Reading, UK - 18 January, 2007: Atex, the world's leading developer of solutions for the media industry, today announces that the company has acquired Mactive, which includes Mactive Inc in the USA and Mactive AB in Sweden, along with its other subsidiaries.
Mactive is the developer of AdBase, an integrated advertising system which includes ad sales, customer relationship management, rating, and contract management, account receivable, production and Web solutions for the media industry.
AdBase is successfully installed in areas and markets that complement the Atex presence, particularly in the United States and Scandinavia. The acquisition will therefore further enhance Atex's global strength and localized customer support and professional services infrastructure.
John Hawkins, Atex Group CEO commented, "Late last year, when we announced our agreement to acquire Unisys Media, I stated that Atex would be looking at further acquisitions that strengthen our position as the No. 1 global vendor to the media industry. Whilst the industry is undergoing dramatic consolidation it makes sense that vendors serving the industry follow a similar course. We made it clear that Atex would be a consolidator, and we have the desire, financial backing, management team, and vision, to continue this strategy.
"More than ever, Atex will be able to provide innovative cross media software solutions and an increasingly high level of support and service to our customer base of more than 800 media companies in over 40 countries around the globe."
Atex, which now includes around almost 600 people worldwide, will be working closely with all its customers to deliver solutions that provide new opportunities for revenue growth, cost savings, and cutting edge capabilities necessary to compete in online and multimedia markets.
The company states that all its customers can be confident that current products will continue to be maintained, supported and upgraded, and that new applications will continue to be backward compatible, maintaining value in publishers' digital assets, customer, and historical data. In addition, Mactive and Atex customers alike will be able to take advantage of the company's new managed services model for outsourcing client applications. Atex now has an established data centre in Milan currently supporting ten media companies, with plans to open additional centres around the world to support this initiative.
"The Mactive AdBase system is a successful, feature-rich, and scalable advertising management solution that has a proven track record in our industry," continued John Hawkins. "We welcome the Mactive staff and are excited about the opportunity to have AdBase as an integral part of our premier advertising product portfolio. We are counting on the Mactive team to take a leading role in the future of our advertising strategies. I can't wait to see the great products and technologies that will emerge as a result of this acquisition."
"I agree with the Atex strategy of consolidation and believe that this deal will benefit our customers and staff, as well as provide ongoing development and long-term support for our many loyal customers. Atex has strong leadership and a clear vision of what is needed to provide advanced solutions that will greatly benefit online and print media today, and in the future," said Johan Seeman, CEO of the Mactive Group. Mr. Seeman in his new role with Atex will be responsible for group advertising business for Atex worldwide.
"I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with Atex customers and employees around the world . The combined assets of Mactive and Atex will allow AdBase to continue to be the premier advertising solution for the media industry. The combination of Atex and Mactive is going to make us an unstoppable force," said Scott Roessler, the CEO of Mactive USA and the CTO of the Mactive Group. Mr. Roessler in his new role with Atex will be responsible for the Advertising Business in the Americas as well as the product strategy for advertising solutions worldwide.
Atex Group Limited is backed by the Norwegian Investment Company Kistefos AS.
About Mactive:
Mactive is the developer and supplier of AdBase advertising systems for newspaper and magazine publishers of all sizes. In addition to development, Mactive provides sales, marketing, project management, implementation, and support from offices in Melbourne, Florida; Irvine, California; Helsingborg, Sweden; and Oslo, Norway.
Mactive AB is a holding company in the Fusion group which has subsidiaries in the US, Sweden and Norway.
About Atex Group Limited:
Atex is a leading provider of software solutions and services to the global media industry, with a 30-year history of continuous innovation and commitment to quality. Through the recent acquisitions of Unisys Media and Mactive, Atex has created the largest digital content management and multimedia software delivery capability in the world. The company has nearly $1 billion USD worth of software installed worldwide and supports in excess of 800 customers in more than 40 countries.
In addition to its significant R&D investment, Atex partners with world-leading complementary solutions providers to enhance integration and Web services development. Providing professional, long-term support through a global network of strategically located regional offices, Atex is headquartered in Reading, UK, and may be found on the Web at: http://www.atex.com
