BellSouth's SMARTRing Offers The SSI Group, Inc. Continuous Availability of Network Services

    MOBILE, Ala., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The SSI Group, Inc. (SSI) recently
 implemented a BellSouth SMARTRing which virtually guarantees 100 percent
 availability of network services for local, long distance, Internet and data
 communications.  All of SSI's telecommunications services are now diversely
 routed into its corporate headquarters.  SSI's upgrade of its network
 infrastructure ensures greater availability of its voice and data services to
 its customers nationwide.
     "With SSI transmitting hundreds of thousands of healthcare claims a day,
 we needed a solution to provide us with continuous, dedicated uptime," said
 Bobby Smith, SSI CEO and President.  "This is not only an investment in
 technology, but an investment in the quality of service our clients can expect
 from us.  We now have a solution that dramatically reduces the risk of any
 downtime on our end, which enhances and provides continuous service for our
 clients."
     SSI's voice communications systems and computer network connect to a
 BellSouth fiber ring that provides physical redundancy.  With BellSouth
 SMARTRing, SSI's communications will remain uninterrupted even if the network
 is damaged.  In addition, the company's data network will experience greater
 uptime, ensuring that the transmission of health insurance claims to and from
 healthcare organizations continue uninterrupted.
     System integrity, security and redundancy are of utmost importance to SSI
 and its healthcare client base, according to Lamar Windham, SSI Vice President
 of Technical Services.  "Ensuring clean transmissions of claims into and out
 of our clearinghouse while staying operational even in critical situations is
 extremely valuable to our partner payers and providers," he said.  "SMARTRing
 gives us the assurance that we will always be operational."
     "BellSouth is pleased to partner with SSI Group in order to support their
 operations and to provide guaranteed service," said Gigi Armbrecht of
 BellSouth.  "SMARTRing is our premier service for business continuity, which
 is what SSI needed most."
 
     About The SSI Group, Inc.
     The SSI Group, Inc. is a national, diversified information technology
 company established in 1988.  The company maintains corporate headquarters in
 Mobile, Ala., and branch facilities in Clearwater, Fla.; Denver, Co.; and
 Chesapeake, Va.  The company has approximately 300 employees and 1,200-plus
 clients nationwide.  SSI leads the healthcare field in claims management
 technology, EDI platforms and networking.  As a testament to that leadership,
 the company annually processes nearly 48 million transactions totaling in
 excess of $36 billion in healthcare claims through the SSI clearinghouse
 service alone.  It is estimated more than twice that amount, $72 billion, is
 sent directly to payers by providers using SSI product technology.
     The company offers a wide range of services and technologies for both
 payers and providers in EDI claims processing, contract and case management,
 document imaging and employee/occupational health and workers' compensation.
 The company also offers eligibility and Medicare compliance verification,
 optical storage as a central archive and managed care verification.
 
     About BellSouth Corporation
     BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company
 headquartered in Atlanta, GA, serving more than 44 million customers in the
 United States and 14 other countries.
     Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a
 full array of broadband data and e-commerce solutions to business customers,
 including Web hosting and other Internet services.  In the residential market,
 BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and
 other services.  BellSouth offers long distance service for both business and
 consumer customers in Georgia and Louisiana.
     BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services,
 including BellSouth(R) Real PagesSM.com.  BellSouth owns 40 percent of
 Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which
 provides innovative wireless data and voice services.
 
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SOURCE  The SSI Group, Inc.