NYSE Group Lists First Russian ETF in the U.S.

NYSE Euronext (NYSE Euronext: NYX) subsidiary, NYSE Group, Inc. todayannounced the listing of Market Vectors – Russia ETF (NYSE: RSX). As the first ETF focused on offering investors exposure to a broad spectrum of Russian companies, RSX is sponsored by Van Eck Global and is designed to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the DAXglobal® Russia + Index (DXRPUS).

DAXglobal® Russia + Index is calculated and maintained by Deutsche Börse AG and is comprised of 30 of the most heavily traded Russian securities that have exchange listings either through an American Depository Receipt (ADR), a Global Depository Receipt (GDR) or local Russian shares. The index includes NYSE-listed Wim-Bill-Dan (NYSE: WBD), Rostelecom (NYSE: ROS), Vimpel Communications (NYSE:VIP), and Mobile Telsys (NYSE: MBT).

“We are proud to list the first Russian ETF in the U.S. ” said NYSE Group Senior Vice President, Exchange Traded Funds and Indexes, Lisa Dallmer. “Market Vectors - Russia ETF offers investors exposure to Russian companies and further demonstrates NYSE Euronext’s dedication to expanding our global footprint by providing our customers with the widest variety of trading products and services.”

The Market Vectors - Russia ETF will be listed and traded on the NYSE from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET by a specialist. The fund’s Indicative Optimized Portfolio Value (RSX.IV) and associated fund data will be calculated and provided by NYSE Arca from 4 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET to coincide with the expected NYSE Arca unlisted trading. The calculation services are an enhancement to our ETF technology services available to issuers.

NYSE Group markets have 180 primary ETF listings and trade all other eligible ETFs on a UTP basis. In first quarter 2007, NYSE Group handled 45% of all ETF shares traded in the U.S. market. As the largest exchange group for ETF trading, NYSE Group is committed to offering investors the most innovative new investment options with superior pricing and market quality.

About Van Eck Global
Founded in 1955, Van Eck Associates Corporation was among the first U.S. money managers helping investors achieve greater diversification through global investing. Today, the firm continues its 50+ year tradition by offering global investment choices in hard assets, emerging markets, precious metals including gold, and other specialized asset classes. Van Eck Global’s investment products are designed for investors seeking innovative choices for portfolio diversification. They are often categorized in asset classes having returns with low correlations to those of more traditional U.S. equity and fixed income investments.

About NYSE Euronext
NYSE Euronext, a holding company created by the combination of NYSE Group, Inc. and Euronext N.V., commenced trading on April 4, 2007 . NYSE Euronext (NYSE/New York and Euronext/Paris: NYX) operates the world’s largest and most liquid exchange group and offers the most diverse array of financial products and services. NYSE Euronext, which brings together six cash equities exchanges in five countries and six derivatives exchanges, is a world leader for listings, trading in cash equities, equity and interest rate derivatives, bonds and the distribution of market data. Representing a combined $28.5 trillion/€21.5 trillion total market capitalization of listed companies and average daily trading value of approximately $118.8 billion/€89.9 billion (as of February 28, 2007), NYSE Euronext seeks to provide the highest standards of market quality and integrity, innovative products and services to investors, issuers, and all users of its markets.

Yahoo! Announces Agreement to Acquire Right Media, Largest Emerging Online Advertising Exchange

Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Right Media Inc., creator of the Right Media Exchange. The acquisition of Right Media will build upon Yahoo!'s leadership in online advertising and is a key step towards executing the Company's long-term strategy to transform how online advertisers connect to and engage with their customers - both on and off the Yahoo! network. Under the terms of the agreement, which follows Yahoo!'s 20 percent strategic investment in Right Media in October 2006, Yahoo! will acquire the remaining equity interest in Right Media for approximately $680 million. Shareholders will be paid in approximately equal parts cash and stock, and Right Media options and similar equity awards will be assumed by Yahoo!.

"The acquisition of Right Media will further Yahoo!'s goal to create the industry's most open, accessible and vibrant advertising marketplace, which will help democratize the buying and selling of digitally enabled advertising," said Terry Semel, chairman and CEO of Yahoo!. "This acquisition is an important step in our long-term vision to build the industry's leading advertising and publisher ecosystem. We believe that Yahoo!'s open approach is a clear differentiator from others in the industry and provides significant benefits to advertisers, publishers and Yahoo! itself."

The Right Media Exchange is the industry's largest emerging online advertising exchange, and as publishers increasingly turn to exchanges to monetize their ad inventory, this acquisition will help Yahoo! establish a leading position in this large, attractive and fast growing segment of the online ad market.

"We share Yahoo!'s vision of a more empowered marketplace, where efficiency, transparency and accountability in online advertising become the norm," said Michael Walrath, CEO and founder of Right Media. "We are very excited by the prospect of becoming part of Yahoo!, the market leader in display advertising, as it looks to revolutionize the media buying and selling landscape."

"Yahoo! is the largest online publisher and one of the leading ad networks on the web, and we believe it is in our strong financial interest to make sure there is a widely adopted, neutral, frictionless exchange that enables publishers and advertisers to benefit from a basket of the best solutions rather than having to accept a single solution from one of the larger players," said Susan Decker, head of advertiser and publisher group and CFO of Yahoo!. "Furthermore, as the industry's partner of choice and as a leader in both search and display advertising, we believe that we are well-positioned to rally the industry support to make the promise of Right Media a reality for the entire digital media community."

Open Exchange Will Benefit Advertiser, Publishers, and Yahoo!

Right Media's open exchange will facilitate a frictionless model where buyers have equal opportunity to engage with the largest, most valuable audiences and to extract the maximum value from their campaigns and sellers can access an enormous pool of advertisers and foster competition for their inventory to maximize revenue. Yahoo! will increase its participation in the Right Media Exchange both as a buyer and seller to help increase liquidity in the exchange while empowering publishers and advertisers to generate more value for themselves within this vibrant marketplace.

An open exchange will provide tremendous opportunity for advertisers, publishers, advertising networks, and for Yahoo!:

-- Advertisers will have greater inventory and audience options from Yahoo! and other participants in this exchange, as well as increased control and visibility into the buying process.

-- Publishers will be able to bundle their own ad inventory with Yahoo!'s inventory and the exchange's inventory - thereby boosting demand and generating the highest returns for each ad placement.

-- Advertising networks will reap the same benefits as advertisers and publishers, and additionally, the exchange will benefit those ad networks with unique value propositions, giving them an opportunity to compete with the largest players, thanks to reduced friction and increased transparency.

-- For Yahoo!, this more open approach will allow the company to increase liquidity, allow advertisers to more efficiently ascertain the true value of display ad inventory, and generate greater returns for Yahoo!'s own display inventory. It will give Yahoo! a new channel and inventory for excess demand and provide an opportunity to derive more value from non-premium inventory.

As the largest online publisher and one of the leading ad networks, Yahoo! can help drive additional participation in Right Media's open exchange and ensure a level playing field for all parties.

Investor and Media Conference Call

Yahoo! will host a conference call to discuss today's news at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time today. A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed through the Company's Investor Relations website at http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/mediaRegister.cfm?MediaID=25393. In addition, an archive of the webcast can be accessed through the same link.

About Right Media

Right Media created an open media exchange to bring more efficiency, value and standardization to interactive advertising. The Right Media Exchange gives its members an easy way to access more media, form direct relationships and trade at fair market value. More than 20,000 buyers and sellers trade over four billion impressions a day on the Exchange. Right Media offers a range of solutions that help these businesses operate more efficiently -- from simple exchange access to the ability to create their own exchange. Founded in 2003, the company is privately funded, including investments from Yahoo! and Redpoint Ventures, and is based in New York.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo!'s mission is to connect people to their passions, their communities and world's knowledge. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning Yahoo!'s proposed transaction with Right Media Inc. (including without limitation the statements contained in the quotations from management in this press release), as well as Yahoo!'s strategic and operational plans. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the possibility that the transaction will not close or that the closing may be delayed; and that the anticipated benefits to Yahoo!, advertisers and publishers may not be realized. More information about potential factors that could affect Yahoo!'s business and financial results is included under the captions, "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 which is on file with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Merrill Lynch Announces $6 Billion Share Repurchase Authorization

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MER - News) today announced that its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $6 billion of the company's outstanding common shares.

