Fredhopper

E-commerce software company Fredhopper acquired by SDL as it embarks on global roll-out of product suite

E-commerce targeting and marketing software company Fredhopper today announces that it has agreed to be acquired by SDL plc, the leading provider of global information management solutions, as it embarks on a global roll-out of its product suite.

The deal will allow Fredhopper, which counts Clarks, Toys R Us, B&Q, Waitrose and Otto Group - the world's second biggest eCommerce company behind Amazon.com - among its stable of over 100 large international retail customers, to expand operations into the US and Asia. The company currently operates in four European countries – the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Fredhopper will become an independent business unit of SDL that will be named ‘SDL eCommerce Technologies.’ The unit will be led by Fredhopper’s current management team, and remains fully focused on providing targeting and marketing software for online retailers.

“This is extremely positive news for our company and increases the value we deliver to our customers in a number of ways”, said Joris Beckers, CEO of Fredhopper. “Joining forces with SDL allows us to take our technology to customers in the US and Asian markets, leveraging SDL’s global operational scale. Competing in more markets will give us the opportunity to partner with more premier retail brands which will enhance our products further, making them better for all customers.”

Publicly-listed SDL has acquired Fredhopper to make a strategic entry into the online retail market. SDL has already over 600 online marketing customers including HP, Canon, Toyota, Reebok and AIG.

“We looked at a number of e-commerce platforms and consider this the finest in the industry, making it an ideal addition to our online marketing capabilities,” said Mark Lancaster, Chairman and CEO of SDL. “Fredhopper adds another essential building block to SDL‘s Global Information Management platform, and reaffirms our strategy and commitment to delivering best of breed solutions to manage online customer interaction.”

The deal will also enable Fredhopper to launch its online targeting technology into new vertical sectors – namely financial services, insurance, and manufacturing, through SDL’s existing web content management product portfolio. Beckers continued: “Cross fertilization across verticals always brings out new insights that will again deepen our products for the benefit of all our customers. Fredhopper's mission has always been to offer superior tools to optimise every digital interaction. With SDL, we will achieve more of this faster.”

Join us for an informational webinar today January 18, 2009 at 04:00 GMT / 17:00 CET to learn more about the
acquisition. Register today at the SDL website.

For further information please contact
Claire Armitt
flannel
01273 779449 / 07985 297842
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

About Fredhopper
Fredhopper is the ultimate marketing machine for eCommerce. Fredhopper’s technologies make it easy for online marketers to systematically improve targeting the right content to the right person at the right time; increasing revenue, profitability and customer lifetime value.

Fredhopper offers software products for Onsite Search, Onsite Targeting, Predictive Targeting and Targeted Advertising. Customers include over 100 of the world’s largest and most demanding international online retailers including Albert Heijn, Bijenkorf, B&Q, Clarks, Otto, Thomas Cook, Toys R Us and Waitrose. Analysts rate Fredhopper as No.1 in its sector. Fredhopper is headquartered in Amsterdam and has offices in London, Munich, Paris and Sofia.

For more information, visit www.fredhopper.com

About SDL
SDL is a publically traded company with annual revenues of $250M and the leader in Global Information Management solutions, which provide increased business agility to enterprises by accelerating the delivery of high-quality multilingual content to global markets. The company’s integrated Web Content Management, Structured Content and Language Technologies, combined with its Language Services drive down the cost of content creation, management, translation and publishing. SDL solutions increase conversion ratios and customer satisfaction through targeted information that reaches multiple audiences around the world through different channels.

Global industry leaders who rely on SDL include ABN-Amro, Bosch, Canon, CNH, FICO, Hewlett-Packard, KLM, Microsoft, NetApp, Philips, SAP, Sony and Virgin Atlantic. SDL has over 1,000 enterprise customers, has deployed over 170,000 software licenses and provides access to on-demand portals for 10 million customers per month. It has a global infrastructure of more than 50 offices in 32 countries.

For more information, visit www.sdl.com