arvato acquires Spain’s largest independent call centre services provider

Gütersloh/Madrid, 9 September 2008 - arvato AG has acquired Spain’s largest independent provider of call centre services, Qualytel Teleservices S.A, which has seven locations and 6,000 employees.

The acquisition underlines the intention of arvato - the international media and communication service provider owned by Bertelsmann AG - to continue investing in the dynamically growing international market for call centre services as well as its systematic expansion of support services for globally operating customers.

The acquisition, which has been approved by Spanish anti-trust officials, also marks arvato’s entry into government services in Spain.

“With the acquisition of Qualytel Teleservices S.A., arvato is energetically moving forward with its dynamic growth strategy,” said Rolf Buch, Chairman of the Executive Board at arvato AG and a member of the Executive Board at Bertelsmann AG. “We are significantly expanding our international service-centre network and are also extending our value chain to the Spanish market. As a major player in Spain, we are also entering the expanding market for services to government agencies. As a result, we will be providing public services in three countries: Great Britain, Germany and Spain.”

The acquisition is an excellent example of the investment approach taken by Bertelsmann AG, which specifically targets strong growth segments, Buch noted. “To reach our growth targets, we must invest in dynamic markets of the future - integrated services focusing on customer communications represent a market with very good development opportunities,” he said.

In Europe, arvato is the market leader in integrated service-centre offerings and maintains a strong position in the English-speaking world. The acquisition of Qualytel adds another world language that is used in numerous markets to the company’s portfolio. “For international customers, our extensive range of communication services becomes that much more attractive,” Rolf Buch said.

Qualytel is the third largest operator of service centres in Spain. It is active in customer loyalty and assistance as well as technical support. Its customers include well-known companies in wide-ranging sectors including telecommunications, finance and supply as well as portions of the public sector on national, regional and local levels. The Spanish locations are located in Barcelona, Jerez de la Frontera, Madrid, Malaga, Salamanca, Sevilla and Saragossa.