PHOENIX, AZ--Charles Schwab & Company, has awarded a $72 million contract to Carlson to design and implement a 250,000 square foot data center in Chandler, AZ. The new Chandler Data Center will supplement the operations of Schwab's principal facility in Phoenix.

In addition to designing the new data center, Carlson is functioning as construction manager and general contractor for the project. Carlson will also perform integrated systems testing before turning over the facility to Schwab's operations group. The data center is scheduled for completion in October 2000.

Carlson is utilizing fast track "design-implement" methods to complete the project in about seven months, while achieving the very stringent design, construction and testing standards that Charles Schwab requires. Carlson also designed and implemented Schwab's principal facility, the Phoenix Data Center, in the 1990's and is currently expanding the Phoenix facilities as independent projects.

Carlson is the leading single-source provider of consulting, design, and implementation services for mission-critical applications, network and environmental infrastructure. In business for more than 50 years, Carlson serves a wide range of clients in the financial, telecommunications, Internet and broadcast industries by providing solutions that allow their facilities to achieve 100% operational availability. Carlson's offices are located in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco.

CONTACT: Bruce Ross Bruce Ross Associates 212/768-1155