Equifax Forms Alliance With VNU MIS Precision Marketing Group

Atlanta and New York, May 14, 1997 -- Equifax and VNU Marketing Information Services (VNU MIS), leading providers of marketing information products, today announced a long-term strategic marketing and cross-licensing agreement linking VNU MIS and Equifax for the next decade. This alliance comes as VNU announces the acquisition of Equifax National Decision Systems.

The agreement represents a strategic alliance to co-develop a wide range of marketing and analytical solutions. The 10-year pact, which includes some exclusive provisions, enables Equifax to expand the geo-demographic, marketing and segmentation capabilities in its core products by working with VNU, the market leader, while also providing capital for acquisitions, internal growth and international expansion.

For VNU, the agreement enhances its pre-eminent position as a provider of market analysis information and secures Equifax as a strategic partner. Equifax will provide aggregated financial information enabling VNU MIS to enhance its products and tools by providing information to predict consumer purchasing behavior.

Ultimately, the two companies plan to broaden the relationship by expanding cross-licensing activities to the development of products in markets around the globe. Equifax now is aggressively marketing value-added consulting services world-wide.

"VNU MIS is excited about this new alliance," said Martin Feely, Chairman and CEO of VNU MIS. "We believe it will strengthen VNU MIS' position as a leader in precision marketing both in the U.S. and in the long run, globally."

"And by aligning in an agreement with the market leader," added John T. Rougeou, president, Equifax North American Information Services, "Equifax will strengthen the geo-demographic and marketing information used in its customer solutions."

"With the information from Equifax about consumer behavior not only in the U.S. but around the world, we will now be in a much better position to provide one of the most robust databases in the industry," asserted Chuck Leonard, President, VNU MIS. "We will now be one of the few firms to better predict demographic, lifestyle and financial behavior of consumers."

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Equifax NDS posted 1996 revenues of $39 million.

New York-based VNU MIS is among the nation's largest providers of marketing information. The company is a subsidiary of VNU USA, which also owns DPI Communications, Inc.; Bill Communications, Inc., and SRDS. VNU USA is owned by VNU, a Netherlands-based international publishing and information company whose operations include consumer and professional services, broadcasting and entertainment. Other VNU MIS companies include Competitive Media Reports, Spectra/Market Metrics and Scarborough.

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) is the leading provider of information services that help grant credit, authorize and process credit card and check transactions and insure lives and property. Established in 1899 in Atlanta, Equifax today employs 14,000 people throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Revenues for the 12 months ended March 31, 1997, totaled almost $1.9 billion.