Equifax Vaults Into Asia

Also Announces Operational Start-up in Mexico and a Strategic Alliance with IBM in PacRim

ATLANTA, October 21, 1996 - After expanding operations in the United Kingdom, Chile and Canada earlier this year, Equifax today announced major initiatives or operational start-ups in India, Thailand and Mexico; a new regional marketing agreement with IBM covering Asia and the Pacific Rim, and new computer software sales in Hong Kong and Hungary.

"These moves widen our global reach and put us in position to expand consumer economies around the world," said Thomas F. Chapman, Equifax executive vice president. "No other information company has the international beachhead we now occupy. Together with our domestic operations, these new ventures will continue to make Equifax the market share leader in every country we serve."

The new initiatives and ventures come during a busy year that already has seen Equifax announce an increase in its ownership of Chile’s information services giant DICOM S.A. in February; increase to 100% its ownership of the check guarantee firm Transax in the U.K. in July, and complete its acquisition of Creditel of Canada in October.

Those international moves, meantime, came as the company inside the U.S. acquired Market Knowledge Inc. in February; acquired Professional Test Administrators Inc. in May; took a controlling interest in the public records company CDB Infotek in September, and announced a deal to acquire CSG Card Services in September.

The new initiatives in Asia include: selection by Thailand’s finance and banking industries as their technology partner -- and shareholder -- in establishing that nation’s first automated credit bureau; a joint venture in India with the Venture Infotek group to establish the first-ever third-party credit card processor in that country; the completion and signing of a marketing alliance with IBM to provide computer, management and software solutions to support credit and debit cards throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim, and major sales of card processing software by Equifax’s FBS Software to the International Bank of Asia in Hong Kong and to Takinfo Bank of Hungary.

In addition to the ventures in Asia, Equifax also announced the immediate start-up of its consumer credit information business in Mexico, based in Monterrey.

"These international ventures will take some time to launch and mature, but they offer exciting potential for our future," said Chapman. "Nations around the world want to emulate the success of our consumer economy."

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX), through its Financial Services Group, is the world’s leading provider of information solutions that help grant credit and authorize and process credit card and check transactions. Established in 1899 in Atlanta, Equifax posted revenues for the 12 months ended September 30, 1996, exceeding $1.7 billion.