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Contact: LoriLee Bielski, (312) 762-0156                                


EKI Awarded State Of Illinois Telecommunications Rationalization Project


March 15,2004

SPRINGFIELD – The State of Illinois’ Bureau of Communication and Computer Services has awarded EKI a multi-year contract to consolidate and rationalize its telecommunications infrastructure and organization. Included in this effort is the development of the State’s master plan for telecommunications, the consolidation of telecom and IT helpdesks into a new Communications Solution Center, the migration of all State data and voice traffic from a frame relay backbone to a state-of-the-art IP-backbone, the execution of Voice over IP trials, and the development of governance mechanisms to hold down IT and telecommunications costs while providing flexibility and a high level of service to all State Agencies and constituents.  The State projects that EKI’s work will save approximately $8 million dollars each year in telecommunications operating costs.

About Electronic Knowledge Interchange
Founded in 1997 by Robert Blackwell Jr., EKI, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) by the City of Chicago, had about $10 million in revenues in 2002. EKI has more than 70 employees. Blackwell Jr. and his partner, Diego Ferrer, have more than 35 years of technology and consulting expertise.