First Research Selected to Provide Industry Intelligence Via SourceMedia’s Online Research Vault

Readers of American Banker, Bank Technology News, and Other SourceMedia Publications Can Now Access Valuable Industry Profiles Quickly and Cost-effectively

Raleigh, NC – May 9, 2005 – First Research Inc., the leading industry intelligence company, announced today it has been selected to provide industry research and analysis (in the form of individual Industry Profiles) for availability through SourceMedia’s online Research Vault. SourceMedia, Inc. is a leading provider of information, data, and software tools for professionals in the financial services and related technologies markets.

SourceMedia’s Research Vault offers premium business intelligence on banking, financial services, and related technology industries. It is available online through a number of SourceMedia’s Web sites including American Banker Online, Bank Technology News Online, U.S. Banker Online with more sites to follow.

“Our goal in creating the SourceMedia Research Vault was to provide a valuable, easy to access source for comprehensive news, research and industry intelligence,” explained Sanni Sit, Director of E-licensing and Distribution at SourceMedia. “First Research has built a solid reputation for providing business and sales professionals with practical insight into a number of industries. We are proud to make that intelligence available to our clients.”

First Research arms sales teams with the industry intelligence needed to successfully engage sales prospects. Industry Profiles, First Research’s core product, provide the information sales professionals need to quickly learn about a target industry. Each Profile is updated quarterly and highlights critical industry trends, challenges and opportunities.

Individuals and/or organizations can also benefit from First Research’s annual subscriptions where they will gain access to information about more than 170 industries. In addition to Industry Profiles, annual subscribers also receive Call Prep Sheets - one-page overviews of each industry including the opportunity rating, top three key business challenges and opportunities as well as fast facts. Email Alerts with the most recent updates on selected industries are also delivered directly to subscribers.

SourceMedia’s clients worldwide can now purchase these individual Industry Profiles through the Research Vault for $99 each. These easy to access and cost-effective profiles can help individuals understand a prospect’s or client’s business issues, or even understand their own industry better.

“While First Research’s core business is selling annual enterprise-wide subscriptions, this partnership with SourceMedia is a wonderful way to expand the availability of our industry intelligence,” said Bobby Martin, First Research president and co-founder. “We hope that once SourceMedia’s clients realize the benefit of our industry profiles, they will return for additional profiles and possibly even purchase a full subscription to support their ongoing business needs.”

About SourceMedia, Inc
SourceMedia provides market information, including news, analysis, and insight to the financial services and related industries such as accounting and technology, through its publications, industry-standard data applications, seminars and conferences.

Its flagship publications, including American Banker, National Mortgage News, The Bond Buyer, and Accounting Today, have helped build SourceMedia’s reputation as the pre-eminent information source in its respective markets. Consulting services, software, and data provided through its two divisions, National Regulatory Services (NRS) and TFP, facilitate regulatory compliance, funds registration and data flow among institutions in the investment, insurance, and financial service industry.

The news, information, data, consulting services, and marketing solutions SourceMedia delivers is packaged in any format customers prefer and need – in person, in print or online, including newspapers and magazines, reference directories, database products, software, Web seminars and live events.

SourceMedia’s 750,000 worldwide clients and subscribers range from c-level executives to business-unit heads to line managers – from the front office to the middle office to the back office. SourceMedia employs more than 1,000 employees worldwide, with headquarters in New York and offices in Chicago, Washington, DC, and London.

About First Research
First Research is the leading industry intelligence company that helps sales teams perform faster and smarter, open doors, and close more deals. First Research performs the “heavy lifting” by synthesizing hundreds of sources into an easy to digest format a sales person can consume very quickly to better understand a prospect’s or client’s business issues. First Research updates each Industry Profile quarterly and pushes out Email Alerts to ensure content is both timely and top of mind. Customers include leading companies in banking, technology, telecommunications, business process outsourcing, and professional services. Used by over 40,000 sales professionals, First Research can benefit any organization which has prospects in multiple industries. First Research is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.firstresearch.com.

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Media Contacts:

Shawn Ramsey
Crossroads Public Relations (on behalf of First Research)
(919) 359-0947 (office)
(919) 621-0737 (mobile)
sramsey@crossroadspr.com

Kristin W. Bear
Crossroads Public Relations (on behalf of First Research)
(919) 784-0445 (office)
(919) 349-1856 (mobile)
kbear@crossroadspr.com