ATLANTA, December 1, 1998 -- Equifax today announced that The National Telecommunications Data Exchange (NTDE) has, for the second time, extended its contract for Equifax management of its unique unpaid commercial telephone accounts database through the year 2001. The contract renewal is recognition of the success of the data exchange, which allows telecommunications companies to manage the risk of taking on new commercial business.

David Gary, Equifax senior vice president, Telecommunications and Utilities Services, said, "The telecommunications industry has a unique risk management situation and needs a unique solution. NTDE is the first and only exchange of its kind in the country for commercial accounts. It is the sort of technological information solution that Equifax is known for, developed by working hand-in-hand with customers."

NTDE member telecommunications companies increase their ability to perform risk assessment and reduce write-offs by exchanging information, through a blind database, about business customers who suddenly skip without paying final bills. In many instances, these business customers subsequently attempt to obtain service from another carrier; when they do, information from the Exchange surfaces the unpaid bills. Identifying these customers through the Exchange helps members to assess and minimize risk. The Exchange also assists in locating former commercial customers whose service was disconnected for non-payment and who left an unpaid balance on their accounts.

Ken Akins, executive director of NTDE, said, "Founded by eight of the largest telecommunications carriers in 1994, the Exchange has grown to more than 60 member companies, representing more than 90 percent of the dollar sales of the long distance telecommunications industry. Today, the Exchange contains data on unpaid commercial accounts totaling more than $1.5 billion. Significantly, the number of unpaid accounts has decreased from more than one million in 1996 to less than 750,000 today, indicating the effectiveness of the Exchange in reducing 'churn' in the industry."

NTDE was originally established by founding members American Telephone and Telegraph Company, MCI Telecommunications Corporation, Sprint United Management Company, Allnet (Frontier) Communications Services Inc., Business Telecom, Inc., Cable and Wireless, Inc., LDDS (Worldcom) Metromedia and Wiltel (Worldcom) Inc. NTDE membership is open to all telecommunications companies. For more information, call 972-518-0019 or fax 972-580-9089.

Equifax also operates the very successful National Consumer Telecommunications Data Exchange (NCTDE) for many of the same customers. NCTDE is a nationwide database of unpaid residential telecommunications accounts.

EQUIFAX (NYSE: EFX) is a worldwide leader in shaping global commerce by bringing buyers and sellers together through its information, transaction processing, consulting and knowledge-based businesses. Equifax serves the banking, financial, retail, credit card, telecommunications/utilities, transportation and healthcare industries and government. Founded in 1899, Atlanta-based Equifax today has 14,000 employees in 18 countries and sales in more than 45 countries. Revenues for the 12 months ended September 30, 1998, were more than $1.5 billion. For more Equifax information, visit the company’s Internet web site at http://www.equifax.com.

Statements in this press release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform act of 1995 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Future events, risks and uncertainties, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expresses or implies in these statements. Those factors could include worldwide and U.S. economic conditions, changes in demand for the company’s products and services, risks associated with the integration of acquisitions and other investments, and other factors discussed in the "forward looking information" section in the management’s discussion and analysis included in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.