Trading Statement

Ingenta PLC 13 October 2004 Date: Embargoed until 09.00am, Wednesday 13 October 2004 Contacts: Martyn Rose, Chairman Mark Rowse, Chief Executive Ingenta Tel: 01865 799000 Website: www.Ingenta.com Alistair Mackinnon-Musson Philip Dennis Hudson Sandler Tel: 020 7796 4133 Email: Ingenta@hspr.co.uk Ingenta plc Trading Update Board and Management Changes Trading update: 12 months to 30 September 2004 Ingenta plc, the technology and services provider to the publishing and information industries, announced in June 2004 that it had changed its financial reporting period end from 30 September to 31 December. This announcement includes unaudited results for the 12 months ended 30 September 2004 in order to provide shareholders with information on the Group's progress prior to the announcement in March 2005 of the audited results for the 15 months to 31 December 2004. Overall trading results for the 12 months to 30 September 2004 have shown a modest but nevertheless improving trend compared to 2003. On the basis of unaudited management accounts for the period, turnover in the 6 months ended 30 September 2004 is expected to be broadly in line with the £3.6m achieved in the 6 months to 31 March 2004. Whilst top line revenue has not met management's expectations, largely due to delays in the signature and recognition of revenue from new contracts, the Group has, however, halted the trend of declining turnover over the previous 18 months. Gross margins for the period were steady and overheads continued to decline, as expected, producing an improved net trading performance in the second half of the year. At the time of the Interim Statement in June 2004 it was anticipated the Company would be required to apply the International Reporting Standards for software design and development costs by capitalising such items which, at the time, were £0.4m. The Board has subsequently taken the view that a more conservative approach should be taken and therefore it does not intend to capitalise these costs but instead continue to expense all software design and development costs as they arise through the profit and loss account. On this basis, the Group produced a restated unaudited loss before tax and exceptional items of £(1.1)m for the first 6 months (6 months to 31 March 2003: £(1.8)m). As previously announced, the Group has been seeking to broaden its addressable market, building on a proven track record of delivery of technology-based services to academic and professional publishers by creating products and services which are attractive both to the larger academic publishers who already have an in-house Internet delivery capability, as well as many new prospective customers in other publishing markets. The first step in the successful execution of this strategy was marked by the signing during the period of two major sales based around the Group's new Information Commerce initiative. A sale of the Company's new licenced software product to Institute of Physics Publishing and a contract to provide a managed service for the British Standards Institute will together generate over £0.8m of revenue, of which £0.6m will be recognised during 2005. Benefiting from over £1m of investment, of which some £0.7m has been written-off in the 12 months to 30 September 2004, this product allows publishers to manage their digital rights; to link their Internet publication systems with their traditional paper-based systems; and to create and market new products and generate new revenues from their published material. Board and Management changes The Board has concluded it is the right time for a change in the mix of skills within the management team and structure to ensure delivery of the Group's 2005 and 2006 plans. It is therefore pleased to announce that with effect from 13 October 2004 Simon Dessain will be appointed CEO, responsible for delivering the Group's results and pursuing its opportunities for growth whilst maintaining its traditional strengths in the academic and professional publishing markets. Mark Rowse will become a Non-executive Director and will pursue new business and corporate development activities. As part of the new management structure certain sales reporting lines are being consolidated in order to provide the Group with a greater sales focus. These and other changes will streamline the Group's management team and will provide improved efficiency for the 2005 financial year. In connection with his appointment, Simon Dessain has been granted options to subscribe for up to 2.5m new Ordinary Shares of 5p each in Ingenta at 5p per share, of which 1.0m options are conditional on the Company producing an audited net profit before tax for the year ending 31 December 2005 and up to a further 1.5m options, on a sliding scale basis, are conditional on the Company's net profits before tax for the year ending 31 December 2006 exceeding £1.0m, up to a maximum of £2.0m. His salary remains unchanged. Current trading and prospects The Board expects the results for the final three months of the current reporting period to 31st December 2004 to produce near break even trading at the EBITDA level. This continued strengthening of the Group's market position, taken together with the benefits beginning to be felt from the stronger new order pipeline and continuing cost reduction initiatives, should place it in an improved position as it enters its 2005 financial year. - ENDS - This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange RP

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