ATLANTA – CIO magazine has chosen Southern Company as a recipient of the 2006 CIO 100 award. The annual award program recognizes organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology. Southern Company received this honor for applying information technology during storm preparation and restoration activities in 2005.

“We are honored to be recognized by CIO magazine for the CIO 100 award. These prestigious awards are revered by those in the information technology industry, and this is a real tribute to the hundreds of dedicated IT employees across the Southern Company system, as well as Becky Blalock and the strong leadership across our IT organization,” said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO David Ratcliffe.

According to Abbie Lundberg, editor in chief of CIO magazine, “Year after year, the CIO 100 award recipients serve as industry role models for business and IT excellence. This year’s winners are particularly remarkable for their ability to translate IT innovation into business value and solid ROI.”

Every year CIO magazine identifies and honors 100 organizations that have distinguished themselves by creating business value through the effective and innovative use of IT. To provide a vision of ever-changing business trends, the focus of the CIO 100 changes annually. Honorees range from small organizations with a few million in revenue to multibillion dollar global powerhouses, and they span numerous industries. Of the 100 companies honored by the magazine, Southern Company is among only four energy companies and six Georgia-based companies named to this year’s list.

To be considered for the 19th annual CIO 100 Awards, organizations’ applications were reviewed by a team of CIO editors and writers. The team debated their merits, and then voted on the final 100. The 100 honorees are not ranked due to the high caliber of the award recipients.

This year, several companies will be honored with an additional special award distinguishing these companies for their achievement toward a specific business goal. The winners of these awards will be announced at the awards ceremony on Aug. 22, 2006, at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, Calif.

Complete coverage of the 2006 CIO 100 awards will be in the August 15 issue of CIO magazine and available online at www.cio.com on August 15.

With 4.3 million customers and more than 40,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America’s fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has received the highest ranking in customer satisfaction among U.S. electric service providers for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at www.southerncompany.com.