Ad-hoc | 7 March 2001 08:23

Ad hoc-Service: DCI Database english

Ad-hoc announcement sent by DGAP. The sender is solely responsible for the contents of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– DCI AG publishes 2000 financial figures Starnberg, Germany – 7 March 2001. During the 2000 financial year, DCI AG’s revenue rose from 4,225 to 10,624 million euros. This corresponds to an increase of 151 per cent. As a result of growth-related investments totalling 17,432 million euros, the operating income was posted at minus 22,343 million euros. These figures align with DCI’s budgetary targets for the period under review. Earnings were influenced primarily by reorganisational investments to create four independent business units (DCI WebTradeCenter, DCI Business Software Solutions, DCI Media and eService Suite offered by DCI’s subsidiary, bonitrus AG). The establishment and growth of bonitrus AG, acquisition of the British e- marketplace operator, acequote.com Ltd., and formation of the Romanian data management office (DCI Romania S.R.L.) impacted in particular on the end-of-year results. With its four new business units, DCI is ideally positioned to drive business benefits across the entire b2b e-commerce value chain. During 2000, DCI also expanded and enhanced its core product, the DCI WebTradeCenter, reinforcing its status as Europe’s leading b2b marketplace for IT products. Membership figures increased eight-fold from 4,704 to 40,137 since December 1999. The number of purchase requests – also a valuable yardstick in measuring marketplace acceptance – more than doubled at 37,691 (compared with 16,815 in 1999). The volume of business posted on the WebTradeCenter rose by 106 per cent to 405 million euros (compared with 197 million euros in 1999). With www.webtradecenter.com and www.acequote.com, DCI is now firmly positioned as the b2b e-commerce market leader in Europe’s two largest e-commerce markets, Germany and Great Britain. Cash and cash equivalents to the value of 39 million euros provide a secure financial basis until the end of 2002. end of Ad hoc-announcement, (c) DGAP 07.03.2001 Issuer’s information/explanation remarks concerning this ad hoc announcement: The Business Software Solutions business unit offers large corporations specialised marketplace and e-commerce software. DCI Media delivers a wide range of useful IT and consumer information through print, fax and online media. With its bonitrus AG subsidiary, DCI is investing in the future success of e- business by addressing online traders’ needs for greater security and trust. The 2001 financial year will see a marked drop in general investment levels. One-off items of expenditure and future-oriented investments in technology, organisational infrastructure, personnel and equipment/fittings have already been realised. DCI plans to pursue its internationalisation strategy without placing too great a drain on liquidity by forging strategic alliances with international corporations and by opening foreign sales offices. “We will be reining in costs during the 2001 financial year as we cut down on the level of new investments,” says Klaus Zuber, DCI CFO, on the subject of DCI’s future business course. According to Zuber, revenue should increase to approx. 20 million euros. Zuber also expects to post red operating income figures (EBITDA, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, ) in the fourth quarter of 2001. Zuber is confident that DCI will steadily move towards break-even “even if it’s not at quite the speed we would have expected if last year’s euphoric market predictions were anything to go by.” ———————————————————————– WKN: 529 530; Index: Listed: Neuer Markt in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Stuttgart, München, Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Hannover, Düsseldorf 070823 Mär 01