9th March 2011

Touchstone: New partnership will enhance Touchstone products

Workload Acquired by Equifax.

New partnership will enhance the Touchstone product range for Workload clients
Workload is delighted to announce that it is now part of the Equifax group, a leading provider of consumer credit and business risk management services. The partnership will give Workload unprecedented access to a fantastic range of additional resources, which will enhance the breadth and depth of our Touchstone products for the benefit of our clients.

Partnering with Equifax takes the Touchstone proposition to a new level. The deal provides Workload with access to software resource in the UK and through its outsourced partners such as IBM and TCS. We also look to enhance the Touchstone Connect data collection adding the extensive call centre resources Equifax have with our own.

At a time when financial services, telecommunications and retail companies are seeking to gain market advantage through effective customer management, this acquisition allows Equifax to provide the broadest possible insight into consumer behaviours and market opportunities.

The acquisition of Workload is part of Equifax's global strategy to continue to develop its market-leading wealth intelligence business. Equifax Inc acquired US wealth data specialist, IXI, at the end of 2009 and Workload extends this expertise.
"This partnership gives us a superb platform to build and improve on the services which we currently provide to our increasingly sophisticated client base" said Mark Hamill, Managing Director, Workload. "Working with the Equifax team will enable us to help all our product providers and IFA clients to improve all aspects of their business growth strategies."

"Workload has built a respected and successful business with a blue chip client base that mirrors Equifax's own client profile" explained Shawn Holtzclaw, Managing Director, Equifax. "I am hugely confident that the combination of our two organisations - the data and the analytical expertise - will create a compelling and innovative proposition that, to date hasn't been seen in the UK market."

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