New Database Compares Utility Service Areas Nationally; Projects Market Demand for Services

SAN DIEGO, May 17, 1996 - Utility companies now can gain a competitive edge in a deregulated environment with a new database from Equifax National Decision Systems that contains the geographical boundaries of all 200 electric-utility service areas in the United States.

Built from ZIP Code-level information developed by Intelimap, Concord, Mass., the new database provides utilities, cable television and telecommunications companies, advertisers and advertising agencies, a tool for projecting market demand and comparing utility service areas.

The Utility Systems Boundary Database enables electric-utility companies to identify service territories and locate business and residential customers.

Industry and demographic characteristics of those customers are accessible by using the boundaries on Infomark(R), Equifax National Decision Systems' desktop decision support system.

Using Windows-based Infomark and the utility boundary database, companies can create reports and maps displaying key demographic characteristics such as age, income and home ownership, as well as business information, such as industry composition and business locations within the utility-system boundaries.

Applications include evaluating individual systems, scanning and segmenting the entire universe of utility systems, analyzing the competition, identifying systems with the most demand-side management program potential, and determining merger and acquisition strategies.

"The alliance of Equifax National Decision Systems with Intelimap demonstrates our continuing commitment to provide information and target marketing solutions for the utilities industry," said Stephen Nye, general manager of Equifax National Decision Systems.

"With this new boundary database, utilities and other allied industries now can access decision support information that has never before been available in one database."

To gather the boundary information, Intelimap contacted every state Public Service Commission and surveyed utility companies and state electric associations, then created a ZIP Code-based territory file that closely matches the actual service territories.

More detailed information is available from: Equifax National Decision Systems, 5375 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 400, San Diego, Calif. 92121; telephone 800/250-7817; Internet Home Page http://www.ends.com.

Equifax National Decision Systems is the nation's leading value-added marketing information company, specializing in marketing decision support services, delivery systems and quality data. The company is a subsidiary of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX).