CONTACT INFORMATION



Jeff Bender; CEO
jbender@harriscomputer.com

Dennis Asbury; VP of Sales & Marketing
dasbury@harriscomputer.com

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, May 3, 2005 - Putting its mandate of matching the right solution with each customer into practice, Harris Computer Systems (“Harris”) – a leading provider of Customer Information Systems (CIS), billing, financial management solutions for municipal utilities and local governments – announces that it has entered an agreement with the City of Norfolk, VA.
As part of this agreement, Harris will implement its NorthStar solution (version 6.0) and transition the city from their existing system. The key factors in reaching contractual terms were Harris' vast expertise in with water utilities and the company’s responsiveness to Norfolk’s technological and financial needs. Harris' implementation methodology also played a key factor in the City's decision.

"During the selection process, we went to a regional Harris user group, and reputation of the company with its current users was so good it was overwhelming," said Nikki Riddick, Customer Service Manager. "NorthStar's technology, functionality, and ease of use convinced us that not only would our staff benefit from the system but our customers too. Furthermore, their experience working with organizations similar to ours and generally how our staff interacted with theirs drove home the point that this is a good fit."

“Working with the people at Norfolk has been very rewarding, because they have an excitement about NorthStar that is both infectious and tangible,” said Dennis Asbury, Harris' Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "Norfolk signing on assures us that we are doing the right thing for our customers: designing the right solutions for their needs and budgets."

NorthStar v6.0 is the next generation of the Harris' mid-market CIS offering, incorporating a streamlined, intuitive user interface, an n-tier architecture, and multi-platform support. NorthStar v6.0 inherits the enterprise class infrastructure of a Java 2 Enterprise Edition application, providing scalability and reliability for mid-sized utilities. With this technology, customers choose the operating system and database technology that fits with their budget, strategic IT vision, and internal skill sets.

NorthStar provides core billing, revenue tracking, and unparalleled rate flexibility for a mid market solution. Combined with enhanced customer management features - call and complaint tracking, automatic service order generation, and credit control - NorthStar provides tremendous value to fiscally responsible local governments.

To learn more about the benefits NorthStar v6.0 visit www.harriscomputer.com.

About Norfolk
The City of Norfolk's Department of Utilities provides water, waste water, storm water, and refuse service to the residents of Norfolk, Virginia with working affiliations with surrounding townships – Chesapeake and Virginia Beach – as well as the local naval bases. In FORBES' May 23rd Issue which explored the “10 metro areas that stand out when it comes to keeping costs down and attracting smart people,” Norfolk had the distinction of being ranked eighth in the country. For more information on the City of Norfolk's Department of Utilities, visit www.norfolk.gov/Utilities.

About Harris
Harris is a leading provider of and utility Customer Information Systems (CIS), billing, and financial management software solutions. Since 1976, Harris has focused on providing feature-rich and robust turnkey solutions to public power and water markets as well as all levels of local government throughout North America. Harris' focus is on creating long-term relationships with our customers and ensuring that we meet the changing needs of our customers over time. For further information on Harris Computer Systems, visit our website at www.harriscomputer.com.

# # #