Enduring values build great Companies

Merger brings matching values, additional expertise, to GDS & Associates award winning IT consultancy

A. Shared values that set the standard for excellence in Canadian business practice.

Victoria, British Columbia - July 15, 2002: Long before they considered merging their companies, indeed, before they even knew each other, the three founding partners of GDS & Associates Systems Ltd., Willis Groshong, Jim Der and Doug Smith and the two founding partners of Success Information Systems Ltd., Hugh Trask and Dana Ferguson, shared a strong sense of values which are reflected in the way they conduct business today.

Willis, Jim and Doug formed GDS in 1984. Their vision was to integrate business and technology for powerful results, by putting people first and technology second. They used the rural Saskatchewan values of strong work ethic, trustworthiness, and dedication to getting the job done as a basis for the formation of the Company.

Meanwhile, another young man from rural Saskatchewan, Hugh Trask, was teaming up with Dana Ferguson, from tiny Flatlands New Brunswick (a misnomer if there ever was one) a hillside fishing village of only a hundred souls. They started Success Information Systems in 1994.

Remarkable people build remarkable companies

The common thread that binds the people of GDS and Success Information Systems together is a shared belief in a clear set of values. While they also share a common background of having been raised in rural Canada, combined with natural ability to understand and to develop ideas that create effective solutions for their customers, each is also an accomplished individual in his own right.

A quick snapshot of the merging partners reveals a degree in Computer Science, a B.B.A, a B.Comm, a B.Sc. (MEC. Eng.) Royal Military College Kingston who also is was a finalist candidate for the original Canadian Astronaut Program, a graduate in Academic Science Specialties and Senior Circuit hockey player who is also university trained in Fine Arts.

Add countless hours of technical training, a hundred and twenty five years of collective experience in the Information technology business and it’s little wonder they’ve achieved such a high degree of success.

Individually and as a group they agree their greatest accomplishments have been in building and operating successful, privately owned IT companies. In addition, the managing partners have surrounded themselves with experienced, capable people and have entered into strategic partnerships and alliances that enable GDS to consistently stay at the forefront of technology.

A major part of the success of GDS is attributable to the partnersEsense of loyalty and dedication to the employees of the company. They recognize the value and importance of their employees and have implemented an employee share ownership program that provides staff with the opportunity to invest in the company. Initiatives of this nature typically attract about 60% participation. GDS has achieved a participation rate in excess of 80%.

The partners realize that a strong management team is essential to the longevity of GDS and they have taken steps to create a management team that supports a growing company. Willis, Jim, and Doug continue to enjoy owning and operating their own company. They continue to be actively involved in the management of GDS, setting corporate direction and participating in its day-to-day operation.

Are rural Canadian values relevant in today’s business climate? Judge for yourself.

Today, GDS is a cohesive team of over 120 information management professionals with over 15M in annual sales. With 19 awards to its credit GDS is consistently ranked as one of Canada’s top professional IT service companies and a "Top 50" employer in the Canadian IT sector. The company is headquartered in Regina with offices in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa. And now, with the Success merger completed, GDS has its corporate eye on continuing to expand globally, by taking rural Canadian values and leading edge technological know-how to the international marketplace.

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Notes to editors:

(JPEG) photo attached - Doug Smith (on Left) Dana Ferguson (on Right)

Further information on GDS can be found at http://www.gds.ca

On Success information Systems at http://www.success-info.com

At GDS contact Doug Smith - 250.383.3934

At Success, Dana Ferguson - 250.381.8811

Media inquiries - Ian Macaulay - 250.658.5332 or 250.744.7931

Release:

Merger brings matching values, additional expertise, to GDS & Associates award winning IT cosultancy

The merger with Success Information Systems enhances our ability to better serve our existing clients; to continue implementing our plan for national growth and, to position the company to expand our business in the global marketplace. Willis Groshong, President GDS & Associates Systems Ltd.

Victoria, British Columbia - July 15, 2002: GDS & Associates Systems Ltd., a leading IT consulting firm, announced today that it has merged its operations with Success Information Systems Ltd. of Victoria BC. Both companies enjoy enviable records of planned, profitable, and stable growth. GDS incorporated in 1984, Success in 1994. The merged company, with sales of $15 Million dollars annually, will operate under the GDS & Associates banner.

GDS is cohesive team of over 120 information management professionals. With 19 awards to its credit GDS is consistently ranked as one of Canada’s top professional IT service companies and a "Top 50" employer in the Canadian IT sector. The company is headquartered in Regina with offices in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa.

GDS is a full service systems integration firm specializing in strategic planning, project management, and custom application development. Core specialties include e-business solutions, enterprise Geographical Information Systems (GIS), systems planning, information management, and land and resource management.

Led by Hugh Trask and Dana Ferguson, Success Information Systems brings private sector and mid-range project development experience to the GDS team. In addition, Success brings senior strategic planning, analyst and project management capabilities, commercial product design, and considerable experience in the development of wireless products and Web access databases to the merger.

Technology at work for Canadians

Ever wonder what happens to all those drink containers you return to be recycled? Success has developed information management solutions for the beverage container recycling industry in Canada. Success’s technology manages the recycling of two billion drink containers a year from the time you drop them off through their recycling into new products. The result is lower costs to consumers and reduced impact on the environment.

Through its wholly owned subsidiary Valcura International, GDS has developed property assessment information management programs in use by Canadian and US cities, municipalities and provinces. Home owners and businesses benefit because the systems provide accurate and impartial information to assessors.

Expressing his enthusiasm about the merger Doug Smith, Vice President GDS remarked, "We are very excited about broadening our presence and expertise through this merger. Success has a reputation of providing high quality consulting services to their clients. Their professionalism and strong commitment to delivering value make them an excellent fit within GDS. We see this merger as a way to further demonstrate our commitment to our clients and to growing our business by continuing to offer the best people, services, and IT solutions for business."

Trask says, “The Success hallmarks of quality and value are consistent with GDS business practices. The merged company will continue to lever these qualities which reflect its corporate character in the marketplace. In addition, GDS has the and depth and breadth to provide Success customers with an expanded skill set and additional support staff on a national basis.E

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Further information:

At GDS, Doug Smith - 250.383.3934 www.gds.ca

At Success, Dana Ferguson - 250.381.8811 www.success-info.com

Media inquiries - Ian Macaulay - 250.658.5332 or 250.744.7931