"This authorization will enable us to continue to be active and flexible in managing our equity capital," noted Jeff Edwards, chief financial officer. "We seek to balance increasing our return on equity and growing our book value per share. To achieve this goal, our primary focus is to deploy capital into profitable growth opportunities. But to the extent we generate excess capital, we will continue to use share repurchases, as well as cash dividends, to return capital to stockholders."

The authorization will be exercised from time to time, subject to market conditions, the relative attractiveness of other capital deployment opportunities, and regulatory considerations. Any repurchases are intended to make appropriate adjustments to the company's capital structure.

Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies with offices in 37 countries and territories and total client assets of approximately $1.6 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a broad range of asset classes and serves as a strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Merrill Lynch owns approximately half of BlackRock, one of the world's largest publicly traded investment management companies with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. For more information on Merrill Lynch, please visit www.ml.com

RBS group unveils $98 billion rival bid plan for ABN Amro

ABN AMRO invited Fortis, RBS and Santander (collectively, the "Banks") to a meeting on Monday 23 April 2007 to discuss their proposals in relation to a potential transaction with ABN AMRO. On that day ABN AMRO announced a recommended offer by Barclays and the sale of LaSalle Bank to Bank of America.

The Banks have now had the opportunity of considering their position and examining the offer made by Barclays. The Banks are of the clear view that their proposals are superior for ABN AMRO's shareholders and are straightforward from a shareholder, regulatory and execution perspective. These proposals are contingent on LaSalle Bank remaining within the ABN AMRO group and due diligence.

Last night the Banks received a letter from ABN AMRO seeking further details of their proposals and a meeting to discuss them. The Banks have accepted this invitation and summarise their proposals below. In addition, the Banks have requested that the Supervisory and Managing Boards of ABN AMRO take such steps as may be required to ensure that LaSalle Bank remains within the ABN AMRO group and provide limited due diligence information so that the Banks' proposals can be brought forward as an offer.

The following is a summary of the key aspects of the potential transaction:

A price indication of €39 per share*, subject to due diligence (see below). This would be 13% higher than the value of the Barclays offer as of the market close yesterday.
Approximately 70% of the consideration payable in cash, 30% in RBS shares.
The Banks believe that execution risk would be lower than in a transaction with Barclays. The Banks already have significant presence and experience in all of ABN AMRO's main markets, and also have proven capabilities in delivering transaction benefits from large-scale integrations and IT conversions, underpinning their ability to manage and integrate ABN AMRO's operations.
The Banks believe that the potential transaction will create stronger businesses with enhanced market positions and growth prospects in each of ABN AMRO's main markets. This together with the greater combined scale of the Banks and their proven track records of growing businesses can deliver concrete benefits to ABN AMRO's shareholders, customers and employees.
RBS will lead the Banks' orderly reorganisation of ABN AMRO and will take on the primary responsibility of ensuring that ABN AMRO meets its regulatory requirements from completion of a transaction.
* Including the ABN AMRO 2006 final dividend of €0.60 per share

These proposals are subject to certain pre-conditions, including:

ABN AMRO having taken such steps as may be required to ensure that LaSalle Bank remains within the ABN AMRO group. The Banks will work with ABN AMRO to facilitate this.
Limited due diligence on no more information than received by Barclays and Bank of America. The Banks would be able to complete this due diligence within a very short period of time.
The Banks are confident that a transaction based on the above proposals would create value for their own shareholders.

In summary, the Banks believe that, because of the materially higher value available for shareholders and the benefits to customers and employees compared with the recommended offer from Barclays, it is in ABN AMRO's stakeholders' interests for the Supervisory and Management Boards to:

Take such steps as may be required to ensure that LaSalle Bank remains within the ABN AMRO group
Provide limited due diligence
Co-operate with the Banks so that they can develop their proposals into a formal offer
Important Information
This announcement is made pursuant to article 9b(1) of the Dutch Decree on the Supervision of the Securities Trade 1995 (the "Decree"). It does not constitute an announcement pursuant to article 9(b)(2)(b) of the Decree, as no letter as referred to in article 9(d)(2) has been filed. Any possible transaction would be subject to approval of competent regulatory authorities in relevant jurisdictions.

In connection with a potential transaction involving ABN AMRO, the Banks may be required to file relevant documents with the SEC. Such documents, however, are not currently available. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ ANY DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL TRANSACTION IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of such documents without charge, at the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov) once such documents are filed with the SEC. Copies of such documents may also be obtained from each Bank, without charge, once they are filed with the SEC.

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made in the United States except pursuant to registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.

Altus Pharmaceuticals Announces Closing Of $88.5 Million Public Offering

Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTU), a biopharmaceutical company focused on oral and injectable protein therapeutics for patients with gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders, announced today that it has completed the previously announced underwritten public offering of 6,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $14.75 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds from the offering were approximately $88.5 million before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. Altus Pharmaceuticals has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 900,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, if any. All of the shares were offered by Altus Pharmaceuticals. Merrill Lynch & Co. and Morgan Stanley & Co. were joint book-running managers for the offering. Cowen and Company and Leerink Swann & Company were co-managers for the offering.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, Attn: Prospectus Department or by email at prospectus@morganstanley.com or from Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, 4 World Financial Center, New York, New York 10080.

About Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Altus Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of oral and injectable protein therapeutics for patients with gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders. The company is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol ALTU.

SEC Charges Former Apple General Counsel for Illegal Stock Option Backdating

The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed charges against two former senior executives of Apple, Inc. in a matter involving improper stock option backdating. The Commission accused former General Counsel Nancy R. Heinen of participating in the fraudulent backdating of options granted to Apple's top officers that caused the company to underreport its expenses by nearly $40 million. The Commission's complaint alleges that Heinen, of Portola Valley, Calif., caused Apple to backdate two large options grants to senior executives of Apple — a February 2001 grant of 4.8 million options to Apple's Executive Team and a December 2001 grant of 7.5 million options to Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs — and altered company records to conceal the fraud.

The Commission also filed, and simultaneously settled, charges against former Apple Chief Financial Officer Fred D. Anderson, of Atherton, Calif., alleging that Anderson should have noticed Heinen's efforts to backdate the Executive Team grant but failed to take steps to ensure that Apple's financial statements were correct. As part of the settlement, Anderson agreed (without admitting or denying the allegations) to pay approximately $3.5 million in disgorgement and penalties.

Linda Chatman Thomsen, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement, stated, "The Apple case demonstrates the Commission's ongoing commitment to take action against stock options backdating and other executive compensation abuses. When corporate officers enrich themselves at the expense of a company's shareholders, the Commission will hold the responsible individuals accountable, particularly where, as here, the responsible individuals are among those obligated to ensure that the company complies with all applicable securities laws and that its financial statements are accurate."

Marc J. Fagel, Associate Regional Director of the SEC's San Francisco Regional Office, stated, "Apple's shareholders relied on Heinen and Anderson, as respected legal and accounting professionals, to ensure the accurate reporting of the company's executive compensation. Instead, they failed in their duties as gatekeepers and caused Apple to conceal millions of dollars in stock option expenses."

According to the Commission's complaint, filed in the Northern District of California, Apple granted 4.8 million options to six members of its executive team (including Heinen and Anderson) in February 2001. Because the options were in-the-money when granted (i.e. could be exercised to purchase Apple shares at a below market price), Apple was required to report a compensation charge in its publicly filed financial statements. The Commission alleges that, in order to avoid reporting this expense, Heinen caused Apple to backdate options to January 17, 2001, when Apple's share price was substantially lower. Heinen is also alleged to have directed her staff to prepare documents falsely indicating that Apple's Board had approved the Executive Team grant on January 17. As a result, Apple failed to record approximately $18.9 million in compensation expenses associated with the option grant. Anderson, who should have realized the implications of Heinen's actions, failed to disclose key information to Apple's auditors and neglected to ensure that the company's financial statements were accurate. Both Heinen and Anderson personally received millions of dollars in unreported compensation as a result of the backdating.

