Escher Group Welcomes Elmar Toime as Consultant

Business Wire, March 18, 2005

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Former deputy chairman of Royal Mail Group and chief executive of New Zealand Post will provide strategic consultancy services to Escher and its customers

Escher Group, Ltd., a leading provider of counter automation and business applications to the postal industry, announced today that it has retained the services of Elmar Toime, former deputy chairman of Royal Mail Group and chief executive of New Zealand Post, to identify new business opportunities and develop and promote strategic solutions for customers worldwide.

"Elmar Toime is revered by the industry and we are extremely pleased to be working with him," said Michael Murphy, president and CEO of Escher Group. "Our expertise in providing advanced technologies and business solutions to the postal market combined with Elmar's extensive industry experience make this a winning relationship for our customers."

Elmar Toime joined Royal Mail Group as executive deputy chairman in 2003 where he had responsibilities across Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd. Prior to joining Royal Mail, Mr. Toime was chief executive of New Zealand Post from 1993 to 2003 and is credited with leading that post through its transformation into one of the top-rated postal services in the world. In recognition of his success at New Zealand Post, Mr. Toime received the Industry Leadership Award at the 2004 World Mail Awards this past May in Berlin, Germany.

"Escher is a proven leader in post office counter automation," said Elmar Toime. "The company understands not only the technology, but also the business environment and the commercial drivers affecting this sector. I look forward to working with a management team that is committed to developing new and innovative products that will enable organizations to capitalize on changing business models and strategies."

About Escher Group, Limited

Escher Group Limited is a leading provider of distributed transaction processing and data management solutions and services. The company offers a business-to-business XML-based transaction management environment, used in thousands of locations worldwide. Since its introduction in 1993, Riposte(R), Escher's flagship messaging solution, has grown to become the market leader in post office counter automation.

Trademarks: WebRiposte and Riposte are trademarks or registered trademarks of Escher Group, Limited in the United States and/or other countries. All product names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.