Thomson Financial Services Acquires Rainmaker Information Services; Aggressive Push Toward Global Information Coverage Inspires TFS' Recent Deal.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 1998--Thomson Financial Services (TFS), a leading provider of information services and workflow solutions to the worldwide financial community, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Rainmaker Information Services (Rainmaker), a Sydney-based provider of client management tools, contact information and investment management performance data to investment managers and plan sponsors. Rainmaker will significantly expand TFS'geographical coverage of its information products to the Pacific Rim. The firm will be integrated into TFS' database division. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Rainmaker already has an outstanding reputation in Australia and Asia for helping investment managers, institutional sales departments and plan sponsors do their jobs better," said David Flaschen, Thomson Financial Services president and chief executive officer. "By leveraging Rainmaker's information content and work solutions in combination with TFS' existing businesses, such as Investext's Nelson Information, Technimetrics, and First Call, we will increase our commitment to these markets by extending our global reach."

According to joint managing directors of Rainmaker, James Burkitt and Chris Page, "Rainmaker clients will gain many advantages from this alliance. Thomson Financial Services' software development capabilities and global resources combined will ensure that new products and service solutions will be regularly offered to our clients on an ongoing basis."

"We have been using the Rainmaker service in Australia and Asia since 1995, and find them absolutely essential to our business in Australia and Southeast Asia. The new alliance with Thomson Financial Services will no doubt add greater depth to the Rainmaker services," said David Nesbitt, marketing director Southeast Asia and Australia, American Express Asset Management Group.

Ed Robie, principal of Wilshire Associates and current Nelson client, commented, "Thomson Financial Services' acquisition of Rainmaker, and its efforts in general to grow Nelson's global coverage, is important to Wilshire in satisfying the needs of our growing global client base."

Founded in 1992 by James Burkitt and Christopher Page, Rainmaker is extremely similar in content and structure to the US-based Nelson (a TFS company since May 1998) business and quickly earned the reputation as the market leader in Australia and Asia for software applications and integrated information to investment managers and plan sponsors (i.e., contact information and investment management performance data). Products are currently delivered via CD-ROM and print; web-based products will be the next platform used for distributing the information.

The Rainmaker purchase is the 17th Thomson Financial Services acquisition since January 1, 1998. Other properties acquired by Thomson Financial Services in 1998 include Technimetrics, Nelson Information, digiTRADE, Viga Technologies, EDI World, PARITY, Privitisation International, Tudor House Publications Ltd., Dalbar Publications, Boston Treasury Systems, Card Tech/Secur Tech, Credit Union Journal/Credit Union News, FutureBank Conference, the investor relations business of Georgeson & Co., Chase Global Data and Research, as well as the insurance business of OneSource.

Thomson Financial Services (TFS), is a leading provider of information services and work solutions to the worldwide financial community. TFS employs more than 8,000 people in more than 40 locations dedicated to the success of our clients and is part of The Thomson Corporation (TTC). 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.