The Commission's complaint also alleges improprieties in connection with a December 2001 grant of 7.5 million options to CEO Steve Jobs. Although the options were in-the-money at that time, Heinen — as with the Executive Team grant — caused Apple to backdate the grant to October 19, 2001, when Apple's share price was lower. As a result, the Commission alleges that Heinen caused Apple to improperly fail to record $20.3 million in compensation expense associated with the in-the-money options grant. The Commission further alleges that Heinen then signed fictitious Board minutes stating that the Board had approved the grant to Jobs on October 19 at a "Special Meeting of the Board of Directors" — a meeting that, in fact, never occurred.

Heinen is charged with, among other things, violating the antifraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, lying to Apple's auditors, and violating prohibitions on circumventing internal controls. The Commission is seeking injunctive relief, disgorgement, and money penalties against Heinen, in addition to an order barring her from serving as an officer or director of a public company.

Anderson, without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint, has agreed to a permanent injunction from further violations of the antifraud, reporting, internal controls, and other provisions of the federal securities laws. Anderson also will disgorge approximately $3.49 million in ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, representing the in-the-money portion of the Executive Team options grant that Anderson exercised, and will pay a civil penalty of $150,000.

The Commission also announced today that it would not bring any enforcement action against Apple based in part on its swift, extensive, and extraordinary cooperation in the Commission's investigation. Apple's cooperation consisted of, among other things, prompt self-reporting, an independent internal investigation, the sharing of the results of that investigation with the government, and the implementation of new controls designed to prevent the recurrence of fraudulent conduct.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Prices $2 Billion of 6.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2015

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE: AMD) today announced the pricing of $2 billion aggregate principal amount of 6.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2015 in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. AMD granted to the initial purchasers a 30-day option to purchase up to $200 million aggregate principal amount of additional notes to cover over-allotments.

Interest on the notes will be paid semiannually on May 1 and November 1 at a rate of 6.00% per year. Upon the occurrence of certain events, the notes will be convertible into cash up to the principal amount, and if applicable, shares of common stock in respect of any conversion value above the principal amount, based on an initial conversion rate of 35.6125 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of $28.08 per share. This initial conversion price represents a premium of 100% relative to the last reported sale price on April 23, 2007 of AMD’s common stock of $14.04 per share. Holders of the notes may require AMD to repurchase the notes for cash equal to 100% of the principal amount to be repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest upon the occurrence of certain designated events.

In connection with the offering, AMD entered into a capped call transaction which is intended to reduce the potential dilution to AMD’s common stockholders upon any conversion of the notes. The capped call transaction will have a strike price that matches the conversion price of the convertible notes and the cap price in the capped call transaction will be $42.12 per share. AMD has been advised that, in connection with establishing the capped call transaction, the counterparty or its affiliates expect to enter into various derivative transactions with respect to AMD’s common stock and/or purchase AMD’s common stock in secondary market transactions concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. The counterparty or its affiliates may also enter into or unwind various derivative transactions with respect to AMD’s common stock and purchase or sell AMD’s common stock in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the notes (and are likely to do so during any observation period relating to the conversion of a note).

AMD estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately $1,972 million (or approximately $2,169 million if the initial purchasers exercise their over allotment option in full) after deducting discounts, commissions and estimated offering expenses. AMD intends to use a portion of the net proceeds of the offering to pay the cost of the capped call transaction. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, AMD expects to use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of additional notes to enter into an additional capped call transaction. AMD expects to use at least $500 million of the remaining net proceeds of the offering to repay a portion of the term loan AMD entered into with Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. to finance a portion of the purchase price of, and expenses related to, the acquisition of ATI Technologies Inc. AMD expects to use any amounts not applied to the repayment of the term loan for general corporate purposes, including working capital and capital expenditures.

This press release is neither an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the notes nor shall there be any sale of the notes in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification thereof under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers of the notes will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum. The notes and AMD’s common stock issuable upon the conversion of the notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current preliminary expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risk that AMD may be unable to complete the offering. Other information on potential risk factors that could affect AMD, its business and its financial results are detailed in the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” which can be found in AMD’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the SEC on March 1, 2007.

Alien Technology Secures $33 Million In New Round Of Funding

Alien Technology today announced that is has secured an aggregate of $33 million in new financing, led by Advanced Equities and Sunbridge Partners. Joining lead investors in the new round of funding are existing Alien investors Rho Ventures and NEA. With this round of financing, the capital invested in Alien totals more than $291 million. Alien's revenue for the first half of FY07 grew 43% over the second half of FY06, while net cash used in operating activities declined 50% from the second half of FY06.

About Alien Technology

Alien Technology provides UHF Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products and services to customers in retail, consumer goods, manufacturing, defense, transportation and logistics, pharmaceuticals and other industries. Organizations use Alien's RFID products and services to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and security of their supply chains, logistics and asset tracking operations. Alien's products include RFID tags, RFID readers and related training and professional services. Alien's patented Fluidic Self Assembly (FSA(TM)) technology and related proprietary manufacturing processes are designed to enable the manufacture of high volume, low cost RFID tags.

Alien was founded in l994. The company's facilities include: its corporate headquarters in Morgan Hill, CA; an RFID tag manufacturing facility in Fargo, ND; the Alien RFID Solutions Center, in the Dayton, Ohio area, and sales offices in the US, Europe and Asia. Alien is a member of EPCGlobal. More information about Alien is available at www.alientechnology.com

GE Antares Provides $120MM First Lien and $50MM Second Lien Facility for Leading Designer and Manufacturer of Pressure Sensitive Labels

GE Antares today announced it acted as administrative agent for a $120 million first lien secured credit facility and a $50 million second lien secured credit facility to finance the recapitalization of York Tape and Label, Inc., a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners. GE Capital Markets served as lead arranger and bookrunner.

The senior secured credit facility consisted of a $20 million first lien senior secured revolving credit facility, a $100 million first lien senior secured term loan facility, and a $50 million second lien senior secured facility. Proceeds of the credit facility were used to refinance existing senior and subordinated indebtedness of the Company and to provide for working capital needs.

Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, YORK is a leading designer and manufacturer of prime, pressure sensitive labels to a wide range of markets and Fortune 500 companies. It operates five state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across the country. To complement the Company’s label production, it has a complete Integrated Systems Division that offers labeling, data collection, and printing systems for manufacturing, warehouse, and retail environments.

“Through its extensive production capabilities and reputation for unparalleled customer service, the Company has developed a diverse and blue chip client base,” said Dan Barry, Senior Managing Director of GE Antares. “We are delighted to work with Wind Point Partners and YORK’s strong management team.”

“Our in-depth knowledge of the company allowed GE to offer a flexible financing package,” said Doug Koch, Vice President of GE Antares. “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to provide the refinancing to YORK on behalf of WPP, and we enjoy our value-added partnership with their firm.”

Michael Nelson, a principal at Wind Point Partners said: “We appreciate GE Antares’ support and responsiveness on the York financing. It demonstrates their ongoing commitment to working with WPP and YORK’s management team. We look forward to continuing our efforts on behalf of both entities.”

About Wind Point Partners

Wind Point Partners® is a private equity investment firm with $2 billion in capital under management. Wind Point focuses on partnering with top caliber executives to acquire solid middle market businesses with a clear path to value creation. Additional information about Wind Point is available at www.windpointpartners.com

About GE Antares Capital

GE Antares Capital is a unit of GE Commercial Finance - Global Sponsor Finance. With over $8 billion in assets, and offices in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, GE Antares offers a “one-stop” source for GE’s lending and other services offered to middle market private equity sponsors. Visit www.geantares.com

About GE Commercial Finance

GE Commercial Finance, which offers businesses around the globe an array of financial products and services, has assets of over $233 billion and is headquartered in Norwalk Connecticut. GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work – a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world’s toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and advanced materials, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ge.com

NYSE Bonds Platform Now Available for Trading

NYSE Euronext (NYSE Euronext: NYX) today announced that NYSE Group, Inc.’s new bond trading platform, NYSE BondsSM began full operation. Based on NYSE Arca’s comprehensive matching technology, NYSE Bonds provides investors with transparent and highly efficient order executions for the corporate debt securities of all NYSE listed companies.

