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June 09, 2003

LINK SELECTS LEVEL FOUR TO SUPPORT ATOMS EMV MIGRATION PLAN

Providing development, testing and EMV migration tools to LINK's outsourcing division

London, 9 June 2003 - Level Four Software, a leading provider of ATM test and development software today announced that LINK Interchange Network Ltd has licensed several components from its ATM Channel Development suite to support its ATM and card outsourcing division, ATMOS. ATMOS is using Level Four products to provide technical development support, end-to-end testing capabilities and to assist in the preparation of ATMs under ATMOS management for migration to the new EMV standard.

ATMOS is the UK's leading provider of outsourced ATM acquiring and card issuing services for independent ATM deployers and financial institutions, including companies such as Britannia Building Society, Bradford & Bingley, Moneybox Corporation and Travelex. Every ATM managed by ATMOS is connected to the LINK network, the world's busiest ATM network with 43,000 ATMs connected and the most popular cash withdrawal channel in the UK.

ATMOS is using Level Four's ATM Developer product for development support including the design and configuration of new content, graphics and screens on the ATM. In parallel, it is using ATM Simulator to automate testing. ATM Simulator connects as a virtual ATM to the existing Base24 host system and tests the operations of any ATM in exactly the same way as a real ATM.

This is particularly significant for ATMOS, which manages machines from a number of vendors (eg NCR, Triton and Tidel). The volume of testing required to implement or upgrade new services can be very intensive across multiple vendors, proving to be both costly and time consuming. ATM Simulator allows ATMOS to fully automate the testing process so that staff no longer have to manually test transactions on real ATMs.

ATMOS is also using EMV FastTrack to migrate ATMs under its management to the new EMV standard. EMV FastTrack enables ATMOS to shorten the time it takes to deploy new EMV compliance into ATMs by simplifying development and automating the testing process. Assisting ATMOS with its EMV migration plan was a key selection criterion for Nigel Wright, Operations and Development Director, LINK when choosing an appropriate vendor.

"ATMOS went through a stringent evaluation of potential suppliers who could support our migration plan and found Level Four's products to be ideally suited to our needs. EMV migration was a critical part of our evaluation because of the impending compliance deadline. Level Four not only has the right products, but also has a wealth of experience in this area because of the similar programmes it has implemented for some of the UK's leading banks," comments Wright.

Martin Macmillan, CEO, Level Four comments, "The flexibility of our product suite means we can cater for any type of ATM device, from traditional ATM machines found at banks and building societies through to lower-cost alternatives found in convenient locations, such as bars, stores and petrol stations. This is crucial for any financial institution hosting a multi-vendor ATM estate, because it takes away the need for any duplicate programming or testing which inevitably increases costs. We are delighted to be supporting the LINK network."

Level Four's primary software technology is the ATM Channel Development Suite - a comprehensive toolkit that allows financial institutions to develop, test and rapidly deploy new content and applications within their ATM delivery channels. It includes ATM Simulator, ATM Developer and EMV FastTrack plug-ins, allowing the rapid introduction of EMV compliance. The ATM Channel Development Suite also enables financial institutions to offer relevant, personalised and interactive functionality to customers through their existing ATM estates.

About LINK
LINK Interchange Network Ltd specialises in electronic transaction management services on behalf of the UK's largest financial institutions and other commercial organisations. LINK manages the LINK network, the world's busiest shared ATM network with over 43,000 cash machines deployed and over 92 million LINK-enabled cards in issue in the UK. In addition to providing ATM transaction switching and settlement to its network Members, LINK operates ATMOS, the UK's leading provider of outsourced ATM management and card services. LINK also manages transactions for the basic bank accounts that form part of the Post Office's universal banking services programme and has developed a building society branch sharing service on behalf of MutualPlus Ltd. LINK is pursuing opportunities to use its proven, secure and reliable network infrastructure to support a new generation of transaction services, including overseas developments. Contact: George Donovan, LINK, 01423 356284. Visit LINK on the Web at www.link.co.uk Email : gdonovan@link.co.uk.

About ATMOS
ATMOS, a division of LINK Interchange Network Ltd, is the UK leader in outsourced ATM acquiring and card issuing services. ATMOS manages 25% of all ATMs connected to the UK ATM network. Most independent ATM deployers in the UK rely on ATMOS to drive their ATMs, process and settle millions of transactions every month. Visit ATMOS on the Web at www.atmos.co.uk.

About Level Four

Level Four’s integrated BRIDGE suite of open ATM software products have been developed to address the needs of ATM deployers seeking to maximise their investment in the ATM channel. BRIDGE is targeted at banks and ATM deployers who are running, or seeking to run, a modern ATM network based on the industry-wide CEN/XFS open standard. As a true holistic offering, BRIDGE recognises the needs of ATM deployers in the areas of installation, testing and monitoring as well as run-time ATM software.

Since 1995, Level Four has built an impressive global customer base of banks and payments processors including, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB, National Bank of Dubai, Rabobank, LINK and Standard Bank of South Africa. Headquartered in Dunfermline, Scotland, Level Four also has offices in Dubai and Charlotte NC.


For further information contact:

Martin Macmillan
Level Four Software Ltd
Tel: +44 (0) 1383 720 118

E-mail: martin@levelfour.com

Hotwire PR
Nicola Truman / Alexia Ward
+44 (0) 20 7608 2500
E-mail: levelfour@hotwirepr.com