March 12, 1998 - Lewtan Technologies, Inc.® (Lewtan) announced today that it has been awarded a contract by Standard & Poor's Rating Service (S&P) for the collection of ABS performance data for use by S&P.  Lewtan will receive Servicer Certificates and other reports and data on behalf of S&P and organize, standardize, store, and electronically transmit the data to S&P's Structured Finance group.

Stuart Lewtan, president of Lewtan Technologies, said: " We consider the availability of standardized, accurate, and usable remittance reporting information to be critical to the future success of the asset-backed industry.  S&P has a great track record of leadership and innovation.  We are thrilled to be working with S&P on this important issue."

Vickie Tillman, executive managing director for Standard & Poor's Structured Finance Ratings, agrees. She said: " By collecting and formatting these critical data elements, Lewtan will afford S&P the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of surveillance technology while focusing on our core competencies."

This arrangement will facilitate a longer-term strategic vision for the industry which addresses key issues related to performance data, including availability, standards, and centralization.  Details of this vision will be announced at S&P's asset-backed conference April 25th-28th in Palm Springs, California.

Standard & Poor's Rating Service, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is the world's leading credit rating service.  It operates through a global network of 18 offices.  The S&P Structured Finance Ratings group covers securitized transactions and trends in the global market.  The Structured Finance group's seasoned analytical staff is the premier source of valuable ratings information, in-depth analyses, current market news, and insightful commentary on US and non-US structured issues backed by mortgages, consumer assets, asset-backed commercial paper, trade receivables, and other collateral.

Founded in 1986 and based in Waltham, MA, LEWTAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.™ has a proven track record of providing high quality software and consulting services to all areas of the securitization marketplace.  Lewtan's product offerings include VST(Visual Structuring)™, CM (Conduit Management)™, CA (Collateral Analysis)™ and The ABS System™.  Across 5 continents and 13 countries, over $48 billion in transactions are tracked with Lewtan software.

Patent Pending. STARS Visual Structuring System, STARS VST, STARS ABS System, STARS Collateral Analysis System and STARS Conduit Management System are all registered trademarks of Lewtan Technologies, Inc.