“This launch represents the NYSE Group’s diligent work in creating a truly unique system that fills a void in today’s bond market, and exemplifies the strong alliances we’ve cultivated with our vendors and member firms to expand the accessibility, liquidity and performance of the system,” said NYSE Euronext Vice President, Fixed Income, John Holman. “NYSE Bonds offers distinctive features that provide investors the ability to more readily obtain transparent pricing and trading information, enabling them to make better investing decisions with the member firms using our platform.”

Replacing the Automated Bond System (ABS), the Exchange’s previous bond trading platform retired on Friday, April 20, NYSE Bonds utilizes NYSE Arca’s open, accessible all-electronic design. Boasting drastically increased efficiency and more transparent trading in corporate debt issues for NYSE members entering orders for bonds trading on the Exchange, the system primarily serves retail trading in corporate bonds utilizing a strict price and time priority architecture.

Based on SEC exemptive relief obtained in November 2006 that permits NYSE members and member organizations to trade certain unlisted debt securities on the Exchange, NYSE Bonds will be expanded to trade the unlisted corporate debt issues of all NYSE-listed equity issuers and their wholly-owned subsidiaries, allowing NYSE customers to access nearly 6,000 additional bonds compared to approximately 1,000 today. Beginning in two weeks, NYSE Bonds will conduct a staged rollout, adding approximately 500 new issues weekly until the implementation is complete.

Please click here to learn more about trading corporate bonds on NYSE Bonds.

For more information on NYSE BondsSM including a complete directory of bonds, delayed prices, a detailed glossary of terms and a list of the most actively traded issues, please visit: http://www.nyse.com/bonds

Bank of America Agrees to Acquire LaSalle Bank

Bank of America Corporation today announced a definitive agreement to purchase ABN AMRO North America Holding Company, parent of LaSalle Bank Corporation and its subsidiaries, from ABN AMRO Holding NV. The combination of LaSalle and Bank of America creates a leading banking franchise in metropolitan Chicago, the No. 3 banking market in the United States, and in Michigan.


Bank of America will pay $21 billion in cash to ABN AMRO. After a return of $5 billion in excess capital, the net cost is $16 billion.

The purchase will significantly deepen Bank of America's Chicago presence and add LaSalle's 17,000 commercial banking clients, 1.4 million retail customers, 411 banking centers and 1,500 ATMs in the Chicago area, Michigan and Indiana. It also will mark Bank of America's retail branch entry in Michigan, where it will have 264 offices and be the largest bank with a 23 percent deposit market share. LaSalle also has six banking offices in Indiana.

In the last four years, Bank of America has grown its retail presence in Chicago from a single financial center to 56 locations. Once combined with LaSalle's 141 Chicago area offices, Bank of America will have more than 14 percent of the deposit market share in metropolitan Chicago. LaSalle is a top- 20 U.S. bank holding company, with $113 billion total assets.

"In LaSalle, we see a compelling opportunity to fill in a key gap in our national franchise and build relationships with thousands of new customers in retail, private banking, wealth management and commercial and corporate banking," said Kenneth D. Lewis, Bank of America's chairman and chief executive officer. "LaSalle customers will share in the most extensive retail franchise in the nation, have access to a leading innovator in financial services and will benefit from Bank of America's commitment to the communities it serves."

Commercial and corporate clients will benefit from greater access to global capital markets and enhanced investment banking and global treasury services capabilities.

Bank of America will be able to deliver more services including innovative products such as Keep the Change, Business 24/7 and $0 Online Equity Trades to complement LaSalle's strong existing capabilities. As a result, Bank of America expects increased revenue from additional sales over time.

"Bank of America is a tremendous organization for which I have the utmost respect," said LaSalle Bank Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Norman R. Bobins. "I look forward to working with them."

In the Community

In the community, LaSalle has consistently demonstrated its involvement in the markets it serves. Bank of America also is committed to Chicago and since 1995 has donated more than $30 million in Illinois, mostly in Chicago, to organizations such as the United Way, the Chicago Community Foundation and Neighborhood Housing Services. Bank of America has pledged $1.5 billion nationally in philanthropic giving over 10 years, including $200 million in 2006.

In 2006, Bank of America donated $3.9 million in Illinois, a 28 percent increase from a year earlier. Last month, Bank of America gave $1 million to the Chicago Public Library to fund technology improvements in library branches and provide assistance to job seekers and others without Internet access.

Bank of America intends to continue its support of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and key sports sponsorships, such as being the official bank of Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox. Bank of America is the official bank of baseball. Bank of America also looks forward to introducing its philanthropic programs in Michigan markets.

Bank of America is a leader in community development, with a national goal of $750 billion over a 10-year period. It is committed to providing financial products and services in low to moderate income areas it serves.

Financial Terms and Assumptions

The purchase is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings per share.

Bank of America expects $800 million in after-tax cost savings in the transaction. Half of those would come in 2008 and the remainder would be realized in 2009.

Bank of America would have an estimated $800 million in after-tax restructuring costs.

The agreement has been approved by Bank of America's board of directors and ABN AMRO's supervisory board, and is subject to customary regulatory approvals. The purchase is expected to comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Closing is expected in late 2007 or early 2008.

Bank of America was advised in the transaction by Banc of America Securities and the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. ABN AMRO was advised by UBS and the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Note: Bank of America management will present transaction details in an 8:30 a.m. Webcast. The presentation and Webcast can be accessed on the Bank of America's Investor Relations Web site at http://investor.bankofamerica.com/

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 56 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 5,700 retail banking offices, more than 17,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 22 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 175 countries and has relationships with 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 80 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

http://www.bankofamerica.com/

LaSalle Bank

LaSalle Bank Corporation is the largest bank holding company headquartered in Chicago, with more than USD 113 billion in assets. Through its subsidiaries, the company has retail and commercial operations in 20 states and 26 cities across the U.S. LaSalle Bank Corporation's subsidiary banks serve individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies and institutions through more than 400 retail locations and 1,500 ATMs in Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. LaSalle Bank Corporation's direct and indirect subsidiaries include LaSalle Bank N.A., LaSalle

Bank Midwest N.A., LaSalle National Leasing Corporation, LaSalle Business Credit LLC and LaSalle Financial Services, Inc. LaSalle Bank Corporation is an indirect subsidiary of Netherlands-based ABN AMRO Bank N.V., a leading international bank with total assets of EUR 999 bln. ABN AMRO operates more than 4,500 branches in 53 countries, and has a staff of more than 110,000 full-time employees worldwide.

http://www.lasallebank.com/

NYSE Euronext offer for Euronext shares results in 97.77% of voting rights tendered

Today the French market regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) published the final results of the exchange offer by NYSE Euronext (NYSE Euronext: NYX), through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary NYSE Euronext (Holding) N.V., for all outstanding shares of Euronext N.V. (Euronext). During the initial and subsequent offer periods, which lasted from February 15 to March 21, 2007 and from April 2 to April 17, 2007, Euronext shareholders tendered 102,897,398 and 6,251,579 Euronext shares, respectively, representing a total of 96.97% of Euronext’s share capital and 97.77% of the voting rights. The settlement and delivery of the subsequent offer period will take place on 27 April 2007.

As NYSE Euronext through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary NYSE Euronext (Holding) N.V. will hold more than 95% of the Euronext share capital as of 27 April 2007, it plans to initiate, through its subsidiary, a compulsory acquisition procedure in accordance with the Dutch civil code. In this compulsory acquisition, the price to be paid for Euronext shares will be paid in cash only, in an amount determined by the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeals. It is anticipated that this process will take several months to complete.

