Don McDonnell, Vice President Marketing, CES, at 770 680 2617 or> don.mcdonnell@ces.com 

Michelle Rowley, Hayslett Sorrel, at 770 522 8855 (ext.222) or > Mrowley@hayslettsorrel.com 

         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

         NEWS RELEASE

 

 MDSI and CES International Strike Global Alliance for Utility Operators

 

 MDSI's next-generation mobile workforce management software combined  with CES International's outage management solution lets utilities restore power quickly and efficiently

 

 Miami, FL (March 1, 2000; DistribuTECH, Booth 839) - MDSI Mobile Data  Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: MDSI; TSE: MMD), a leading provider of mobile  workforce management solutions, and CES International, a leading provider of operations resource management systems, have joined forces

 to offer any utility operator, large or small, an integrated, end-to-end solution for managing outages and trouble calls.

 

 The alliance provides for joint sales and marketing worldwide and joint application integration of MDSI's next-generation Advantex(tm) product and CES's Centricity application. Because both products adhere

 to the latest industry standards for openness, scalability, and web-enablement, the agreement aligns with the eBusiness plans of both companies.

 

 According to Ken Miller, CEO of MDSI(tm), "To restore power and correct problems as quickly as possible, utility companies need their most important operating systems to work together seamlessly. That's exactly what the MDSI/CES alliance achieves. As soon as a critical problem is identified, it is automatically routed to the person best able to fix it in the shortest amount of time."

 

 Miller adds, "This type of alliance is now a lot easier for MDSI to execute thanks to our next-generation Advantex product, which is based on industry standards so other core business applications, like

Centricity, can be integrated with it very easily."

 

MDSI's Advantex mobile workforce management software suite delivers an integrated, operations-centric view of the mobile workforce and its workload. CES's Centricity operations resource management solution supports trouble call management and outage analysis. Advantex accepts the work generated by Centricity, automatically schedules and dispatches it to the best available mobile worker or crews, manages updates from the field, and captures the results (e.g., cause of outage, conditions on site, equipment used) needed by Centricity, the utility's call center, and other enterprise applications. With these capabilities, utility operators improve response times for outages and trouble calls, enhance communications between operations and mobile workers, and optimize the time of mobile workers in the field. These operating efficiencies will improve overall service availability and

customer satisfaction levels as utility companies compete to differentiate themselves against the changing regulatory landscape.

 

 Ken Geisler, President and CEO, CES International, comments, "The cost of power outages each year is enormous, and public utility commissions can impose severe penalties if they feel a utility's response was  inadequate. The combined solution from MDSI and CES plays a pivotal role in restoring power faster, providing accurate outage information to customers on a more timely basis, and in safeguarding workers and the public. By increasing operational efficiency, utilities lower the costs of managing outages and raise customer satisfaction, which is critical in today's deregulating environment.

Geisler adds, "This alliance brings together established leaders and creates significant opportunity for our customers and prospects."

 

Already widely regarded as a leading wireless workforce management software, the next-generation of Advantex is an even more robust, flexible solution that can be readily adapted to changes in a

 company's business. MDSI has aggressively developed the architecture of Advantex with industry standard technologies, added brand new web-enabled functionality, and enhanced the product's fundamental enterprise workforce management capabilities.

 

 MDSI's next generation Advantex solution will be available for implementation in 2000.

 About CES International

 Founded in 1990, CES International is the global leader in internet-based, real-time infrastructure reliability solutions. CES'  Centricity operations resource management system helps companies in

 the deregulating utility,  transportation, and telecommunications  markets meet mission-critical, customer service and infrastructure reliability imperatives through the deployment of e-Business

solutions. For more information on CES International, visit > http://www.ces.com <http://www.ces.com> or call 1-800-450-0266.

 

 About MDSI

 MDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc. unites mobile resources, their  companies, and their customers. MDSI's standard-setting Advantex  software suite and reliable wireless data links make it possible for

companies to manage mobile re sources to serve their customers faster, better, and at lower cost. In addition to the traditional model of deploying its Advantex solution on site, MDSI, through its new

eBusiness Division, is offering wireless expertise, limited- and full-function versions of Advantex, and other mobile applications through Internet-based eService and Application Service Provider (ASP)

 channels. Founded in 1993, MDSI has major operations in the U.S., Canada and multiple support offices around the world. Leading service  providers in the telecommunications, cable, utility, insurance, commercial field service, and state and local government markets have relied for years on MDSI, including: AT&T Wireless Services, Belgacom,  Cablevision Systems Corporation, Cox Communications, Detroit Edison, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Pacific Gas & Electric, Reliant

Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric, Tele Danmark and Telenor. More information is available at http://www.mdsi-advantex.com.

 

 MDSI and Advantex are trademarks of MDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc.  All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their  respective owners.

 

 This press release contains statements that constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward looking statements in this

 release include MDSI's and CES's plans to integrate MDSI's Advantex-Utility product and CES's Centricity product and the success and benefits of this integration and the timing of the availability of

 the next-generation Advantex solution. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as:any unforeseen incompatibilities between MDSI's and CES's products; any product development difficulties related to incorporating CES's products with MDSI's; and any software errors in MDSI's or CES's products. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results.