VNU Completes Sale of Its Stake in Solucient to Thomson

Business Wire, Oct 16, 2006

HAARLEM, Netherlands -- VNU Group B.V., a leading global information and media company, said today it has completed the sale of its 34.3% stake in Solucient, an information products company serving the healthcare industry, to The Thomson Corporation. Terms were not disclosed.

VNU announced an agreement to sell its stake in Solucient on September 18, 2006, saying the business no longer was considered a strategic fit with VNU's Marketing Information group, which focuses primarily on the fast-moving consumer goods sector.

VNU had been a minority owner in Solucient since 1999, when it formed a joint-venture business with private-equity firm Veronis, Suhler & Associates (now Veronis Suhler Stevenson) that was later renamed Solucient.

With the closing of this transaction, Thomson now owns 100% of Solucient.

About VNU

VNU is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Computing, Intermediair) and trade shows. The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. VNU employs nearly 41,000 people and had total revenues of EUR 3.5 billion in 2005. For more information, visit www.vnu.com.