Fintura Corporation Secures Funding from Battery Ventures

Fintura Corporation today announced that it has secured Series A funding from Battery Ventures. Fintura provides financial institutions with customized solutions to accelerate new account growth, expand franchise presence and increase profitability through the delivery and management of credit cards, student loans and home equity products. Fintura's solutions are particularly suited to institutions such as regional and community banks, credit unions and brand owners, who typically do not have the luxury of building the in-house marketing, operations and risk management expertise these products require.

"Financial institutions know that expanding beyond checking and savings accounts is strategic to their business, but they have no easy, low-risk way to do this. That's where we come in," said Andrew Mathieson, Fintura founder and CEO. "We've mastered the science and methodology behind acquiring, growing and managing customer relationships. We provide the nuts and bolts of marketing and account origination expertise, the infrastructure and the risk capital. We only expect to be paid for delivering results. By partnering with us, financial institutions can remain focused on their core competencies while we help them build and expand profitable customer relationships through new, high value product lines."

Fintura is initially focused on two lines of business designed to help small-to-medium financial institutions grow new customer accounts and make existing relationships more profitable:

New Account Origination: Fintura provides cost-effective and risk-free account origination for financial institutions. The company applies its proven marketing strategies to reach prospects, and takes on all of the financial risk for marketing, data analytics and technology infrastructure expenditures.

Turnkey Product Solutions: Fintura develops, manages and services fully branded credit card, home equity and student loan programs. This lets financial institutions extend product lines with new and innovative offerings and deepen relationships with customers and members.

"We're backing Fintura for two reasons: team and market opportunity," explained Sunil Dhaliwal, partner at Battery Ventures and Fintura board member. "Andrew is an experienced entrepreneur who has demonstrated success in affinity marketing, consumer credit and credit analytics. He and his team have targeted a multi-billion dollar market with totally unique solutions that help any size financial institution compete against the few national players who dominate the consumer credit market today."

About Fintura's Founding Team:

Founder and CEO Andrew Mathieson leverages his broad professional experience spanning financial services, insurance, management consulting and the travel industry to set the foundation for the company. Joining Mathieson at Fintura are two former colleagues from InfiCorp Holdings, in Atlanta, GA, where Mathieson was a co-founder. George Whitley, Vice President, Finance/BP&A, brings 20 years of experience in the financial services industry specifically in the areas of financial planning and analysis. Fred J Grigsby III, Vice President, Marketing, a 14 year veteran in the financial services industry, bringing proven expertise in the management and marketing of consumer credit card portfolios.

About Fintura Corporation

Fintura Corporation is a specialized management and operating company helping financial institutions better compete by building and expanding profitable franchise relationships and extending product lines. Fintura partners with institutions to provide leading-edge product development, new account origination and portfolio management services across credit cards, student loans, and home equity product lines. Fintura uses its data driven marketing and management approach to achieve profitable outcomes independent of portfolio size or product line. Fintura is privately held and based in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about our company, our people and our capabilities, please visit http://www.fintura.com

About Battery Ventures

Since 1983, Battery Ventures has been investing in technology and innovation worldwide. The firm partners with entrepreneurs and management teams across technology sectors, geographies and stages of a company's life, from start-up and expansion financing, to growth equity and buyouts.

Battery Ventures has supported many breakthrough companies in technology and financial services, including: Akamai (AKAM), Cbeyond (CBEY), Corillian (CORI), HNC Software (acquired by Fair, Issac), and (LIFFE (acquired by Euronext). Its current portfolio includes emerging firms such as MRU Holdings, Netezza, Spot Runner, and TradeKing, as well as more established companies such as Fingerhut, MetroPCS (PCS), and Nova Analytics.

From offices in Boston, Silicon Valley and Israel, Battery Ventures manages more than $2 billion in committed capital. For more information, visit www.battery.com

IBM and Switzerland's Banque Cantonale Vaudoise in $460 Million, 5-Year Services Agreement

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, (BCV), one of Switzerland's top full-service banks, and IBM, (NYSE: IBM) have signed a $460 million, 5-year services agreement for IBM to transform BCV's Information Technology (IT) infrastructure.

The project supports the growth initiatives of the 162-year-old bank, which has expanded and diversified its business activities to become one of Switzerland's largest banking institutions. The agreement allows the bank to concentrate on its core competencies of retail and institutional banking while benefiting from IBM's leadership in banking application consulting and hosting.

In terms of the agreement, the business of BCV's IT services provider, Unicible, and Unicible's resources will transfer to IBM. Unicible is the largest banking solution IT provider in Suisse romande, and the transfer includes about 330 staff. IBM will establish an IT Banking Competence Centre in Lausanne, focusing on banking applications consulting and banking application hosting. The aim is to transfer Unicible from a captive and proprietary service provider to a multi-platform banking competence centre in Lausanne. In future, the centre will provide technology services, consulting services and managed business services to banking groups in addition to BCV.

Alexandre Zeller, CEO BCV, said: "With IBM as a partner we can focus on our core activities and offer the best possible services to our clients."

The contract is one of IBM Switzerland's largest ever services agreements and further strengthens IBM's position as a leader in the Swiss banking sector.

"With this agreement we are able to help BCV offer better service to their customers and help them focus on their success," said Daniel Ruethemann, Country General Manager, IBM Switzerland. "With the new IT Banking Competence Centre, IBM will provide best-in-class technology, consulting and managed business services to BCV and other retail and private banks."

Implementation of the agreement is planned for June 2007.

Xechem Receives $7 Million from New Investors

Xechem International, Inc. (OTC BB: XKEM - News) announced today that it has received just over $7 million in funding following the closing of a convertible debt financing transaction with a group of largely new investors in the Company. The initial closing of $4.9 million closed on April 4, 2007, with the balance of $2.1 million having closed on April 18, 2007. (For a detailed description of the specific terms of the transaction, see the Company's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Form 8-K, which was filed on April 10, 2007, and the Company's 8-K/A, to be filed shortly). A portion of the proceeds of the financing ($1.1 million) was used to pay down approximately half of the remaining obligation to Alembic Ltd., with the balance to be used for payment of certain existing obligations, progress toward completion of the Nigerian production facility and general working capital purposes. This funding is in addition to the recently announced bank loan of approximately $2.7 million received by the Company's Nigerian subsidiary last week.

Dr. Ramesh Pandey, the Chairman and CEO of Xechem, stated, "This investment in Xechem's future by a group of individuals and entities marks a new phase in Xechem's development and shows how the interest in our Company has now expanded to a larger pool of investors, including certain institutional investors that had previously been unwilling to fund our operations. Coming on the heels of the recently approved Nigerian bank loan of approximately $2.7 million, and with Ex-Im moving closer to approval, we have now accelerated the timetable for the completion of the commercial scale production facility in Nigeria for an opening during the fourth quarter of 2007, while also addressing working capital needs at the Company's corporate headquarters in New Brunswick, New Jersey."

Dr. Pandey added, "I am also pleased that this transaction included lock-ups by a number of persons, including the holder of a significant convertible debt position, which greatly limit the ability to sell Xechem stock over the next several months as we progress toward full scale production and execution of our business plan."

About XECHEM

Xechem International is a development stage biopharmaceutical company working on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), antidiabetic, antimalarial, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer and antiviral (including AIDS) products from natural sources, including microbial and marine organisms. Its focus is on the development of phyto-pharmaceuticals (natural herbal drugs) and other proprietary technologies, including those used in the treatment of orphan diseases. Xechem's mission is to bring relief to the millions of people who suffer from these diseases. Its recent focus and resources have been directed primarily toward the development and launch of NICOSAN(TM) (to be marketed as HEMOXIN(TM) in the US and Europe). With the Nigerian regulatory approval now in hand, Xechem is now working on the commercialization of the drug in Nigeria and the pursuit of US FDA and European regulatory approval. In addition to NICOSAN(TM), Xechem is also working on another sickle cell compound, 5-HMF, which it has licensed from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

Pitney Bowes Completes Tender Offer for Shares of MapInfo

Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI) today announced the successful completion of the tender offer by its direct wholly-owned subsidiary, Magellan Acquisition Corp., at $20.25 net per share in cash for all the outstanding shares of common stock of MapInfo Corporation (NASDAQ:MAPS). The offer expired at 12:00 Midnight, New York City time, on April 18, 2007.

