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Focus Solutions Group PLC 04 September 2003 4th September 2003 Focus signs new customer contract with Winterthur Life UK - a Credit Suisse Company Focus Solutions Group ("Focus" or the "Group"), the specialist provider of sales automation solutions, has signed a three year contract worth £400,000 for the use of its goal:technology software with Winterthur Life UK, part of Winterthur Group, which is part of Credit Suisse Group. Winterthur Life is Focus' first customer outside the membership of Origo, the UK standards body for e-business within the UK life and pensions industry. Under the terms of agreement, Focus' technology will be integrated into Winterthur's extranet to provide an online solution for Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) to access product illustrations and to complete new business applications electronically. 75% of this contract represents licence revenue for goal:technology that will contribute directly towards the growth of Focus Solutions Group's recurring revenue stream and its move towards profitability. As part of Focus' new business growth plans it continues to expand its customer base and is currently in contract negotiations for goal:technology with two other major insurance providers that are sponsors of the Origo initiative. John Streets, Chief Executive of Focus Solutions said: "An important aspect of the continued growth of our business is acquiring new customers and this contract is a significant step forward for Focus as it is our first non Origo customer. It is particularly pleasing to see the adoption of e-trading grow to companies outside of the Origo industry initiative as this widens our market opportunity and strengthens our position within the insurance community. The delivery of an online solution for Winterthur's extranet endorses the capability of goal:technology to support multiple distribution channels for an insurer. This also provides Focus with the opportunity for additional future licence sales to the same customer." Enquiries Focus Solutions Group plc 01926 468300 John Streets - Chief Executive Martin Clements - Finance Director Notes to Editors: About Focus Solutions Group Focus Solutions Group is a specialist provider of sales automation solutions for the financial services industry. Underpinned by goal:technology, its innovative XML toolkit, Focus delivers a paperless sales process across multiple channels to market including IFA portals, websites, extranets, direct sales and call centres. Focus has a blue chip customer base of financial services organisations including Friends Provident, Legal & General, Norwich Union, Paymentshield, Prudential, Scottish Equitable, Scottish Provident, Scottish Widows, Skandia UK Group, Standard Life and Zurich, as well as industry portals, including Assureweb, The Exchange and IFAengine. With specific expertise in Point of Sale (POS) systems, Focus developed RIO, Norwich Union's POS solution that currently has 900 users including Norwich Union's direct sales force and tied building societies. Norwich Union and Focus recently won the 'Best use of IT in insurance' category at the Financial Sector Technology Awards 2003 for this project. The Group announced its year-end results on 12.06.03, which saw revenue increase by 30% to £6.6m. For further information on Focus Solutions, please visit www.focus-solutions.co.uk. About Winterthur Life UK Limited • Winterthur Life UK Limited is part of Winterthur Group, which is part of Credit Suisse Group, a leading global financial services company headquartered in Zurich. • Winterthur Life UK Limited is renowned for its innovative approach to financial products. Its philosophy of transparent product propositions offers advisers a range of retirement and investment solutions with an open charging structure. • Winterthur Life UK Limited is one of the UK's top ten providers of Group Personal Pensions and Single Premium Personal Pensions via IFAs and a leading provider of SIPPs (Self Invested Personal Pensions). • Any opinions expressed in this media communication are made as at the date of publication but are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not a guide to the future. The value of shares/units and the income from them can go down as well as up. Exchange rate fluctuations may cause the value of underlying investments to fall as well as rise. Yields are not guaranteed and may fall or rise. • Winterthur Life UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. www.winterthur-ifa.co.uk Winterthur Group Winterthur Group is a leading Swiss insurance company with head office in Winterthur. As an international company, the Group provides a broad range of property and liability insurance products, as well as insurance solutions in life and pensions that are tailored to the individual needs of private and corporate clients. Winterthur Group has approximately 23,000 employees worldwide. The company achieved a premium volume of CHF 37.4 billion in 2002 and reported assets under management of CHF 149.6 billion as of June 30, 2003. Credit Suisse Group Credit Suisse Group is a leading global financial services company headquartered in Zurich. The business unit Credit Suisse Financial Services provides private clients and small and medium-sized companies with private banking and financial advisory services, banking products, and pension and insurance solutions from Winterthur. The business unit Credit Suisse First Boston, an investment bank, serves global institutional, corporate, government and individual clients in its role as a financial intermediary. Credit Suisse Group's registered shares (CSGN) are listed in Switzer-land and Frankfurt, and in the form of American Depositary Shares (CSR) in New York. The Group employs around 64,000 staff worldwide. As of June 30, 2003, it reported assets under management of CHF 1,234.2 billion. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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