2008 News Releases

United Business Media acquires Next Level for $5m

02 June

Adds analytics, sales management and marketing services to Everything Channel division

United Business Media plc today announces that it has acquired Next Level on behalf of its Everything Channel division (www.everythingchannel.com). UBM has acquired the business from its shareholders for an initial cash consideration of $5m, with a further performance-related consideration of up to $6.5m, payable over the next three years.

Next Level (www.nextlvl.com) provides international sales, marketing and analytical services to the technology channel. Next Level customers include IBM, Intel, Seagate, Motorola, Cisco, Autodesk, SAP, Nortel, and Microsoft. Next Level is a well-positioned business with a strong brand and significant opportunity for growth when coupled with Everything Channel’s existing sales force, services business and customers. Next Level’s services, particularly its sales support which contributes the majority of the business’s revenues, are highly complementary to Everything Channel’s media, research and training services and will advance the development of Everything Channel’s business as the “Complete Channel Solution”.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, Next Level employs approximately 80 people worldwide. In 2007, the business generated revenues of around $3.6m. The acquisition is anticipated to meet UBM's 8% post-tax cost of capital acquisition criterion in its first full year of ownership.

Robert Faletra, Chief Executive Officer, Everything Channel said:

“For 30 years Everything Channel has been the number one source for the technology channel. Today, we are continuing our mission of channel access to execution by adding technology sales support to our portfolio. In today's economic environment, sales support and the ability to drive incremental revenues from existing and new channel partners is extremely important to technology manufacturers. As we acquire and partner with new companies, we remain committed to strengthening our business in order to deliver a complete channel solution.”

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Notes to Editors

1. About United Business Media plc
United Business Media plc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world’s buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 5,000 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com.

2. About Next Level
Next Level is an IT sales, marketing and analytics agency that enables technology companies to seize opportunities quickly through program creation, execution and on-going management by highly trained and skilled inside and field-based personnel. Next Level customers include, among others, IBM, Intel, Seagate, Motorola, Cisco, Autodesk, SAP, Nortel, and Microsoft. For more information, go to www.nextlvl.com.

3. About Everything Channel
Formerly called CMP Channel, Everything Channel is the global leader in technology sales and serves as the one stop shop for the sales channel that drives 75 percent of technology sales throughout the world. The sellers of technology turn to Everything Channel to manage and accelerate all points of their business. For more information, go to www.everythingchannel.com or www.channelweb.com.

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