The depositary for the offer has advised Pitney Bowes and Magellan Acquisition Corp., that, as of the expiration of the offering period, approximately 20.1 million shares (which includes approximately 1.0 million shares that were tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures) were validly tendered and not withdrawn in the tender offer. Those shares represent approximately 92.1 percent of MapInfo’s outstanding shares (including approximately 4.7 percent of outstanding shares that were tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures). All validly tendered shares have been accepted for payment in accordance with the terms of the tender offer.

Pitney Bowes intends to complete the acquisition of MapInfo through a “short-form” merger on April 19, 2007 or as soon as practicable thereafter. In order to accomplish the acquisition through a short-form merger, Magellan Acquisition Corp. intends to exercise a “top-up” option granted under the merger agreement with MapInfo which permits it to purchase a limited number of additional shares directly from MapInfo for $20.25 per share (the same purchase price paid in the offer). In the short-form merger all outstanding MapInfo shares not purchased in the tender offer, and not held by a holder who demands appraisal rights for such shares under the Delaware General Corporation Law, will be converted into the right to receive $20.25 net per share in cash. Following the merger, detailed instructions will be mailed to MapInfo stockholders who did not tender during the offer, outlining the steps to be taken to obtain merger consideration or demand appraisal rights.

MapInfo is a global company and the leading provider of location intelligence solutions, integrating software, data and services to provide greater value from location-based information and drive more insightful decisions for businesses and government organizations around the world. Its solutions are available in multiple languages through a network of strategic partners and distribution channels in 60 countries. MapInfo’s customers span a diverse set of targeted vertical markets where location is a critical decision-making component, including communications, public sector, retail and financial services, including insurance. In the private sector, companies use MapInfo products and services for a variety of purposes including site selection, risk analysis, marketing, customer services, sales territory alignment and routing. In the public sector, government agencies around the world use MapInfo solutions to improve public safety, crime analysis, asset management, emergency preparedness and response. The company’s customer base includes such recognized names as British Telecom, MasterCard, and The Home Depot.

Pitney Bowes is a $5.7 billion global provider of integrated mailstream management solutions headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The company serves over 2 million businesses of all sizes in more than 130 countries through dealer and direct operations. For more information, please visit www.pb.com

GE Commercial Finance and NBC Universal Announce $250 Million Equity Fund to Invest in Media and Technology Companies with High Growth Potential

GE Media, Communications & Entertainment, a unit of GE Commercial Finance, and NBC Universal today announced they have launched a $250 million equity fund to invest in media and technology companies with high growth potential. The fund will focus on companies developing technologies, platforms, or business models with a strong strategic fit with NBC Universal in a wide range of areas, including advertising services, wireless, digital content and communities, and international platforms.

GE Media, Communications & Entertainment and NBC Universal also announced they have invested $3 million in Adify, an early stage company based in San Bruno, California. Adify’s unique automated technology represents a breakthrough in serving ads online.

“Just as digital technology drives the convergence of media, communications, and entertainment, it’s creating demand from our customers in these industries for investors who can provide financing and operational solutions,” said Michael Chen, President and Chief Executive Officer, GE Media, Communications & Entertainment. “By partnering with NBC Universal, we’re combining their media and distribution capabilities with our investment expertise to deliver these solutions.”

“In this rapidly changing environment new technologies and new business models emerge every day. This fund gives us an opportunity to participate in the development of cutting edge technologies and to help shape the future of our industry,” said Beth Comstock, President, Integrated Media, NBC Universal. ”We believe in the ad network model, and Adify is a true leap forward in online ad serving technology. Vertical networks are emerging as an important way to develop scale for our marketing clients.”

Adify was founded in 2005 by a group of online advertising pioneers from Flycast Communications, one of the original online ad networks. Adify technology sets up online ad networks by – for the first time - automating management, tracking, reporting, billing, and payment systems. Networks are built around categories ranging from sports to tax season and card games to pet ownership. By combining a large number of sites into one network, publishers can offer their advertising partners highly targeted communities of readers and a greater volume of ad inventory. NBC Universal has seen first-hand the promise of this model with the success of its Healthology vertical ad network, and the company is exploring ways to use Adify’s technology.

The fund will target investments ranging from approximately $3 million to $15 million each. The fund’s management team will work closely with NBC Universal’s businesses to evaluate promising opportunities.

About GE Commercial Finance

GE Commercial Finance, which offers businesses around the globe an array of financial products and services, has assets of over $230 billion and is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut. GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work – a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world’s toughest problems. GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ge.com

About GE Media Communications & Entertainment

With nearly $8 billion in assets and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Norwalk and San Francisco, the Media, Communications & Entertainment business is a global strategic partner to the media, communications & entertainment industries and the technologies that enable them. We bring GE’s full resources and financial strength to each relationship, while delivering industry expertise and flexible financing solutions that maximize stakeholder value. For more information, please visit www.geMCE.com

About NBC Universal

NBC Universal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

Cisco Systems, Inc., JAFCO Asia and TVP Invest in Avega Systems, Inc.

Avega Systems, Inc., announced that Cisco Systems, Inc., JAFCO Asia and Technology Venture Partners (TVP), have completed a US$7M Series B funding deal.
Avega Systems is a US entity with headquarters in Sunnyvale, CA and R&D based in Sydney, Australia. The company develops networked home entertainment technology platforms. The financing will fuel the growth of Avega Systems and accelerate technology development and marketing activities. The firm also plans to step up efforts in building strategic partnerships for its networked media distribution platform with established North American, European and Asian brand partners.

Avega is also pleased to announce that Dan Siazon, Senior Director of JAFCO Asia www.jafcoasia.com) and John Murray, Director and General Partner at TVP (www.tvp.com.au), will join the Company’s Board of Directors, as a result of the financing.

For the past three years Avega has been developing core technologies targeted at the connected digital home where networking is beginning to change the entertainment landscape. Avega’s Aios™ technology platform is aimed at enabling whole-home, multi-zone connectivity to content from a range of sources including Internet radio, media center PCs, portable media players, cell phones, legacy AV components, networked storage and set top boxes. The technology also solves problems associated with the control and management of the devices and content based on established and emerging wireless and wired networking standards, including Wi-Fi. Aios™ is being made available to established brand partners on an OEM basis.

“Our recent customer negotiations, award nominations at the last two International Consumer Electronics Shows and media recognition validate the opportunity and the company’s strong position in providing a complete end-to-end networked media connectivity solution for OEMs,” said Peter Celinski, Co-founder of Avega Systems.
“We are pleased to be supported by a global leader in networking technology. The financing continues the support provided by TVP in Avega’s Series A and the Australian government’s AusIndustry Commercial Ready funding program. It will allow Avega to help even more brand partners transition their product lines to include networked media connectivity.”

Avega was founded in 2004 and has 35 employees across the USA and Australia.

Cordys Secures $80 Million Investment to Meet Fast-Growing Market for Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) Software

Start-up Secures Single Largest Investment in an Independent BPMS Company, Establishes New U.S. Business Operations

Cordys Holding B.V., provider of industry-leading business process management suite (BPMS) enterprise software, announced today the successful completion of an $80 million (Euro 60 million) equity financing. Argonaut Private Equity led the round with an investment of $67 million, giving Argonaut a significant minority stake in the company. Jan Baan, founder and majority shareholder of Cordys, also participated. Today’s announcement represents the single largest round of funding for an independent, private BPMS vendor and points to the uniqueness of Cordys' technology in a rapidly growing BPMS software market. The BPMS market is predicted by Gartner Dataquest to be a $1 billion global market by end of 2007 and growing to $2.6 billion by 2011[1]. The funds will predominantly be used to expand Cordys’ operations in the United States, Cordys Inc., a wholly owned North American subsidiary.

