A Comprehensive & Proactive Approach to Managing Regulatory Compliance Challenges Yields Substantial Benefits

Market Wire, October, 2008

In the newly released benchmark report "Continuously Compliant: Ensuring Proactive, Comprehensive Compliance," Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), found that Best-in-Class organizations realized a 17% increase in the efficiency of compliance tracking and reporting as a direct result of proactively incorporating the right blend of targeted GRC and compliance enabling tools, technologies, and services into a structurally sound, holistic, and business-prioritized internal framework; an average increase more than 7.5 times greater than Laggards. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5289 .

The purpose of this report is two-fold. First, it identifies the strategic actions, internal capabilities, technologies, and services Best-in-Class organizations are employing to transition from reactive, fragmented, and manually intensive compliance activities to proactive, comprehensive, and automated continuous compliance. Then, it provides a roadmap of actionable analysis and recommendations for companies seeking to: (1) ensure accurate and auditable compliance with all relevant governmental, industry-specific, and internally mandated regulations; (2) streamline, automate, and optimize operational processes; and (3) secure the integrity of company image and brand value.

Considered an integral part of their compliance strategies, establishing and enforcing an enterprise-wide, consistent approach to the achievement of compliance objectives allows the Best-in-Class to more effectively identify process breakdowns and inefficient controls, thus enabling valuable internal resources to be re-allocated towards core business activities. As a result, Best-in-Class companies were able to increase the detection of weaknesses in internal compliance processes and controls by 13% and improve their flexibility to adjust to changing regulatory requirements by 15%; an average increase over 3.5x greater than all other organizations.

"By fostering an ethical and compliant company culture and embracing an internal framework that emphasizes communication, accuracy of information, and collaboration across channels and roles, Best-in-Class companies allow employees to structure a work-plan and timetable that ensures compliance objectives are met within specified timeframes while providing both compliance managers and business unit heads with visibility into the status of compliance activities; facilitating dramatic improvements in both the speed and accuracy at which business-critical decisions are able to be made," said Stephen M. Walker II, GRC specialist, Aberdeen. "Ensuring effective, efficient, and on-going compliance with external regulations while reaping internal operational benefits is dependent on pairing the right blend of targeted, scalable tools and technologies with clearly defined internal processes, controls, and organizational buy-in."

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Oracle, and SAI Global. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5289 .

To access all of Aberdeen's complimentary research please visit http://research.aberdeen.com .

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen(TM) for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com .

© 2008 AberdeenGroup, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
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Media Contact: Stephen Walker Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5349 Stephen.walker@aberdeen.com