Aite Group, an Independent Research and Advisory Firm, Launches.

BOSTON -- We are pleased to announce the launch of Aite Group, LLC, an independent research and advisory firm focused on business, technology and regulatory issues and their impact on the financial services industry.

In today's rapidly evolving financial services industry, market participants face multi-dimensional challenges. Existing and impending regulations continue to mount, exerting tremendous amounts of pressure on financial services firms to institute new rules and costly IT infrastructure across the enterprise. Business strategies and processes in each firm are in constant flux, as the rapidly evolving competitive environment dictates ongoing adjustments and requires fresh thinking. Meanwhile, business execution is increasingly at the mercy of IT investment decisions as firms struggle to find the right balance between the management of legacy and modern technology resources.

The founders of Aite Group firmly believe that during these trying times, financial institutions and their technology providers need to access comprehensive, timely, and actionable research and advisory services. Aite Group aims to fulfill this demand by positioning its research and consulting services at the crossroad between business, technology, and regulatory issues.

Aite Group analysts bring with them decades of experience in the financial services research arena and are acknowledged thought leaders in the Banking and Securities & Investments markets. The analysts present regularly at industry conferences and serve as industry commentators for leading mainstream and trade publications.

Describing the firm's ambition for its clients, Sang Lee, Research Director and Managing Partner, points out that "Faced with the current unpredictable environment filled with regulatory pressures and development of new technologies that threaten to disrupt established business practices, Aite Group seeks to become a true partner, advisor, and catalyst by exchanging ideas and challenging basic assumptions to ensure that our clients always stay one step ahead of the competition."

While presenting the research plans of the firm, Gwenn Bezard, Research Director, highlights that "individuals within organizations are hard-pressed to make rapid decisions within a dynamic and intricate business, technology, and regulatory framework. Our research will strive to empower our customers with holistic and actionable analyses."

Recent research topics include: Consumer Money Transfers, Walk-in Bill Payments, Consumer Bill Payments, and IT Spending in U.S. Securities and Investments in 2005.