Thurston Group and ABRY Partners Purchase Companion Technologies Corporation.

CHICAGO & BOSTON & COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Thurston Group and ABRY Partners together announce that they have purchased the healthcare technology company Companion Technologies Corp. from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

"The acquisition of Companion Technologies reflects our

Companion Technologies became a company in 1985 after having been separated out of a division of the BlueCross BlueShield information systems department. It was a pioneer in developing electronic healthcare transaction systems used initially by South Carolina hospitals and later expanding to hospitals and medical practices nationwide.

"BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is proud to have assisted in the movement of hospitals and medical practices to greater efficiencies through the use of Companion Technologies' products," said BlueCross BlueShield Chairman and CEO M. Edward Sellers. "However, Companion Technologies is not part of our core insurance and insurance administration businesses and represents a very small part of our overall business. We believe it will be better placed for growth under new ownership."

In recent years, Companion Technologies has ranked in the top 50 of Healthcare Informatics magazine's ranking of hundreds of healthcare industry technology companies. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., Companion Technologies has 250 employees working in Columbia and in offices in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee and Utah.

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (www.SouthCarolinaBlues.com) is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina holds an A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best Co.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, ABRY Partners specializes as a financing partner for the media, communications and information industries. Since 1989, ABRY has completed over $18 billion of leveraged transactions and other private equity and mezzanine investments, representing investments in more than 450 properties. Extensive and long-standing relationships with many different stakeholders in information and finance businesses allow ABRY to contribute significant value to operating partners and portfolio companies. Thurston Group, based on Chicago, Illinois, and ABRY partners have co-invested in other ventures.