ACS Earns U.S. First: Prestigious ISO 20000 Certification

DALLAS, April 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (NYSE: ACS) , a premier provider of business process outsourcing and information technology solutions, announced today that it has earned International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 20000 certification. The certification was accomplished through the third-party audit of standardized, consistent processes and procedures across numerous data centers and disciplines. The achievement makes ACS the only information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing services provider in the United States to receive this important certification.

ISO is a network of the national standards institutes from 156 countries, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO 20000 is the first formal international standard specifically related to IT service management. This standard is based on the established British Standard (BS) 15000, which was accepted as an international standard in December 2005, and given the name ISO 20000. It is a certification based on implementing a complete IT Service Management Solution, which is a framework for the delivery of IT services.

ACS was the first American company to receive BS 15000 certification in April of 2005 for one of its data centers, and now becomes the first in the U.S. to receive ISO 20000 certification. ACS is also the first in the world to achieve the ISO 20000 certification across multiple data centers, and the first to achieve it in both domestic and international locations.

"This is an extraordinary market differentiator for ACS that is unmatched in the United States and around the world," said Mark King, ACS President and Chief Executive Officer. "IT service management is essential for providing high-quality IT services to our clients. The ISO 20000 certification underscores and reflects the outstanding consistency of ACS' IT processes and procedures across all of our data centers, and confirms that ACS is leading the industry in IT performance."

ACS invests in extensive employee training and in state-of-the-art compliance monitoring tools to ensure that its systems are in constant compliance. Fifteen critical processes are part of the ISO 20000 certification. ACS performs daily, weekly, and monthly testing of key performance indicators to ensure across-the-board compliance in its IT operations. "No matter who processes the work within ACS," King commented, "our clients are able to experience the same superior level of service -- because our systems ensure it."

Thus far, six different ACS data centers -- four in the U.S., one in Mexico, and one in India -- have received ISO 20000 certification.

ISO 20000 certification is just one component of ACS' quality management system (ACS QMS). ACS QMS is an industry-leading approach to delivering IT best practices, improving internal controls, delivering world-class services, and implementing continuous process improvement. It is based on adopting the IT Infrastructure Library standard's best practice framework, validating performance through third-party certifications (e.g. ISO 9001, SCP, CMMI, SAS 70, ISO 20000), and utilizing the Lean Thinking and Six Sigma principles to eliminate waste and mistake-proof operations.

ISO 20000 certification is valid for three years. Surveillance audits are performed every six months by an external auditor and full recertification is required every three years. Along with its extensive achievements in business process outsourcing, ACS is experiencing tremendous growth in its IT solutions business. A leading IT outsourcing provider across numerous industries, ACS currently operates multiple large mainframe and midrange data centers, manages numerous networks, and administers desktops around the globe.

ACS, a global FORTUNE 500 company with more than 55,000 people supporting client operations reaching nearly 100 countries, provides business process outsourcing and information technology solutions to world-class commercial and government clients. The Company's Class A common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ACS". ACS makes technology work. Visit ACS on the Internet at http://www.acs-inc.com/ .

The statements in this news release that do not directly relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company's control. As such, no assurance can be given that the actual events and results will not be materially different than the anticipated results described in the forward-looking statements. Factors could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. For a description of these factors, see the Company's prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filing. ACS disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event, or otherwise.