WALTHAM, Mass. and NEW YORK, New York - July 15, 2002 - Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIOX), and Ziff Davis Media Inc. today announced a definitive agreement for Lionbridge to acquire eTesting Labs Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis Media that provides research, analysis, development and testing services to technology vendors, ISPs, IT organizations and publications.
Lionbridge will integrate eTesting labs with VeriTest, the company's global testing division, to create the most comprehensive software certification, usability and performance benchmarking organization in the industry. With specializations in competitive analysis, usability, load and stress, performance and benchmark testing, eTesting Labs has more than 250 clients worldwide.
"eTesting Labs' industry-leading benchmarking, usability, and other testing services are an ideal complement to VeriTest's world-renowned certification offerings," said Rory Cowan, Chief Executive Officer, Lionbridge Technologies. "eTesting Labs brings new value to VeriTest customers as we expand our Web-based testing services to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Combined with our on-shore, near-shore, and off-shore model, this acquisition furthers VeriTest's leadership position in the testing industry."
Ziff Davis Media Inc. has been providing a suite of industry-standard benchmark software including WebBench™, NetBench™, Winstone™, and WinBench™. With more than 20 million copies of these tools in use at every one of the 2001 Fortune 100 companies, these tools will continue to be used and licensed as part of VeriTest's enhanced benchmarking service. In addition, VeriTest will leverage eTesting Lab's Internet BenchMark™ service, which provides the dial-up performance ratings for Internet Service Providers in North America, Europe, and Latin America. These benchmarking services complement the VeriTest certification offerings, providing a comprehensive solution that gives customers assurance that their products and applications meet the highest standards for performance, reliability and compatibility.
eTesting also strengthens VeriTest's usability, performance, and competitive analysis testing services, providing customers with new capabilities to ensure their Web sites, intranets and extranets meet stringent requirements for ease of use, functionality and performance under load.
"With their global network of labs, Lionbridge is an ideal partner to maximize eTesting Labs' offerings and enhance customer value," said Robert F. Callahan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ziff Davis Media Inc.
As part of the acquisition, Ziff Davis Media and Lionbridge have agreed to a multi-year marketing and business development alliance. The alliance leverages Ziff Davis Media's publishing expertise in the technology arena and Lionbridge's globalization and enterprise testing services.
"This acquisition provides new opportunities for eTesting Labs employees and clients as we meet growing demand for complete testing solutions that assure the highest levels of credibility, reliability, usability and performance," said Mark Van Name, Executive Vice President and General Manager, eTesting Labs.
About Ziff Davis Media Inc.
Ziff Davis Media Inc. is a special interest media company focused on the technology and game markets. In the United States, the company publishes 9 industry leading business and consumer publications: PC Magazine, eWEEK, Baseline, CIO Insight, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Xbox Nation, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, Computer Gaming World and GameNow. There are 45 foreign editions of Ziff Davis Media's publications distributed in 76 countries worldwide. In addition to producing companion sites for all of its magazines, the company develops tech enthusiast sites such as ExtremeTech.com. Ziff Davis Media provides custom publishing and end-to-end marketing solutions through its Integrated Media Group, industry analyses through Ziff Davis Market Experts and produces seminars and webcasts. For more information, visit www.ziffdavis.com.
About eTesting Labs
eTesting Labs Inc. (www.etestinglabs.com) provides outsourced testing solutions that maximize revenue and reduce costs for our clients. For companies who use high-tech products as well as those who produce them, smoothly functioning technology is essential to business success. eTesting Labs helps clients identify and correct technology problems in their products and in their line of business applications by providing the widest range of testing services available.
Under the former name of ZD Labs, and as eTesting Labs since 1999, the company has delivered rigorous, objective, independent testing and analysis. With experienced staff, two facilities totaling over 45,000 square feet, and almost 1,600 dedicated network PCs, eTesting Labs offers clients the expertise and equipment necessary to meet all their testing needs.
WebBench, NetBench, Winstone and WinBench are trademarks of Ziff Davis Media. Internet BenchMark is a trademark of eTesting Labs. All other trademarks or service marks of the respective owners.