EANS-News: Austrian Post / BAWAG P.S.K. and Austrian Post expand and deepen their cooperation

BAWAG P.S.K. and Austrian Post AG launch new branch strategy
throughout Austria

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Joint Ventures/Cooperation/Collaboration

Subtitle: BAWAG P.S.K. and Austrian Post AG launch new branch
strategy throughout Austria

Vienna (euro adhoc) - Austrian Post AG and BAWAG PSK will be working
together even more closely in the future, as the two companies
develop a sustainable network offering their customers a full range
of postal and banking services at over 500 locations in Austria.
Roll-out of this network will occur throughout the country by the end
of 2012, with the first new branch offices opening this year already.
Byron Haynes, CEO of BAWAG P.S.K., and Georg Pölzl, CEO of Austrian
Post, both agree that the launch of the new branch network is a
"unique opportunity".

Partnership between BAWAG P.S.K. and Austrian Post More than 120
years of cooperation between these two Austrian companies has
demonstrated that the combination of banking and postal services is
popular and makes sense. With this in mind, a new strategy for the
branch network was developed, which maintains local level access to
banking and postal services throughout Austria and will continue to
do so in the future as well. "Reorienting our sales structure is a
logical consequence of our strategy `Enterprise Austria´. In the
future, the bank will be represented on the market with ONE, strong
brand, BAWAG P.S.K., at more than 500 locations throughout Austria.
With this move, we are making the full range of banking services
which we provide in Austria available to our customers, especially in
rural areas," said Byron Haynes, CEO of BAWAG P.S.K.

Austrian Post CEO, Georg Pölzl, stressed that "Over the next two
years, there will be a tangible increase in the supply of postal and
banking services, thanks to deepening of our cooperation. For our
customers, this means that they will soon be able to attend to their
day-to-day postal and banking business at almost 2,000 locations.
Above and beyond that, at more than 500 offices they will also have
access to top-quality banking services provided by highly-trained
financial advisors."

More than 500 fully-fledged bank branches BAWAG P.S.K.´s new branch
strategy means that these offices will function as fully-fledged bank
branches. The outlets of PSK BANK Service, which have offered basic
financial services so far, will be upgraded. In the future, it will
be possible to tap into the entire range of services and products
offered by BAWAG P.S.K. at all of the more than 500 new locations.
280 rural and 240 urban branches will be operated as joint offices of
BAWAG P.S.K. and Austrian Post.

Deepening of the cooperation between the bank and Austrian Post
results in clear gains for the population in terms of services and
availability. Starting immediately, this cooperation extends to cover
all of the services and products offered by the bank, regardless of
whether the branch is located in a rural area or in a city. Advising
will be carried out by competent BAWAG P.S.K. staff and trained
financial advisors from Austrian Post AG. "This is a significant step
towards meeting the needs of our savings and loan customers in
particular, as personalised advising is important for them,"
explained Byron Haynes, CEO of BAWAG P.S.K.

"There will be at least one experienced financial advisor at all of
the new branch locations. Additionally, of course, the 1,500 Post
outlets will still be available for customers to take care of their
day-to-day financial and mail transactions," noted Herbert Götz,
Chairman of the Management Board responsible for the branch network.

One-stop shop, with customer-friendly opening hours The long-standing
partnership between BAWAG P.S.K. and Austrian Post is being
transformed with the launch of the new branch network. Cooperation is
being expanded and deepened, resulting in advantages for both
partners, and last but not least for the customers as well. The more
than 500 joint locations will operate as "one-stop shops", offering
customers the entire range of services and products from both
companies at one site. BAWAG P.S.K. and Austrian Post will have
separate business zones within the branches.

- Self-Service Centre in the lobby area The Self-Service Centres will
have an account statement printer, a transfer slip scanner and a bank
machine for attending to simple banking transactions 24 hours a day.
- CounterArea Both postal and financial transactions can be carried
out in the CounterArea. This zone also has telecommunications
products and retail goods. - BankingZone for financial business
Advising on banking services and personalised customer service will
take place in a discrete banking area, well separated from the rest
of the branch.

Austrian Post´s longer opening hours will also apply to bank
customers in the future as well: - Generally, the CounterArea will be
open continuously Monday-Friday from 0800 to 1800 and Saturdays from
0800 to 1200. - Advising in banking matters will be provided during
the usual bank hours. - Mobile financial advisors will also be
available to help customers directly, outside of normal opening
hours, by individual appointment.

Clear benefits for all The new branch strategy offers advantages to
all involved. BAWAG P.S.K. is expanding its network of 150 BAWAG
offices to more than 500 fully-fledged BAWAG P.S.K. branches. With
the new sales structure, Austrian Post will be represented at all of
the new branch offices and complement its network with around 1,500
postal outlets over the medium term. Customers, particularly in rural
areas, will profit from easy, local level access to banking and
postal services. As Herbert Götz explained, "We project that within
two years we will be able to ensure the viability of our branch
network, to the benefit of our employees and our customers." Byron
Haynes added, "With this major reinforcement of the BAWAG P.S.K.
sales network throughout the country, we are clearly underlining our
commitment to business in Austria."

Step-by-step expansion of the branch network in 2010 Transition to
new branch network will proceed gradually, with certain selected
branches opening their doors this year in Vienna, Lower Austria,
Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol. The insights gained from
day-to-day operations will be integrated into the large-scale branch
roll-out. By 2012, this forward-looking project of BAWAG P.S.K. and
Austrian Post should be completed. Byron Haynes and Georg Pölzl
stressed, "We are clearly identifiable based on our individual logos,
and there is a clear structure for the branch offices. The staff of
the two companies will be able to concentrate 100% on their
respective tasks. And in the future, we will be able serve our
customers more quickly and more efficiently."

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: Österreichische Post AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Austrian Post

Head of Investor Relations

DI Harald Hagenauer

Tel.: +43 57767-30400

harald.hagenauer@post.at

Austrian Post

Head of Group Communications

Mag. Ina Sabitzer

Tel.: +43 577 67-21763

ina.sabitzer@post.at

Austrian Post

Press Spokesman

Michael Homola

Tel.: +43 577 67-32010

michael.homola@post.at

Branche: Transport
ISIN: AT0000APOST4
WKN: A0JML5
Index: ATX Prime, ATX
Börsen: Wien / Regulated free trade