Omgeo Develops Domestic and Cross-Border Trade Processing Interface by Partnering with JASDEC.

First and Only Platform for Domestic Japanese and Cross-Border Trades to Drastically Increase Market Efficiency

TOKYO & BOSTON & LONDON -- Omgeo, the leading provider of trade management solutions, and JASDEC, the Japanese central securities depository (CSD), today announced a link between their respective services that will streamline trade processing and drastically increase Japanese market efficiency. The interface between Omgeo and JASDEC will provide the first, and so far only, single point of access to both domestic and cross-border trades.

Historically, for investment managers (IMs) that process trades manually in Japan, once a trade had been confirmed between broker and investment manager, the IM was required to send trade instructions to each trust bank in order to affirm with the broker. The trust bank would then send instructions to JASDEC to settle. The direct link between Omgeo and JASDEC eliminates these unnecessary and cumbersome steps, as trade instructions of matched, institutional trades will now automatically be sent to JASDEC and then passed through JASDEC to the trust bank, thus reducing the risk of failed trades and operational costs and improving market efficiency. The link has been successfully tested by a number of early adopter clients and is ready to process live trades. As we continue to see a rise in trade volumes as a direct result of increased front office automation, such as direct market access (DMA) and algorithmic trading, it becomes increasingly important to focus on overhauling outdated and often manual back office and settlement process.

"So far, JASDEC has continued to concentrate on the realization of reform in securities clearing and settlement, and as one of the important constituents, we launched our pre-settlement matching system in 2001 and it has widely contributed to promote STP in JapaneIUs securities market. We expect that building a strong relationship with Omgeo will only support this further," said Yoshinobu Takeuchi, president and chief executive officer of JASDEC.

"Omgeo has been committed to the Japanese securities market for over ten years," added Adam Bryan, president and chief executive officer of Omgeo. "Through our link with JASDEC, we are pleased to provide true end-to-end automation of the trade lifecycle. While there is currently a high rate of automation in the front offices and at the end of the trade lifecycle for many Japanese investment managers, there was an opportunity for Omgeo to improve back office operations and eliminate manual steps in the process."

OmgeoeIUs relationship with JASDEC is an integral part of the companyeIUs broader strategy to build relationships with central depositories around the world. By integrating its confirmation/affirmation and matching services with CSDseIU instruction and pre-settlement matching systems, Omgeo is aiming to deliver greater end-to-end straight-through processing and provide efficiencies similar to the ones realized in the US through its link to DTCC. Investment managers, broker/dealers, custodians and CSDs will benefit from the elimination of redundant operational steps, the achievement of shorter trade settlement cycles and greater transparency of trade flows from confirmation through to settlement.

Omgeo is a joint venture of The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation and Thomson Financial.

About Omgeo(SM)

Omgeo plays a core role as the orchestrator of post-trade pre-settlement trade management within the global securities industry. With more than 6,000 users in 42 countries around the globe, Omgeo acts as a central hub and go-to resource for solutions that expedite information flow and connect systems in order to fuel productivity, reduce costs and minimize risks for investment managers, broker/dealers and custodian banks.

Through a resolute commitment to working with the industry and all its parts to continually drive efficiency, Omgeo has achieved a stature that is unmatched in its field. OmgeoeIUs expertise goes beyond its products and services delivering the most robust and sustainable solutions to its clients by coordinating all available resources in the marketplace. Firms count on OmgeoeIUs rich experience as a solutions provider and its well-established relationships with regulators, industry associations and third-party service providers to help them navigate through a continuously changing industry landscape.

For more information about Omgeo and its STP solutions, go to www.omgeo.com.

About JASDEC

Japan Securities Depository Center, Inc. (JASDEC) which is the only CSD in Japan, handles book-entry for wider securities types, such as Equities, CB, ETF, REIT, Bond, short-term Corporate Bond. JASDECeIUs PSMS has kept contributing to promote STP in JapaneIUs securities market by providing central matching function for trades and settlement from September, 2001.