ACNielsen Acquires Internet Firm www.consult

NEWS RELEASE

ACNielsen Acquires Internet Research Firm www.consult
Strengthens Company’s e-Research Capabilities in Asia Pacific

Auckland – 23 November 2000 – ACNielsen, the global leader in market research, today announced it had acquired the Australian Internet research company, www.consult, in a move that will strengthen its leadership in the burgeoning e-research industry in Asia Pacific.
www.consult provides a broad range of Internet research services, including the region's largest online user survey and influential sector reports covering online brokering and banking, advertising, retailing and Internet infrastructure. Since its start up in 1995, www.consult has become a prominent player in the Australian e-commerce industry, with annual revenue growth exceeding 40% and a portfolio of global blue-chip clients including Yahoo!, Lucent, Citibank and IBM.
ACNielsen’s acquisition of www.consult follows closely the September launch of ACNielsen.online, a new business in Asia Pacific that conducts market research over the Internet, and about the Internet. Another ACNielsen business unit, ACNielsen eRatings.com, continues to roll out its Nielsen//NetRatings service, which is fast-becoming the global leader in measuring Internet audiences, advertising and usage activity.
These recent Internet initiatives are shaping an important new business stream for ACNielsen, which has businesses in retail measurement, consumer panel services, media measurement and customised research.
“This is a great fit for ACNielsen. It combines www.consult's proven Internet research business model with ACNielsen's global market penetration and industry leadership,” said Michael P. Connors, vice chairman of ACNielsen Corporation.
"The Internet is revolutionising the way we do business, and our clients are increasingly turning to ACNielsen to better understand the new economies, and the business opportunities they offer. Adding www.consult to our expanding suite of research services on, or about, the Internet takes us to the next level in helping our clients understand and use the Web as a strategic and operational business tool," Connors said.
From its base in Sydney, Australia, www.consult has been expanding its research services into Asia, recently opening an office in the leading Internet hub of Hong Kong in response to growing interest from Asian-based companies. www.consult’s research now covers some 12 countries in the region.
“We are very excited about the future with ACNielsen, which has the most extensive research coverage and credentials in Asia Pacific," said Ramin Marzbani, principal of www.consult, who will continue to head the business following the acquisition. "This agreement will greatly upgrade our regional capability and provide an opportunity to market our high-level analytics to a wider group of companies."
"We are moving closer to the new paradigm in Asia Pacific, where traditional offline businesses need to build online capabilities as part of their service delivery. By joining with ACNielsen, www.consult is well-positioned to service the vast research needs set to unfold," he said.
ENDS
About ACNielsen.online
ACNielsen.online provides a range of information services to help companies optimise their business strategies, using such techniques as e-Panel measurement, web clinics, e-mail surveys, web site tracking and off line surveys.
About ACNielsen eRatings.com
ACNielsen eRatings.com offers the proprietary Nielsen//NetRatings audience measurement service that collects real-time data from more than 190,000 Internet users around the world. This represents the largest media research panel of Internet users in the industry.
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, with 1999 revenue of US$1.5 billion, is the world’s leading market research firm, offering measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics, consumer attitudes and behaviour, and new and traditional media in more than 100 countries. Clients include leading consumer product manufacturers and retailers service firms, media and entertainment companies and the Internet community.

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