For CSI, fiscal 1998 was a year of dynamics. Aggressive sales programs launched in all CSI geographies and increased efforts in telemarketing, direct mail, and trade show sales resulted in the signing of 31 new customer banks. Even with the loss of ten banks through changes in the banking industry, CSI still posted a 21 bank net gain, the largest individual year net gain in recent history.

In October we expanded CSI's geographic footprint into Missouri with the opening of our St. Louis service center. The center, the 13th in our growing network, provides data processing for the St. Louis area banks that signed CSI contracts last year and 15 banks that were previously serviced by the Mt. Vernon, Illinois, center. The location, a scant 12 minutes from the Federal Reserve and correspondent banks, expands the processing window for customer banks. St. Louis is the gateway to the Missouri market, a state CSI has targeted for growth. Consolidating operations in the metro St. Louis area positions us to better meet the needs of today's marketplace and holds great potential for maintaining and growing the CSI customer base. The new center also allows CSI to address the changing structure of banking by locating in areas that hold the greatest potential for maintaining and growing the CSI customer base.

West Virginia and Ohio were also targeted for growth during fiscal 1998. Success in the West Virginia market-12 West Virginia banks have already signed CSI contracts-led to our decision to open a service center in Charleston, West Virginia's state capitol. The new West Virginia center, our 14th, will open in April of 1998. We also made impressive inroads in the Ohio community bank market.

In May of 1997, CSI's Board of Directors approved management's recommendation to explore expansion opportunities in non-contiguous areas. The recommendation came after careful study determined that we should take full advantage of CSI's unique product and infrastructure by competing on a broader scale and expanding beyond our current ten-state region. The search for a good investment opportunity, begun in late spring, culminated with CSI's November agreement to purchase a 50% equity interest in Computer Bank, Inc., a Texas bank processing firm. The agreement was expanded during due diligence to a 100% buyout agreement. CBI, headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, currently generates $3.6 million in annual revenue, and its banking solutions, developed specifically to meet the needs of the Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas markets, offer widespread opportunities for CSI.

Our fiscal 1998 marketing and expansion activities demonstrate the competitive edge gained by combining skillful marketing with CSI's reputation for innovative banking solutions. The completeness of the CSI product line allows us to compete with the industry giants. We are increasing market share. We are growing the corporate base.