Clairmail to Be Acquired by Monitise

SAN RAFAEL, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 26, 2012) - Clairmail, Inc., a leading North American mobile banking and payments provider, today announced that it has entered into a definitive acquisition agreement with Monitise plc (LSE: MONI.L), the technology and services company delivering mobile money networks worldwide. Monitise will acquire Clairmail for $173 million, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.

Through the acquisition, Monitise will further enhance its position as the global leader in the fast expanding market for mobile money, spanning banking, payments and commerce.

The combined entity will encompass 13 million registered consumers across four continents. Clairmail and Monitise process billions of transactions a year and more than $10 billion of payments and transfers on a current weekly annualized basis.

On completion of the acquisition, the combined businesses will provide mobile money services to the widest possible range of financial institutions in the US. A third of the top 50 North American financial institutions (including 8 of the top 13) have chosen the companies' services alongside hundreds of smaller and medium sized financial institutions customers.

"Clairmail is an undisputed mobile banking leader with a strong roster of financial institutions of all sizes, having been chosen by more than a third of the top 50 North American banks to provide innovative mobile solutions to their customers," said Alastair Lukies, Monitise Group CEO. "Clairmail shares Monitise's customer-centric approach and dedication to bringing the best possible mobile experience and technology through constant innovation and a focus on delivering bank-grade mobile services to their customers. This deal is transformational for our customers, our team, our shareholders and our company. It is a compelling combination and great news for all those wanting to offer bank-grade mobile money services to billions of consumers, not only in the US but worldwide."

The acquisition further enhances Monitise's mobile money reach into North America through Clairmail's direct sales channel and deep relationships with leading financial institutions. For Clairmail, the acquisition brings the potential to expand the company's award-winning mobile banking technology to new customers across new markets. The acquisition provides a step change in growth potential for Monitise through direct sales in the US driven by Clairmail's mobile banking team and expertise. This, combined with Monitise's existing and unmatched strategic partnerships with Visa Inc. and FIS, provides the enlarged group with a leading position in the US and three commanding routes to market.

New and current customers of both companies will benefit from the balanced deployment models of on-premise and hosted mobile banking, payments and commerce products, providing a variety of options in the deployment and customization process. The suite of Clairmail products will be maintained and enhanced with both companies enriching each other's mobile offerings.

"This acquisition validates the vision behind both companies' strategies in the exploding mobile money market where Monitise has established a clear global leadership position," said Pete Daffern, Clairmail CEO. "Both companies have incredible synergy and are dedicated to offering bank-grade services that empower consumers to bank, pay and shop across any mobile device. I could not be more proud of the Clairmail team and its accomplishments since founding in 2004, and look forward to working with the seasoned team behind Monitise to continue innovating and pushing the boundaries of mobile banking, payments and commerce worldwide."

Pete Daffern will remain in his role as Head of the Clairmail business and will also join the Group Executive Board of Monitise, bringing his substantial experience and expertise to bear across the Group growth strategy.

About Clairmail, Inc.
Clairmail is a leading provider of mobile banking and payment solutions to the North American and European markets. Through an enterprise-wide technology platform and family of solutions, the company helps its Financial Institution (FI) customers capitalize on the benefits of mobile customer interaction across all lines of business. Clairmail works with forward-thinking institutions of all sizes to deliver innovative solutions via the mobile channel that improve customer acquisition and retention, reduce costs, mitigate security risks and generate new revenue opportunities. Founded in 2004, Clairmail is headquartered in San Rafael, CA and London. For more information call +1 (415) 526-7000 www.clairmail.com.

About Monitise Group
Monitise plc (LSE: MONI.L) is a technology and services company delivering mobile banking, payments and commerce networks worldwide with the proven technology and expertise to enable financial institutions and other service providers to offer a wide range of services to their customers in developed and emerging markets.

With live services in the UK, the US, India and Africa, the company is working with international partners to extend trusted and secure mobile banking, payment and commerce services in territories worldwide, including Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Monitise has strategic partnerships with Visa Inc., Visa Europe, RBS Group and FIS. Other leading partners and clients include HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, First Direct, U.S. Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Travelex, Vocalink, Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile, 3 UK, Research In Motion, Best Buy Europe, The Carphone Warehouse, First Eastern, Astra International, JETCO and PCCW mobile.

More information is available at www.monitisegroup.com.