Canada's Largest Independent Phone Company Migrates to Single Billing Platform

MANKATO, Minn., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- HickoryTech Corporation (Nasdaq: HTCO) announced today that TBayTel, headquartered in Thunder Bay, Ontario, has selected HickoryTech's SuiteSolution(R) for wireline customer management and billing. TBayTel, Canada's largest independent telephone company serves over 80,000 business and residential access lines. SuiteSolution, a modular software system accessed via a Web-based interface, bills for any combination of usage and non-usage based wireline, wireless, and Broadband products and services, including carrier access billing. With over forty years of software expertise, HickoryTech's Information Solutions Sector provides billing and customer management solutions to telecom service providers across North America.

TBayTel will integrate all billing operations on one converged billing platform using SuiteSolution for wireline and wireless billing. A key component of offering superior customer service is a billing system that enables a single view of all customers and service offerings. A HickoryTech customer since 2000, TBayTel Mobility began using SuiteSolution for its wireless billing in 2003. TBayTel Mobility currently serves over 35,000 wireless customers.

"We saw value in working with a quality product and staff. That combination allowed us to produce efficiencies we can document in our wireless operation," said Kevin Burns, vice-president of business and consumer markets with TBayTel. "The software allows our customer service representatives to focus on the customer and better assess their needs. That is the value, spending more time with our customers. We look forward to realizing the same gains in time with our wireline customers as well."

"Quickly responding to the marketplace is imperative for communications businesses today -- not only offering a diverse package of services, but being able to produce flexible and accurate billings. That responsiveness is something HickoryTech understands well as a service provider and delivers on as a software vendor," said Lane Nordquist, president of HickoryTech's Information Solutions Sector.

HickoryTech's SuiteSolution(R) is a Web-based modular system combining customer relationship management, back office manager, work flow manager, plant records, trouble reporting, message processing, batch process manager, and carrier access billing to process monthly billing for wireline, Broadband, or wireless services. SuiteSolution allows the user to define and enforce procedures for every task an employee performs. Deployment options include service bureau or in-house. SuiteSolution features an Oracle database, three-tier client/server architecture, and is accessed via Windows 2000 operating system.

About TBayTel:

TBayTel is Canada's largest independent telephone company -- offering wireline voice and data, cellular, Internet, and long distance service. Started in 1901 as Thunder Bay Telephone, the company employs over 350, serving the City of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. To learn more about TBayTel, visit their Web site at http://www.tbaytel.net .

About HickoryTech's Information Solutions Sector:

HickoryTech's Information Solutions Sector develops customer management and billing software principally for HickoryTech's own operating company and distributes this software across North America for other telecommunications companies, including local exchange carriers, CLECs, interexchange carriers, and wireless and broadband service providers. SuiteSolution(R), a modular software system, bills for any combination of usage and non-usage based wireline, wireless, or Broadband products and services including carrier access billing.

About HickoryTech:

HickoryTech Corporation is a diversified communications company headquartered in Mankato, Minn., with approximately 400 employees in Minnesota and Iowa. In its 108th year of operation, HickoryTech offers a full array of telecommunications products and services to business and residential customers. The Telecom Sector offers local voice, long distance, Internet, broadband services, Digital TV, and IP networking. The Enterprise Solutions Sector provides IP Telephony, contact center management, and data networking solutions. The Information Solutions Sector develops telecom and carrier access billing solutions. To learn more about HickoryTech Corporation, visit the company's Web site at http://www.HickoryTech.com .

Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry in which HickoryTech operates and management's beliefs and assumptions. The forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and probabilities. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except as required by federal securities laws, HickoryTech undertakes no obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements for any reason.

SOURCE HickoryTech Corporation

CONTACT:
Scott Grill
Director of Sales & Marketing
HickoryTech
507-388-0226