COMMERZBANK AG Selects PORTIA As Portfolio Management Solution.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 1999--

Two of Germany's Top Five Asset Managers to use PORTIA to

Facilitate KAGG Regulatory Compliance

Thomson Investment Software (TIS), the leading provider of software products and consulting services to the investment community, today announced that it has licensed its global portfolio management solution - PORTIA - to COMMERZBANK AG, Germany's third largest private commercial bank with assets under management exceeding DM200 billion. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

COMMERZBANK Asset Management conducted an exhaustive review of all available software solutions, culminating in an extensive trial of PORTIA before licensing the solution to streamline their portfolio management operations. As part of their review, COMMERZBANK Asset Management tested PORTIA's ability to handle the most complex KAGG regulatory restrictions to which German mutual and pension fund managers must adhere. Already used at wholly owned subsidiary Montgomery Asset Management based in San Francisco, PORTIA will be installed at three additional entities, including COMMERZBANK International Capital Management (CICM), COMMERZBANK Investment Management (CIM) and Allgemeine Deutsche Investment - Gesellschaft (ADIG). Initial implementation will include support for more than 50 PORTIA end-users with an additional 150 end-users being added throughout COMMERZBANK's Asset Management entities within two years time. PORTIA is replacing a variety of internal tools.

"The question at COMMERZBANK was whether to build or to buy. We required a multi-faceted solution that would at once centralize and streamline our operations while facilitating KAGG regulatory, Y2K and Euro compliance," said Doris Polanek, vice president central asset management of COMMERZBANK. "PORTIA provided everything we were looking for: a commitment to customer service, international credibility, proven technology and the ability to support a global infrastructure. And PORTIA is the only system that enables businesses to comply with KAGG regulatory requirements, making it an incredibly important tool for the German marketplace."

"COMMERZBANK is the second in a series of important agreements with Germany's top institutions that PORTIA has announced within the last six months. These agreements with such large, sophisticated organizations are a testament to our proven technology and attention to client service," said Martin Barlow, general manager of Thomson Investment Software Europe. "We're happy to welcome COMMERZBANK into our growing family of true global players."

PORTIA is the investment industry's leading portfolio management system, automating the trading, analysis and operations of more than US$4 trillion in assets for approximately 400 money managers in 38 countries worldwide. It is well known in the market for its robust functionality and innovative use of scalable client/server technology that utilizes the Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise relational database. PORTIA is designed specifically for firms with large data volumes and sophisticated data integration requirements.

COMMERZBANK, with more than DM640 million in total assets, ranks as Germany's third largest private commercial bank. As a "universal," or all-purpose bank, it functions both as a commercial bank and an investment bank. Its staff of 32,000 is spread throughout its 1,000 domestic bank branches and in 60 outlets in 45 countries worldwide. In addition, the Bank holds a series of stakes in foreign banks and holds positions on their management boards. In America, COMMERZBANK has branches in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles. It is also majority owner of Montgomery Asset Management in San Francisco and of Martingale Asset Management in Boston.

PORTIA is the flagship product of Thomson Investment Software (TIS) which provides a suite of premier software products and consulting services that enhance the performance of investment management or bank treasury operations. An industry leader for more than a decade, TIS offers flexible, workflow solutions that leverage advanced and proven technologies, enabling over 600 clients worldwide to achieve their business goals. TIS currently has nine offices around the world, including Boston, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Sydney.

TIS is a unit of Thomson Financial Services (TFS), a leading provider of information services and work solutions to the worldwide financial community. TFS, part of The Thomson Corporation (TTC), has 40 offices located throughout the world and employs more than 7,000 people dedicated to the success of its clients. With annual revenues approaching US$6 billion, TTC is one of the world's leading information and publishing companies. TTC's common shares are traded on the Toronto, Montreal and London stock exchanges. For more information, visit the TFS Web site at www.tfn.com.