news aktuell buys Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH, marking the beginning of a new era for both companies (BILD)

Hamburg (ots) -

dpa subsidiary news aktuell GmbH today announced it has acquired
100 % of shares in the Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH, joining forces of two
leading German p.r. service providers. Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH will
be continued as a separate entity, and the trademark "Zimpel" will
stay in use. So far, the Wiesbaden-based Zimpel Media Daten GmbH has
been part of the Springer Science and Business Media specialist
publishing company.

"The Zimpel acquisition marks the beginning of a new era for our
company," news aktuell's General Manager Carl-Eduard Meyer declared
in Hamburg today. "We are all witnessing the biggest development step
in our company's history since our own acquisition by dpa in 1994.
It?s a very special moment in time for me as the founder of news
aktuell," he added. "We at news aktuell are really looking forward to
joining forces with Zimpel in serving the PR and communication
markets in future".

Through the Zimpel acquisition, news aktuell has improved
innovation and growth conditions. Further, it confirms news aktuell's
claim to be the number one service provider in Germany for targeting
journalists.

General Manager Frank Stadthoewer of news aktuell added: "We are
taking over a profitable business with a long tradition and great
reputation. Together with the persons in charge at Zimpel GmbH, we
will promote enhancements in both companies. Both service portfolios
perfectly complement one another."

The two market leaders are pursuing a common approach with the
acquisition. news aktuell is planning to expand its core PR
distribution business, whereas Zimpel brings in its long-term
experience and extensive expertise in addressing specialist
journalists.

"We are extraordinarily happy about having become a part of the
dpa company group. news aktuell is an ideal partner and has been an
extremely successful PR service provider for almost 25 years", Laurin
Paschek, General Manager of Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH pointed out. "Our
businesses are a perfect match. I am sure we will develop top quality
tools and innovative services together."

news aktuell will continue the Zimpel Media Daten GmbH as a
separate business, including the use of the Zimpel brand, and General
Manager Dr. Laurin Paschek will remain in his current position. The
transaction parties have agreed not to disclose any information on
the purchase price. news aktuell will continue not only the
successful journalist database business, but also the profitable
media data products.

About news aktuell:

news aktuell is a subsidiary of the German newsagency Deutsche
Presse-Agentur (dpa) and offers innovative tools and solutions for
distribution of PR material, addressing journalists, online
monitoring and multimedia productions. Companies from all industries
use the distribution services of news aktuell in order to provide
daily media as well as trade press with their PR material and
business information. In addition, news aktuell's "epic relations" PR
software contains a total of more than 700,000 editorial contacts
worldwide. Social Media Monitoring experts rely on news aktuell?s
"media sonar" tool. To round off its portfolio, the dpa subsidiary
produces videos, radio pieces and microsites for its clients.

www.newsaktuell.de

About Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH:

Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH consists of the renowned publishing
companies Zimpel and Media-Daten. It provides marketing, PR and
communications industries with expert information, database and
software solutions. Its flagship products are the internet-based
"Zimpel Online" database containing 120,000 editorial contacts from
Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as the media and tariff
database "Media-Daten Online" with all necessary planning-relevant
data of 18,000 different media. Rounding out its product range,
Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH offers comprehensive services as well as
customer trainings.

www.zimpel.de

Contact:
news aktuell GmbH
Leiter Unternehmenskommunikation
Jens Petersen
Telefon: 040/4113 - 32843
Fax: 040/4113 - 32855
petersen@newsaktuell.de
http://twitter.com/jenspetersen

Zimpel Media-Daten GmbH
Geschäftsführer
Dr. Laurin Paschek
Telefon: 0611/7878-249
laurin.paschek@zimpel.de