Trading Statement

Ingenta PLC
8 October 2001





Date:            Embargoed until 07.00hrs, Monday 8th October 2001



Contacts:        Ingenta                      Website: www.ingenta.com
                 Mark Rowse, Chief Executive         Tel: [phone]
                 David Callcott, Finance Director    Tel: [phone]

                 Hudson Sandler
                 Alistair Mackinnon-Musson          Tel: [phone]
                 Philip Dennis               Email: [e-mail]





Ingenta plc



Moves into profit ahead of schedule





Following its financial year end on 30th September, Ingenta plc, the global
market leader in the online distribution of published scientific, professional
and academic research, is pleased to announce that it has achieved
profitability ahead of schedule and that profits for the new financial year
are on target with market expectations.



Over the past six months, Ingenta has signed over 30 new agreements with
publishers of academic and professional research and now works with over 170
partners, including 9 of the world's top 10 publishers in this market,
reflecting the underlying strength of this niche sector as publishers make the
rapid move from print to online distribution. This trend is reflected by an
independent survey, commissioned by Ingenta, illustrating that, by switching
to online distribution, publisher royalties and revenue could increase by 38%,
or $1bn, in addition to their current subscription revenues.



Ingenta now acts as a gateway to over 2.5 million online articles, which
represents over 70% of all the journals available on the web. As well as
developing its core publisher services activity, Ingenta has also signed
agreements to create a further 29 e-community websites since March in addition
to over 40 already in service.



Demand for Ingenta's end user services continues to rise dramatically. The
number of articles accessed and delivered in August alone increased to over
716,000, 683% up on the same month last year.  To support this rapidly
increasing volume, and to create a more scalable platform with lower overhead
requirements going forward, management took the opportunity provided by the
integration of acquired businesses to accelerate its investment programme in
its core technology platform, which was released in phases between May and
September 2001. This has resulted in exceptional items for the year being
greater than anticipated.



Overall revenues for the year represent a substantial increase over the
previous year. Both publisher services and e-communities revenues grew
strongly, although revenues from e-commerce are likely to be lower than
forecast due to disruption over the Summer months caused by the implementation
of the Company's new services.  Following successful completion of this major
new technology advance, traffic levels and document delivery are now
increasing sharply.



The change in business mix has resulted in higher than forecast margins which
has substantially offset the effect of lower volumes. In addition, the company
has also benefited from overheads being lower than expected.



As we commence our new financial year, current trading is running ahead of
market expectations, with over £3million of new business signed in August, and
the company moving into operating profit ahead of schedule in September.  The
company had cash balances of some £2million at 30th September 2001, which
management considers adequate for the company's needs since it has now moved
into profitability on a month by month basis.



The changed business mix experienced in the year is expected to be reflected
in future periods. The resulting higher gross margins and lower than expected
overheads should however result in profits remaining close to current market
expectations for 2002 and 2003.





Commenting, Mark Rowse, Chief Executive, Ingenta plc said:



'I am delighted that Ingenta has now moved into profit ahead of schedule. With
contracted and expected repeat business for 2002 already at over 50% of our
expectations for the year, we are primed to strengthen our position as the
leading supplier of online services within this $6 billion industry.'



Martyn Rose, Chairman, Ingenta plc, added:



'Current trading is running ahead of market expectations and through our
investment in technology we have established a base of ongoing higher margins
and lower than expected costs. Taking these factors together with a forward
order book that exceeds the equivalent at the same time last year, we are
looking forward to enjoying the benefits of the company's operational gearing
as the business continues to grow rapidly.'





Notes to editors



Ingenta is the global market leader in the online distribution of published
scientific, professional and academic research. It provides an online search
service of published content from reliable research sources not freely
searchable elsewhere on the web and is one of the UK's top five web service
operators, serving over three million visitors a month.



For publishers of scientific, professional and academic periodicals, journals
and reference works, it provides a suite of services including data
conversion, secure online hosting, subscription authentication, marketing and
e-commerce services. As well as providing web users with a broad-based article
search and delivery service through www.ingenta.com, Ingenta also develops
subject-focused e-communities, built in conjunction with societies and
publishers, and enterprise portal solutions for libraries.



Ingenta's revenue streams derive both from fees paid by publishers and from a
share of pay per view and subscription revenues from users paying to download
articles or subscribing to e-communities it operates such as
www.animalscience.com or www.nutritiongate.com.



e25, the definitive index of the UK's top 25 Internet businesses from leading
business magazine Management Today and business consultancy Bain & Company,
placed Ingenta in the number 3 spot in its March 2001 edition, and US-based
InfoWorld has named Ingenta as one of its top 100 e-businesses to watch.



For more information about the Ingenta Institute research, please email
[e-mail].





Websites:



www.ingenta.com