Press releases 2006

30 October 2006

ICSA SOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL ACQUIRES CRE FROM
THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

ICSA Software and the London Stock Exchange are pleased to announce the transfer of the Corporate Responsibility Exchange (CRE) to ICSA Software, the software company of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). The CRE, an online tool for the reporting of non-financial corporate information, will be integrated with ICSA Software's existing range of software applications, which are designed to meet the needs of company secretaries, compliance specialists and governance professionals throughout the world.

Under ICSA Software’s direction, CRE joins a suite of web-based applications providing customers with a single global authoritative solution to record, analyse, benchmark and report on their corporate compliance and governance information, and to measure and demonstrate compliance with a range of global governance codes and guidelines. ICSA Software is delighted with being able to add CRE as its integrated corporate social responsibility reporting module.

John Ainsworth, Chief Executive of ICSA, commented that the transfer “is an exciting opportunity to integrate the CRE’s corporate social responsibility content and ‘disclosure methodology’ with the wide array of governance codes included in ICSA’s existing disclosure software. We believe this functionality will facilitate greater transparency and benchmarking of governance information, benefiting shareholders and the wider community.

"This latest development is very much in line with our mission to act as a globally recognised voice on corporate governance matters and to provide comprehensive solutions to our members and clients that promote international best practice and good governance.”

Mike Evans, Managing Director of ICSA Software said: “The integration of CRE with our flagship governance disclosure solution Blueprint Corporate Disclosures, will help users simplify the management and analysis of information for a variety of governance codes and CSR disclosure frameworks. This provides companies with a single route to demonstrate and disclose compliance information to regulators and stakeholders.

"The future of CRE was entrusted to us by the London Stock Exchange because of our recognised expertise in technology and governance, and our commitment to developing CRE. We want to encourage more companies to publish their CSR data using CRE and to facilitate greater engagement from institutional investors. To this end, we will along with other initiatives be providing additional content, enhancing CRE’s usability and providing institutional investors with free access.”

Simon Wilkinson, Head of RNS and IR Solutions at of the London Stock Exchange, said:

"CRE has already become an important tool for companies, helping them to address the challenges of non-financial reporting and the disclosure of information to stakeholders. We believe that ICSA Software's expertise, and the integration of CRE's reporting functions with ICSA Software's compliance and governance software used by companies around the world, will be of great benefit to CRE users, existing ICSA customers and future customers"

The Corporate Responsibility Exchange was launched in 2004 as a tool to enable companies to improve their reporting of Corporate and Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance information to rating agencies and institutional investors. It is formally endorsed by leading research agencies Business in the Community (BiTC) the Ethical Investment Research Service (EIRIS), Vigeo and EthiFinance, and also includes comprehensive question sets from organisations such as the Association of British Insurers, the National Association of Pension Funds and the Global Reporting Initiative.

Contact Details:

ICSA Software International
Martyn Chapman
Tel: +44 (0)20 7497 5511
martyn.chapman@icsasoftware.com

London Stock Exchange
Catherine Mattison
Tel: +44 (0)20 7797 1935
cmattison@londonstockexchange.com

Notes to editors

About the London Stock Exchange:
The London Stock Exchange is one of the world's leading equity exchanges and a leading provider of services that facilitate the raising of capital and the trading of shares.
The London Stock Exchange is the most international equities exchange by trading in the world and Europe's largest pool of liquidity. By the end of 2003, the market capitalisation of UK and international companies on its markets amounted to £3.3 trillion, with £3.6 trillion of equity business transacted over the year.

The London Stock Exchange is a Recognised Investment Exchange (RIE) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and is supervised by the Financial Services Authority.

About ICSA Software International
ICSA Software International is the wholly owned software company of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). Dedicated to providing specialist governance and compliance software, ICSA Software International cultivates constant feedback and knowledge gained through the ICSA, other professional bodies and end users to ensure its software applications continue to offer real solutions for today.

With more than 2,400 clients worldwide and offices on five continents, ICSA Software International is the world's leading provider of global entity management, corporate governance and company secretarial compliance software. www.icsasoftware.com

About ICSA
The ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) is the leading global professional body for company secretaries and senior administrators. Formed in 1891, the ICSA is an independent, self-regulating body operating under Royal Charter. With over 100 years' experience it is recognised as the global voice on corporate governance, boardroom and regulatory issues across all sectors.

ICSA: Qualifies Chartered Secretaries through its Qualifying Schemes; Promotes and supports best practice in all areas of corporate governance; Provides its members and students with a range of support services; Enforces a strict code of conduct with which all members are required to comply.

ICSA has 44,000 members and 27,000 students in over 70 countries. ICSA's headquarters are in London with separate operating units in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

www.icsa.org.uk