“Cordys is an emerging BPMS player recently noted by Gartner as one of five BPMS vendors to watch in 2007[2]. As this is the first U.S. investment in Cordys, today’s announcement signals significant commitment to our U.S. go-to-market strategy, validates our ambitious vision and the staying power of the company, and demonstrates the confidence of the investors in our technology and team. We are delighted to have Argonaut as our partner and look forward to changing the rules of the BPMS market in 2007,” said Loek van den Boog, CEO of Cordys.

Jan Baan, founder and chairman of Cordys, explained, “This investment validates the company’s potential of becoming a global market leader in the BPMS space, an ambition Theodoor van Donge, our CTO, and I have had since founding the company in 2001.” Mr. Baan has been a software entrepreneur since 1978 when he founded Baan Software. Baan Software is recognized as a pioneer in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, becoming one of the largest and fastest-growing software companies in the world by the mid-1990s. Mr. Baan’s early investments in Top-Tier (acquired by SAP), WebEx (acquired by Cisco) and other software companies have proven him to be a visionary with a keen sense of identifying and leveraging disruptive technologies.

”Cordys represents an entirely new class of enterprise software, one that leverages rather than rips-and-replaces value from existing enterprise technology investments. Cordys has built a product like none other in the BPMS and SaaS arena that dramatically reduces the cost and time involved in automating, deploying and optimizing critical business processes. This team has a proven track record of building great companies, so we look forward to partnering with Jan and his team in the years ahead,” said Jason Martin, Managing Director of Argonaut Private Equity, who has also joined the board of directors of Cordys Holding.

BPMSs are the next-generation of BPM software. BPMSs pull together a broader set of tools to provide end-to-end lifecycle support of the business process all within a single model that is shared by all its enabling technologies. Because Cordys' innovative BPMS technology is built on an integrated service-oriented architecture (SOA), the gap between business analysts and IT teams is bridged and the time and cost of development and change is reduced dramatically. Enterprises are creating more "agile" businesses using BPMSs - in many cases automating tedious manual processes such as purchase order systems and customer service systems.

Cordys’ Growing U.S. Presence

Cordys also announced today the establishment of its new U.S. headquarters in San Jose, CA. This announcement comes on the heels of recent high-profile appointments to Cordys’ U.S. executive team. Cordys brings to the U.S. market three decades of experience by its senior management team in software development, integration and process optimization; extensive investments in R&D; and a track record of worldwide deployments with such respected organizations as AXA Insurance, De Amersfoortse, ABN AMRO Insurance (a joint venture between Delta Lloyd Group and ABN AMRO Bank) and Ertan Hydropowered Development Corporation. Cordys has attracted a global network of alliances with Cap Gemini, GT Software, Ordina and SOA Software. Cordys was recently named a 2007 Red Herring 100 Europe finalist.


About Cordys

Founded by Jan Baan in 2001, Cordys provides an industry-leading Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) to Global 2000 companies. Cordys’ unique SOA-based solution enables customers to design, execute, monitor and improve business processes more rapidly, with better performance, and with greater adaptability than any other available solution. More than 40 customers from major industries worldwide have selected Cordys to support business performance improvement enabling business executives to drive business innovation in real-time within a code-free environment. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Cordys is a global company with over 520 employees in offices throughout the Americas, Europe, China and India.

About Argonaut Private Equity

Argonaut Private Equity is a diversified global private equity fund dedicated to building emerging market leaders. With more than $2 billion under management provided by a single entrepreneur, Argonaut is uniquely positioned to assist entrepreneurial companies. Unlike conventional private equity firms, Argonaut exercises wide discretion on investment size, stage, sector and geography. Because of its focused ownership and management, Argonaut can make quick decisions without fund restrictions on subsequent investments or exit timing. Its equity investments range from $1 million to $200 million and span such diverse markets as consumer electronics, specialty materials, telecommunications, software, aviation, and healthcare technology and services. Argonaut’s portfolio includes investments in the United States, Israel, India, China, the Netherlands, South Korea and Australia.




[1] Gartner Dataquest report titled, Dataquest Insight: BPMS Software Market Size and Forecast, Worldwide, 2006-2011 by Michele Cantara on February 28, 2007.

[2] Gartner presentation titled, The BPMS Market — Key Players, Trends, and Outlook, by Michele Cantara at the Gartner Business Process Management Summit 2007

Reunion.com Receives $25M Funding From Oak Investment Partners

Reunion.com, the leader in helping adults find, reconnect and keep in touch with their friends and family, today announced it has completed a $25M round of funding from Oak Investment Partners, a top-tier Silicon Valley Venture Capital firm with a 30-year history. This investment represents one of the largest in a social networking company to date.

Reunion.com has been a profitable online business since its inception, with revenue growth of over 100% annually. Today the company boasts 28 million users and is adding nearly one million new members each month. With almost 8 million unique visitors conducting 60 million searches for people monthly, Reunion.com is now one of the top-ranked social networking sites according to Media Metrix, with others in the category including Friendster, Xanga, Bebo, LinkedIn, and Hi5.

The company has continued its steady growth with only $1.4 million of angel funding from successful Internet and social networking visionaries, including Jeffrey Tinsley, former founder and CEO of GreatDomains.com; Richard Rosenblatt, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Demand Media and the former Chairman of MySpace.com; and Andy Mazzarella, current CEO of eForce Media and former CFO of iMall.

"Reunion.com has become a leading service in the people search and social networking arena, targeting the large and valuable post-Facebook demographic," says Jeffrey Tinsley, CEO and Founder of Reunion.com. "This infusion of financial resources from Oak Investment Partners will help us accelerate our organic growth as well as give us capital to pursue strategic add-on acquisitions."

"We are excited to be a part of a major social network that stands apart from others in the market in terms of product offering, member composition and business model," says Fred Harman, Managing Partner of Oak Investment Partners. "With this capital, we believe Reunion.com is well positioned to be an industry leader."

Jefferies & Company, Inc. acted as investment bankers on the transaction representing Reunion.com.

About Reunion.com

Reunion.com is the leader in helping adults find and reconnect with old friends, relatives, classmates or anyone, as well as keep in touch with everyone they care about. Launched in 2002 by Jeffrey Tinsley, the company has continually introduced novel features and attracted a unique audience that sets it apart from other social networking sites. A privately held company, Reunion.com is based in Los Angeles, California. For more information, please visit http://www.Reunion.com

About Oak Investment Partners

Oak Investment Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm with a total of $8.4 billion in committed capital. The primary investment focus is on high growth opportunities in communications, information technology, Internet new media, financial services information technology, healthcare services and consumer retail. With a 30-year history, Oak has achieved a strong track record as a stage-independent investor funding more than 450 companies at key points in their lifecycle. Oak has been involved in the formation of companies, funded spinouts of operating divisions and technology assets, and provided growth equity to mid- and late-stage private businesses and to public companies through PIPE investments.

NASDAQ Announces Preliminary First Quarter 2007 Results

The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("NASDAQ(r)" (Nasdaq:NDAQ) announced today its preliminary results for the first quarter 2007.

For the quarter, NASDAQ expects net income to be $18.3 million, or $0.14 per diluted share. Operating income is expected to be $81.4 million and gross margin to be $192.1 million. Expected to be included in first quarter results are $24.9 million in acquisition related charges associated with NASDAQ's offer for the London Stock Exchange.

David Warren, NASDAQ's Chief Financial Officer commented, "We are extremely pleased with our first quarter operating results, especially with the increase in operating income. These results demonstrate our ability to successfully execute a plan to drive growth in our business."

Mr. Warren continued, "Based on the lapse of our offer for the London Stock Exchange in February 2007, it was determined that previously discussed costs incurred as a result of our bid be expensed in the first quarter 2007. These expenses will have the impact of reducing diluted earnings per share by $0.10 per share for the quarter."

