Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2003

While the IT industry has experienced reductions (Market Cap, Revenues, Employees) of around 30% over the past two years, the Birmingham IT economy has proven to be a bit more bullish. The vast majority of the responses to the 2003 IT Outlook Survey conducted by AllStates Technical Services indicated that demand for IT professionals, investment in IT training, and overall IT investments stayed the same from 2002 to 2003, indicating that the local Birmingham market did not succumb to the market contraction the rest of the industry endured.

Pleased with the results garnered in 2002, the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce along with TechBirmingham (formerly the Birmingham Area Technology Leadership Alliance (BATLA)), once again commissioned AllStates Technical Services, Inc., a Birmingham-based, national IT Services provider, to conduct its 2003 Annual IT Services Outlook Survey. AllStates has completed the survey and results will be made available with this press release and at www.allstatestech.com in the coming weeks.

According to Fred Mersbach, VP of IT Services for AllStates, "The intent of the survey is to provide important insight into and predict trends in the IT industry for the Birmingham metropolitan area." The 2003 survey respondent group was comprised of top IT executives in Birmingham-based organizations. Respondents in this year's survey were representatives of the following industries: Financial Services, Healthcare, Commercial, Utilities, Government, and Education.

The 2003 IT Services Outlook Survey for Birmingham offers an important glimpse into the dynamics of the IT Industry in Birmingham. Highlights of this year's survey include:

-- A strong 68% of the respondents had demand for major IT

projects.

-- 95% of the respondents indicated that they are now conducting

Information Security Assessments on at least an annual basis,

with 47% conducting quarterly assessments.

-- Good news for IT Services providers...95% of the respondents

indicated they would consider utilizing local IT Services

providers. 75% indicated that the level of quality from the

local IT Services providers was 'Good to Excellent' in both

2002 and 2003.

AllStates Technical Services has been both an innovator and a leader in the Technical Services industry for more than half a century, putting the right people to work in the country's leading project and technology driven companies. They specialize in outsourcing, staffing and project-based solutions, providing our clients with just in time, hard to find information technology (IT) and engineering resources. AllStates professionals possess the technical know-how to solve strategic and tactical challenges and meet critical deadlines for clients in a variety of industries.

Started in Trenton, NJ in 1945, AllStates is a subsidiary of BE&K, Inc. BE&K, through its global network of affiliate companies, provides engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services to the process, manufacturing, industrial, power, and telecommunications industries. Forbes ranks BE&K among the "Top 500 Privately Held Companies in the U.S." BE&K is also recognized as an industry leader in family friendly workplace practices. The firm has been honored with Working Woman magazine's "Diversity Champion" award and included in Fortune Magazine's listing of "Best Places to Work in America."