Empresas y finanzas

update software AG Posts Record Revenues and Doubles Operating Earnings in Q2/2007



    In the second quarter of fiscal 2007, update software AG (FWB:UP2)
    - a leading European vendor of Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
    solutions - has posted record revenues. For the first time, update,
    headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and quoted on the Frankfurt Stock
    Exchange, generated total sales in excess of EUR 8 million, an
    increase of more than 43 percent compared to the previous quarter.
    Moreover, the company doubled earnings before interest and taxes
    (EBIT). Revenues for the second quarter of 2007 amounted to EUR 8.123
    million, up 43.3 percent over the same period of fiscal 2006 (EUR
    5.670 million). And, significantly for a software vendor, licensing
    sales rose by 53.8 percent. EBIT climbed to EUR 1.028 million, up 99.6
    percent over the second quarter of 2006. Earnings before tax (EBT)
    were EUR 1.066 million, a year-on-year jump of 90 percent (EUR 0.561
    million).

    On course for the EUR 100 million mark

    update CEO, Thomas Deutschmann, is understandably upbeat: "The
    figures speak for themselves. The recent acquisition of Orgaplan, the
    German CRM specialist for banks, with a particular focus on the
    publicly-owned Sparkassen, has already had an extremely positive
    impact. Especially in financial services, update has experienced
    above-average growth, and considerably increased market share, putting
    us firmly on track to become the European leader. Our strategy of
    targeting specific industries, and our commitment to profitable
    growth, are proving highly successful. What's more, the development of
    company results underlines the realism of our EUR 50 million revenue
    target for fiscal 2009 - to which a further significant acquisition
    would also contribute. Against this background of growth and
    profitability, I can easily imagine update joining the ranks of
    companies that generate annual revenues of EUR 100 million within the
    next decade."

    A string of new customers

    update gained a number of new customers in the second quarter of
    fiscal 2007 - such as the K&H Bank Rt in Hungary, a member of the
    Belgian KBC group, and two leading financial services organisations in
    Switzerland. The vendor's clientele also includes Schunk GmbH & Co.
    KG, a German manufacturer of automation components and
    tool-/work-holding solutions, and Doka Schalungstechnik GmbH, an
    Austrian supplier of formwork and a member of the Umdasch group. And
    the Centrum pro vedska studia (Centre for Vedic Studies) in the Czech
    Republic, and Diagnosis4Health, a Dutch organisation, are further
    additions to update's customer base.

    Half-year sales 30.5 percent higher than for same period of 2006

    In terms of half-yearly figures, too, update has seen impressive
    year-on-year improvement. Total sales rose from EUR 10.831 million for
    the first six months of 2006 to EUR 14.138 million for the same period
    in 2007 - a rise of 30.5 percent. EBIT was EUR 1.425 million for the
    first six months, up 76.8 percent over the first half year of 2006
    (EUR 0.806 million). EBT was EUR 1.571 million, 104.8 percent higher
    (EUR 0.767 million in the first half year of 2006). update's cash
    position climbed to EUR 11.761 million - 30.6 percent higher than for
    the first six months of 2006 (EUR 9.008 million). Shareholders' equity
    for update software AG totalled EUR 21.942 million on 30 June 2007 -
    66.3 percent higher than at mid-year 2006 (EUR 13.196 million). update
    financed the purchase of Orgaplan Software GmbH via a share issue in
    June 2007 - so the increase in the cash position is explained by the
    positive development of business operations. Orgaplan Software GmbH,
    acquired by update in April, was fully consolidated in the second
    quarter of 2007.

    About update software

    update software AG (www.update.com) was founded in Vienna,
    Austria, in 1988. With more than 260 employees, and revenues of EUR
    23.4 million in 2006, it is Europe's leading CRM (customer
    relationship management) solution provider. It is quoted on the
    Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

    update products are used by more than 150,000 employees at over
    1,200 leading companies. References include 3M, American Express, BILD
    newspaper publishing group's advertising department, AstraZeneca,
    BAWAG P.S.K., Canon, DuPont, ESTAG, the Hassia Group, UnicreditBank
    Hungary, Landesbank Rheinland-Pfalz International S.A., LBS Nord,
    MagnaSteyr, Pernod Ricard, ratiopharm, Sony Deutschland, as well as
    Sparkasse Bremen, Sparkasse Hamburg, and 200 other German Sparkassen.
    update cooperates with carefully selected systems integration
    partners, such as Atos Origin, Hewlett Packard, Sensix, and Steria
    Mummert Consulting.

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