San Diego, CA - April 3, 2002 - On Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21, 2002, a team of 10 employees from Acucorp, Inc., an international provider of application development solutions designed to solve mission-critical business issues, will participate in the Vanco Three Peaks Challenge. The Challenge will require the team's eight hikers to climb the three highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon - in less than 24 hours. The remaining two team members will serve as the support crew. Money raised for the Challenge will benefit Children's Aid Direct, a United Kingdom humanitarian relief agency that assists children affected by poverty, civil conflict and disaster.

Acucorp first took the Challenge in August 2001, with a team of eight employees from the Swedish and UK offices participating. This year, employees will be traveling from the United States, UK and French offices.

"We found last year's challenge to be much more demanding than we initially thought, but on completion, there was an enormous sense of achievement," said Gerold Ekström, Acucorp's Vice President, Strategic Planning and one of the 2001 climbers. "From it, we developed a true team atmosphere, which is something we have brought back into the office and hope to continue in 2002."

The Vanco Three Peaks Challenge begins with Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland at 4,409 feet (1,343 meters). After the descent, the hikers will be transported by minibus to Scafell Pike. At 3,206 feet (977 meters), it is the largest of the Scafell peaks and the highest in England. The final mountain in the Challenge is Snowdon, located in northern Wales. Approximately 3,560 feet (1,085 meters) high, it is the main peak in the Snowdonia Mountains. Upon completing all three climbs, the team will have hiked 25.6 miles (41 kilometers), for a height gain of 9,537 feet (2,907 meters). In addition to climbing, the team has to cope with eating, drinking and sleeping while the support crew transports them from one mountain to another.

Each year, Vanco, a leading independent, international network services company, sponsors the Three Peaks Challenge. This sponsorship allows funds raised by Acucorp to go directly to Children's Aid Direct, who works with the Institute of Fundraising Managers' strict Code of Conduct when operating mountain challenges. This ensures that two percent of all money raised is donated toward general footpath upkeep via the landowners.

To contribute to the Vanco Three Peaks Challenge, contact Lori Galván at (858) 689-4426 or lgalvan@acucorp.com, or Anu Laitila at +44 (0)20 8707 2050 or alaitila@acucorp.com. You can also send an e-mail to 3peaks@acucorp.com or visit www.acucorp.com/3peaks and complete the online contribution application.

About Acucorp

Founded in 1988, Acucorp, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in San Diego, California with additional offices in England, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Acucorp's products are distributed in more than 75 countries throughout the world, and its technology users include DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Lockheed Martin, McDonald's Corporation, Siemens, Thomas Cook, Tower Records and Warner Music Group.  The company continues to design, develop, and market robust solutions for extending the life of inherited COBOL applications. Additional information about Acucorp is available at www.acucorp.com.

About Children's Aid Direct

Children's Aid Direct responds to emergency situations all over the world, helping to rebuild the lives of children and communities suffering from conflict, poverty and disaster. Now in its twelfth year, the organization is working in nine of the most troubled areas of the globe including Kosovo, Macedonia, Tajikistan, Burundi, North Korea, and Afghanistan. Additional information about Children's Aid Direct is available at www.cad.org.uk.