As previously announced NASDAQ will release final first quarter 2007 results on Thursday, April 19, 2007. Conference call information can be found at the NASDAQ Investor Relations website at http://ir.nasdaq.com/

NASDAQ(r) is the largest electronic equity securities market in the United States. With approximately 3,200 companies, it lists more companies and, on average, trades more shares per day than any other U.S. market. It is home to category-defining companies that are leaders across all areas of business including technology, retail, communications, financial services, transportation, media and biotechnology industries. For more information about NASDAQ, visit the NASDAQ Web site at www.nasdaq.com or the NASDAQ Newsroom(sm) at www.nasdaqnews.com NDAQF

Microsoft Statement on Proposed Acquisition of DoubleClick by Google

Microsoft has released the following statement by Brad Smith, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation, on the proposed acquisition of DoubleClick by Google:

“This proposed acquisition raises serious competition and privacy concerns in that it gives the Google DoubleClick combination unprecedented control in the delivery of online advertising, and access to a huge amount of consumer information by tracking what customers do online. We think this merger deserves close scrutiny from regulatory authorities to ensure a competitive online advertising market.”

Google to Acquire DoubleClick

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today a definitive agreement to acquire DoubleClick Inc., a global leader in digital marketing technology and services, for $3.1 billion in cash from San Francisco-based private equity firm Hellman & Friedman along with JMI Equity and management. The acquisition will combine DoubleClick's expertise in ad management technology for media buyers and sellers with Google's leading advertising platform and publisher monetization services.

The combination of Google and DoubleClick will offer superior tools for targeting, serving and analyzing online ads of all types, significantly benefiting customers and consumers:

• For users, the combined company will deliver an improved experience on the web, by increasing the relevancy and the quality of the ads they see.
  
• For online publishers, the combination provides access to new advertisers, which creates a powerful opportunity to monetize their inventory more efficiently.
  
• For agencies and advertisers, Google and DoubleClick will provide an easy and efficient way to manage both search and display ads in one place. They will be able to optimize their ad spending across different online media using a common set of metrics.

"It has been our vision to make Internet advertising better - less intrusive, more effective, and more useful. Together with DoubleClick, Google will make the Internet more efficient for end users, advertisers, and publishers," said Sergey Brin, Google's Co-Founder and President, Technology.

"DoubleClick's technology is widely adopted by leading advertisers, publishers and agencies, and the combination of the two companies will accelerate the adoption of Google's innovative advances in display advertising," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google.

"This transaction will strengthen our advertising network by expanding our access to publisher inventory and enabling us to serve the needs of a broader set of advertisers and ad agencies," said Tim Armstrong, Google's President, Advertising and Commerce, North America.


"Google is the absolute perfect partner for us," said David Rosenblatt, Chief Executive Officer of DoubleClick. "Combining DoubleClick's cutting edge digital solutions for both media buyers and sellers with Google's scale and innovative resources will bring tremendous value to both our employees and clients."

"When we acquired DoubleClick in July 2005, we saw an opportunity to partner with a great management team to further enhance the company's capabilities and growth trajectory," said Philip Hammarskjold, Managing Director of Hellman & Friedman. "This transaction affirms the successful transformation of DoubleClick, positions the firm for the future, and greatly benefits our investors."

Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close by the end of the year.


About Google Inc.


Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com

About DoubleClick, Inc.

DoubleClick is a provider of digital marketing technology and services. The world's top marketers, publishers and agencies utilize DoubleClick's expertise in ad serving, rich media, video, search and affiliate marketing to help them make the most of the digital medium. From its position at the nerve center of digital marketing, DoubleClick provides superior insights and insider knowledge to its customers. Headquartered in New York, and with 17 offices and development hubs and 15 data centers worldwide, the company employs more than 1200 people and delivers billions of digital communications every day. Learn more at www.doubleclick.com

HowStuffWorks, Inc.Raises an Additional $75 Million; Also Launching Innovative Online Video Platform in Partnership with Major Brands

HowStuffWorks, Inc. (HowStuffWorks.com) today announced the close of its most recent round of funding, injecting a total of $75 million into the company for growth and refinancing purposes. The growth capital will expedite the continued integration of high-quality content into HowStuffWorks.com's already comprehensive library of easy-to-understand explanations of how the world around us works along with unbiased, expert reviews. Investors included Capital Research & Management and Chilton Investment Company. Allen & Company LLC acted as placement agent for the round.

Also today, the company announced the upcoming launch of a new platform to enable organizations to upload informational and instructional videos into specific HowStuffWorks.com articles. The uploading process requires contributors to tag and title their videos to ensure that they will always be associated with the most contextually relevant pieces of HowStuffWorks.com content. More than 1,000 videos from leading organizations, including Sony Electronics, Monsanto, Georgia Tech Research Institute, National Science Foundation and NASA, have already uploaded in anticipation of the launch.

In addition to giving organizations the means to distribute their videos to millions of targeted and already engaged information-seekers around the world, the platform will help users of all ages learn more about a vast number of topics through high-quality videos provided by trusted, credible sources. This free, easy-to-use, searchable technology has been scaled across thousands of HowStuffWorks.com's explanation articles spanning auto, technology, health, travel, home and other general interest categories. The video platform will be integrated into the expert review sites owned by HowStuffWorks, Inc., including ConsumerGuide.com® and MobilTravelGuide.com®. Brands such as Hitachi and SavoryCities.com have already uploaded their videos to the sites.

Some examples of how videos will be integrated with related "evergreen" as well as topical, newsworthy content on HowStuffWorks.com include:

• In a helpful piece for technology lovers as well as
  "technophobes," Dell product experts demonstrate how to set up a wireless router in an easy-to-understand instructional video. In the video, they caution users about the impact a WiFi network may have on computer memory, a subject explained in detail in the related HowStuffWorks.com "How Computer Memory Works" article.
  
• After reading the popular HowStuffWorks.com article on "How
  Turbine Engines Work," users can learn even more about the evolution of this technology and the aeronautics industry in an insightful video piece produced and uploaded by General Electric.
  
• In the wake of the earthquakes that devastated parts of
  Indonesia, a timely Reuters video reporting on local rescue efforts accompanies HowStuffWorks.com's comprehensive explanation "How Earthquakes Work."
  
• Through an exclusive partnership with instructional "how-to"
  video provider TotalVid, HowStuffWorks.com now has over 200 instructional videos ranging from "How to Play Guitar" and "How to Play Poker" to "How to Prepare for a Tornado." Each of these videos will also accompany the relevant articles.
  

A recent Jupiter Research study stated "...a video should assume that some explanation and context is provided by the surrounding story."* Jeff Arnold, Chairman and CEO of HowStuffWorks.com, says "HowStuffWorks' strength is providing that objective explanation and context. The quantity and quality of videos that will be featured on our site clearly indicates that more than just the investment community is excited about what we are doing. The world's most well-known and respected brands, news services, universities and nonprofit organizations see the unique value in it, too. I encourage all organizations to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity for instant exposure and increased visibility."

The breadth and depth of HowStuffWorks.com's content library means that organizations of all kinds will be able to find articles relevant to their informational videos and can use the platform as a supplement to their more traditional branding efforts.

"HowStuffWorks has created more than the 'YouTube for brands'," said Stephen Andrews, Vice President of Ketchum Public Relations' Technology Practice. "They offer marketers two critical pieces of value that are difficult to find either on- or offline: contextual, credible and objective content to enhance their videos and a highly targeted, engaged consumer."

The branded videos will live in a specially designated area within a HowStuffWorks.com article and in the site's new Video Center. They are free for organizations to upload as well as free for users to view. Those interested in uploading their videos should visit HowStuffWorks and click on the "Featured Videos" link.

HowStuffWorks.com's searchable video platform eliminates frustration for Internet users wanting to locate informational and how-to videos on the Web. Since the platform requires organizations to upload their own videos and link them specifically to related HowStuffWorks.com articles, users are much more likely to find videos of value to them in less time than if they had used a traditional Internet search engine.

* Source: Jupiter Research - Video News Online, Maximizing the Audience, January 2007