Swiss Post acquires Media Data Services AG

Swiss Post International (SPI), the international business unit of Swiss Post, has
acquired Media Data Services AG (MDS). The company, headquartered in Kriens,
occupies a strong position in the domestic and foreign press and publications
management market. It focuses on subscription management, the acquisition of
new subscriptions and measures to promote reader loyalty. SPI will now be able to
further develop its leading position in the international delivery of newspapers
and magazines. The acquisition of MDS AG means that SPI can also offer
comprehensive distribution solutions to publishing houses in Switzerland and
abroad.
Swiss Post International has acquired Media Data Services AG in its entirety, the purchase
taking effect retroactively from 1 January 2006. MDS AG becomes a Swiss subsidiary of SPI
and will continue to use its existing name. The management team, led by CEO Margrit
Mannhart, and the staff of 40 will join SPI and the premises in Kriens (Canton Lucerne) are
to be expanded.
MDS AG, founded in 2001, is specialized in professional subscription management for
publishers. It manages subscriptions to domestic and foreign newspapers and magazines
and provides customer support using a state-of-the-art customer relationship management
system. It focuses on the Swiss, Austrian and global subscription markets and the
company’s services also include acquiring new subscriptions and measures aimed at
promoting reader loyalty through dialogue marketing, online marketing and point-of-sale
marketing activities. Long-standing customers of MDS AG include several major German
publishing firms such as Gruner & Jahr, Spiegel and Burda. In Switzerland, MDS took over
subscription management for the “Saisonküche” cookery magazine at the beginning of this
year. In 2005, the company posted sales of approximately CHF 7 million.
Swiss Post
Corporate Communication
Media Unit
Viktoriastrasse 21
3030 Berne
Tel. + 41 (0)31 338 13 07
Fax + 41 (0)31 338 13 11
[email protected]
www.post.ch
Date
Press Release
2 Page
Total solutions for newspaper and magazine distribution
The strengths of MDS AG and SPI, the Swiss market leader in international press
distribution, are ideally matched: By acquiring MDS AG, SPI can now offer comprehensive,
global newspaper and magazine distribution solutions at home and abroad – from
packaging and forwarding to addressing, subscription management and handling customs
formalities.
SPI: a strong partner for global business customers
SPI is the international unit of Swiss Post and currently employs over 900 staff worldwide.
SPI guarantees its customers access to a worldwide distribution network. SPI’s core business
includes international mail services for business customers, distribution solutions for the
business-to-consumer market and international press distribution. Fast, safe delivery is
ensured by a global presence: SPI has subsidiaries in Germany, France, Italy, the United
Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, the USA and Switzerland. The company also
has franchise partners in Europe and Asia and global sales partnerships. SPI posted sales of
CHF 939 million in 2004 and an operating result of CHF 33 million.