementation project between Harris and the City of Scottsdale began developing during our contract negotiations which were completed within two weeks. Scottsdale is looking forward to utilizing this newer and more efficient technology to better serve our customers," said Lynda Koemp, Utility Billing Manager.

The implementation project will span the next nine months. Harris will provide professional services including data conversion, installation, configuration, train the trainer, project management and implementation support. Scottsdale will have an internal project team that will provide system support, business process support, and project management.

"Harris needs to utilize the momentum created by the Scottsdale selection team," said Jeff Bender, President of Harris. "Implementations are never easy but our experience and unique Pathfinder implementation process combined with Scottsdale's desire to change, reduce the barriers. The selection process has allowed us to build a foundation for a strong partnership through communication and understanding. A partnership built on these principals is critical for successful software implementations."

About Scottsdale
The City of Scottsdale, Arizona, has long been described as "The West's Most Western Town." With a population of 2184,000, Scottsdale has grown rapidly over the last 30 years to become a sophisticated and cultured city, ranking as one of the top tourist destinations in America. Scottsdale is responsible for delivering and billing the following services:

• Water services, including charges for illegal water jumper;
• Sewer services, including reclaimed water, as well as:
• Garbage services, residential, commercial, recycling and roll off.

On average, 4,300 bills are processed daily along with standard and ad-hoc reports. Revenue collected by Utility Billing can be over $10 million per month with present customer base. More information on Scottsdale is available at the city's web site at www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov.

About Harris
Harris is a leading provider of utility Customer Information Systems (CIS), billing and financial management software. Since 1976, Harris has focused on providing feature-rich and robust turnkey solutions to public power and water markets throughout North America. Harris has right-sized solutions from 500 to 500,000 meter connections for single- or multi-service utilities operating in regulated or deregulated markets. For further information on Harris Computer Systems, please visit our web site at www.harriscomputer.com.

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