NIELSEN
TO ACQUIRE TELEPHIA, INC., THE LEADING SOURCE OF CONSUMER
RESEARCH FOR THE TELECOM AND MOBILE MEDIA MARKETS
Transaction
To Accelerate Independent Measurement and Analysis of
Media
and Data Content on Mobile Devices
New
York and San Francisco --June 27, 2007--The Nielsen
Company today announced an agreement to acquire San
Francisco-based Telephia, Inc., the leading provider
of syndicated consumer research to the telecom and mobile
media markets. This transaction will accelerate Nielsen's
strategy of providing clients worldwide with the most
accurate measurement and analysis of consumer behavior
and media use across all platforms.
Terms
of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval
and expected to close in the third quarter, were not
disclosed. Telephia and Nielsen are both privately held
companies.
Telephia
serves over 100 clients in the United States , Canada
and Europe from all sectors of the telecom and mobile
media markets, including mobile operators, device manufacturers,
retailers, infrastructure vendors, investment analysts
and content providers. The company provides independent,
technology-based measurements of consumer behavior,
product quality, and consumer attitudes, and is the
mobile industry's standard for subscriber market share,
network quality, consumer satisfaction, and mobile media
consumption.
This
acquisition provides Nielsen with an entry into measurement
services for the estimated $350 billion mobile sector,
where telecom and media are quickly converging. Telephia
expands Nielsen's ability to measure the rapidly expanding
mobile content delivery industry, where today there
are more than 232 million wireless subscribers in the
U.S.
Through
its Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) Nielsen
is committed to measuring consumer use of video and
online activity on any platform on which consumers can
access that content. Nielsen also recently announced
that its Nielsen Wireless service will begin measuring
how many people use content services such as mobile
Internet and mobile video and what impact this has on
established media behavior. Telephia's patented technology,
industry expertise and analytic strengths will enhance
and accelerate Nielsen's activities in these areas.
At the same time, Nielsen expects to invest in and grow
Telephia's core measurement products while creating
opportunities to expand these businesses into media
measurement.
Susan
D. Whiting Executive Vice President of The Nielsen Company
said, "As media content increasingly moves from
television to the personal computer to the ‘third screen'
of the mobile device, it is essential that we measure
all platforms. Combining Nielsen's worldwide strengths
and measurement expertise with Telephia's cutting edge
research and measurement capabilities in the mobile
content arena expands our capabilities in the vital,
high-growth telecom and mobile media markets. Building
on the compatible strengths of both companies enables
us to provide more complete consumer insights to clients
around the world."
Whiting
also noted, "Telephia's strong management team
has built a company with a powerful base of clients,
leading measurement technology and sought after research
that complements our own. This is a strategic, high
growth opportunity that enhances Nielsen's existing
capabilities, strengthens our business and delivers
even more of the intelligence our global customers need
to succeed."
"The
Telephia team is very excited to be joining The Nielsen
Company," said Sid Gorham, President and CEO of
Telephia. "With access to all the expertise, complementary
products, and global resources of The Nielsen Company,
Telephia will be able to better serve clients in the
rapidly evolving telecom and mobile media markets."
About
The Nielsen Company
The
Nielsen Company is a global information and media company
with leading market positions and recognized brands
in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information
(Nielsen Media Research), trade shows and business publications
(Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately-held
company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters
in Haarlem , the Netherlands , and New York , USA .
For more information, please visit www.nielsen.com.
About
Telephia
Telephia
is the world's largest provider of syndicated consumer
research to the telecom and mobile media markets. Since
1998, executives at service providers, device manufacturers,
content providers, and retailers have relied on Telephia
data to make confident competitive strategy, marketing
and resource allocation decisions. Telephia uses its
unique measurement tools and large-scale consumer panels
to completely understand the digital consumer's behavior,
attitudes and experience. For more information please
visit www.telephia.com.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
communication contains "forward-looking statements"
which represent the current expectations and beliefs
of management of Nielsen concerning the proposed acquisition
of Telephia and other future events and their potential
effects on Nielsen and Telephia. The statements, analyses,
and other information contained herein relating to the
proposed acquisition, as well as other statements including
words such as "anticipate," "believe,"
"plan," "estimate," "expect,"
"intend," "will," "should,"
"may," and other similar expressions, are
"forward-looking statements" under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future results and
are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from
those anticipated. Those factors include, without limitation:
(1) the satisfaction of the conditions to the closing
specified in the Telephia acquisition agreement; (2)
the ability to successfully combine the businesses of
Nielsen and Telephia and to develop the Telephia business
and technology, including protection of its intellectual
property rights; (3) operating costs and business disruption
following the acquisition, including adverse effects
on relationships with employees, customers and suppliers;
(4) changes in the markets and interest rate environment
that affect revenues; (5) diversion of management time
on acquisition related issues; (6) control and retention
of key employees upon announcement of the proposed acquisition
and following closing; (7) general economic conditions
such as inflation; and (8) general political and social
conditions such as war, political unrest and terrorism.
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Gary
Holmes (The Nielsen Company)
646-654-8975
Gary.holmes@nielsen.com
Maria
Bumatay (Telephia, Inc.)
415.637.4904
mbumatay@telephia.com
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