Thomson Financial Delivers Sophisticated Intranet Solution for Gruntal & Co.; New Intranet Site Streamlines Research Distribution, Save Time and Money

Business Wire, July 19, 2001

Business & Technology Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2001

Thomson Financial, a division of The Thomson Corporation (TSE: TOC), today announced the development of a custom Intranet solution for Gruntal & Co., L.L.C., a full-service investment firm headquartered in New York City.

Thomson Financial utilized its custom-configured Web platform for the Gruntal site, which distributes commingled Gruntal internal research, Thomson Financial and correspondent relationship research, and other content sets to over 1,000 of Gruntal's internal brokers and institutional clients.

Thomson Financial custom-configurable Application Service Provider (ASP) offerings integrate best-of-breed content with the client's own content and are delivered via a modular, customized technology designed to meet the unique needs of each user. Because Thomson Financial's ASP is vertically focused on the institutional investor community, buy- and sell-side users benefit from Thomson Financial's applied intelligence - an understanding of how investment content and expert technology come together to add value to the investment process.

"Our goal is to save time and communicate more effectively with our clients by creating a more efficient way to streamline our research distribution process. Thomson Financial Solutions is helping us to achieve that objective," said Eric Siber, senior vice president at Gruntal. "Our brokers and institutional clients will benefit from improved productivity and direct access to Gruntal's research commingled with Thomson content, and quick links to the research our brokers use the most."

"We were able to deliver on Gruntal's request for an easily navigable site," said Richard Pucci, chief operating officer of Thomson Financial's Research and Analytics group. "This rapidly deployed solution brings together best-of-breed content, modular technology and industry expertise that will help differentiate Gruntal from its competitors."

Thomson Financial information available to Gruntal via its intranet solution includes:

-- Real-time, broker-sourced research reports from First Call Research Direct

-- Real-time analyst morning meeting notes from First Call Notes

-- Real-time earnings estimates and fundamental data from the First Call
Real-time Earnings Estimates Database

Thomson Financial's custom web solutions, including Web sites, intranet sites and other Internet-based solutions, feature rapid deployment and provide many benefits to institutional buy and sell-side clients. They enable financial services firms to manage and use strategic information to increase investment return, generate sales and build closer relationships with their customers. They build brand loyalty by serving as a sales and marketing channel, and they help firms to differentiate themselves from competing offerings.

Gruntal & Co., L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gruntal Financial L.L.C., is a national securities brokerage firm established in 1880. The firm offers a full line of investment products and services to individual and institutional clients. Gruntal Financial L.L.C., with approximately $20 billion in client assets, employs over 1,400 people in offices across the United States.

Thomson Financial is a US$2 billion provider of e-information and integrated work solutions to the worldwide financial community. Through the widest range of products and services in the industry, Thomson Financial helps clients in more than 70 countries make better decisions, be more productive and achieve superior results. Thomson Financial is part of The Thomson Corporation (TSE:TOC), a leading, global e-information and solutions company with annual revenues of approximately US$6 billion. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the Toronto and London stock exchanges. For more information on Thomson Financial, visit www.thomsonfinancial.com.