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Bank of America today announced that Merrill Lynch has been honored with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Excellence Award from Gartner, Inc. and 1to1 Media for its enterprise-wide alignment of multiple customer interaction channels and the benefits this has created, including superior client engagement, satisfaction and loyalty.

"Our business revolves around the quality and consistency of client experiences, be they online, in banking centers, through ATMs or mobile banking, or via call centers, email or direct mail," said Dean Athanasia, head of Bank of America Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) Banking and Merrill Edge. "We've gone beyond traditional customer relationship management strategies to deliver added value at each and every touch point, creating a more personalized experience for our clients."

Last month, Merrill Lynch introduced Merrill Edge https://www.merrilledge.com) connecting the investment insights of Merrill Lynch and the global banking capabilities of Bank of America. This allows clients to view their Merrill Edge investing and Bank of America banking relationships in an integrated fashion and on their terms. Merrill Edge clients can make investment decisions on their own through a self-directed platform or receive financial advice and guidance from the Merrill Edge Advisory Center (formerly the Financial Advisory Center) – a phone-based team of Financial Solutions Advisors who can help clients define and set goals, develop and refine long-term strategies, determine risk tolerance and more.

The CRM Excellence Award also recognizes a recent initiative to enhance customer experiences across Merrill Edge Advisory Center and Bank of America Merrill Lynch Retirement Contact Center service channels. Through strategic partnerships with advanced customer analytics and inbound/outbound interaction management solutions providers, the company can proactively develop a deeper understanding of its clients' needs and priorities and foster enduring relationships by communicating the right message at the right time. In addition to improving interaction experiences for Merrill Edge clients and creating greater efficiencies across both service channels, this initiative has also provided Bank of America Merrill Lynch retirement plan participants with more information about and access to a broader range of solutions to address their overall financial needs.

This is the third year of the Gartner and 1to1 CRM Excellence Awards partnership, the goal of which is to establish a standard of excellence for customer-focused organizations and honor those companies that provide value to customers and shareholders by effectively bringing together strategy, technology and execution to deliver ideal customer experiences. The awards are given to the companies that most clearly demonstrate exemplary customer relationship strategy and an unrivaled level of excellence in delivering the customer experience. The winners were selected by a panel of judges, including Gartner analysts, 1to1 Media editorial staff and business and academic experts.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 57 million consumer and small business relationships with 5,900 retail banking offices, more than 18,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 29 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

www.bankofamerica.com

Merrill Lynch is the marketing name for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Merrill Edge which are made available through Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S).

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by MLPF&S and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. Merrill Edge is the marketing name for two businesses: Merrill Edge Advisory Center, which offers team-based advice and guidance brokerage services; and a self-directed online investing platform.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is a marketing name for the Retirement & Philanthropic Services (RPS) businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Banking and fiduciary activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Brokerage services are performed globally by brokerage affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including MLPF&S.

Investment products:

MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks. Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

© 2010 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.