( BW)(INDEX)(INDQF) Index to Acquire 123 Multimedia, Leading European
Mobile Content Provider
Entertainment Editors/Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2004--
Moving into the Global Business Arena: A Great Leap Forward to
Becoming a Global Media Company with Consolidated Revenues of
Over 75 Billion Yen for FY2004
Index Corporation (President and Representative Director: Yoshimi
Ogawa; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; hereinafter "Index") (Other
OTC:INDQF), a global provider of mobile and media services, has agreed
to acquire 66.65% of the outstanding common stock of 123 Multimedia
S.A. (President and General Director: Patrick Abadie; Headquarters:
Toulouse, France; hereinafter "123MM"). 123MM is expected to
contribute significantly to Index's consolidated group earnings for
the next fiscal year.
123MM has achieved remarkable success as a leading European mobile
content provider by offering WAP, i-mode and Java-based mobile
Internet content services. 123MM had revenues of Euro 118 million
(approx. 15.9 billion yen) and operating revenue of Euro 15 million
(approx. 2 billion yen) in FY2003. In addition to France, a leading
European mobile content market, 123MM has built content distribution
networks serving markets in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Morocco, the
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. Combining the
two companies' expertise, Index, through its strategic subsidiaries,
Index Europe S.A.S (Paris, France) and Mobliss Inc. (Seattle,
Washington), and 123MM aim to expand their presence in the rapidly
growing U.S. and European markets.
This acquisition allows Index and 123MM to significantly increase
their operating scale and markedly improves their ability to reach new
markets, fostering future growth by mutually leveraging distribution
networks and content libraries. Further, through business
collaboration with Index's group companies, which currently engage in
business both in Japan and abroad, it is anticipated that Index's
group revenues will exceed 100 billion yen in FY2006.
By capitalizing on new services and media that utilize the latest
technologies, Index aims to become a truly global media company, and
strengthen its operating platform and financial performance
internationally.
(note: Euro 1=136.47 yen)
(123 Multimedia S.A.)
Name: 123 Multimedia
Headquarters: 36 Rue Jacques Babinet, 31100 Toulouse, France
Founded: August, 1987
Paid-in Capital: 630,100 Euro (As of March 2004)
No. of Issued and Outstanding Shares: 6,301,000
No. of Employees: 442 (As of December 2003)
Representative: President and General Director Patrick Abadie
Business Description:
B2C Business
-- Mobile contents and service provider through premium SMS, WAP
and i-mode
-- Major Internet web-sites services
-- Interactive TV channel (Tchatche TV)
-- IVR (Interactive Voice Response) based contents and services
for mobile communication devices
B2B Business: 123MM develops and hosts multimedia services for
major European players such as Vodafone, Orange, Bouygues Telecom,
Universal, Sagem, Philips, and Coca-Cola.
Overseas Branches: Italy, Spain, Germany, Morocco, Luxemburg,
U.K., Canada, and Thailand
URL: http://www.123multimedia.com
Corporate History:
August 29, 1987: "Arletty 3" (SARL) founded
September 20, 1995: Became an SA-corporation
(Index Corporation)
Name: Index Corporation (JASDAQ:4835)
Headquarters: Carrot Tower 4-1-1, Taishido, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
154-0004
Incorporation Date: September 1995
Paid-in Capital: 7,618MM Yen (As of end of March 2004)
Representative: President and Representative Director Yoshimi
OGAWA
Business Description: By linking mobile terminals with other
media, the company offers a new "media service" that provides a host
of living information related to personal finance, education and
leisure and other e-commerce services to both individual and household
customers
-- Solutions Business: Planning, development and sale of systems
service utilizing mobile phones
Planning, development and sale of video-on-demand (visual
contents distribution system) service
-- Content Business: Planning, creation and distribution of
content to mobile phones and PHS terminals
Planning, creation and sale of visual contents
-- Commerce Business: Selling through mobile phones and the
Internet, catalogue-based mail orders
-- Publishing Business: Planning, publication and sale of fashion
and lifestyle magazines
URL: http://www.indexweb.co.jp/
--30--EL/sf
CONTACT: Index Corporation
Yumiko Higuchi, +81-3-5779-5060
Makoto Hattori, +81-3-5779-5060
Rumiko Hori, +81-3-5779-5060
email: press@indexweb.co.jp