Interim Report / PLAUT AG Publishes Half- Year Results - Further Acquisitions Planned / Earnings after tax rise by 141 per cent

Munich/Salzburg (PROTEXT/ots) - The Plaut AG (Security Code Number 918 703), which has been listed on the 'Neuer Markt' of the Frankfurt stock exchange since November 9, 1999, is today introducing its first-half figures for 2000. By June 30, the Plaut AG generated net sales amounting to EUR 132 million. Compared with the figures of Q1 1999, this corresponds to an increase of 12 per cent. In the first six months of 2000, the earnings after tax increased significantly by 141 per cent versus the 1999 reference figure, amounting to EUR 3.8 million. The EBIT for the period from January 1 until June 30, 2000 amounted to EUR 5.2 million, EUR 4.2 million of which were accounted for by Q2. In the three months between April and June net sales climbed by 13 per cent up to ca. EUR 69 million. For the first six months, the earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.19 (in Q2 the figure was EUR 0.14). While the first quarter of the year saw through the foundations of new subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, Spain, Romania, Slovakia and the Ukraine, the second half increasingly prioritised acquisitions. Amongst the companies that were taken over are the Canadian company Optimum Software Solutions, as well as the U.S.-based firm Sigma and the Brazilian company Domus Desenvolvimento, operating on the market under the name Loyalty Solution Services. Further acquisitions are on the agenda. In Q2, all activities of the Plaut AG in the field of 'New Business' were bundled under the term 'Edgewing'. 'Next to acquisitions, this area is expected to be the future growth driver of Plaut AG. This is why we have been strategically prioritising development acquisitions,' explains the Chairman Executive Officer, Erich Lebeiner. Despite the stepped-up investments of more than EUR 65 million in total for the development of the new business segment 'EdgeWing', the anticipated net income after taxes for the year (EUR 13 million) will be a considerable jump from the 1999 result of EUR 1.7 million. Boosted by additional, increased investments in 2000, this sector is expected to account for EUR 2 million of the overall result after tax as early as next year. New Business includes products and services in the fields of e- Business/Internet, portal solutions, e-procurement, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), "B2M" applications ('Business to Mobile') and Application Service Providing (ASP). By turning its focus onto the field of e-business, Plaut will live up to its standards as a world-wide operating Full Solution Provider for strategy, business and IT-consulting and will continue to be a standard bearer for the markets serviced. As early as this year, approx. one third of the targeted annual sales revenues are expected to be accounted for by e-business and the integration of front office and back office. Further acquisitions, such as the recent ones in the United States, are regarded as a desirable strategy to consolidate the new sector. Equally attractive are new strategic partnerships with telecommunication companies, network providers, and providers of world-wide data-networks. In a measure aimed to safeguard financial robustness for future acquisitions, shareholders unanimously agreed to a capital increase in the region of EUR 4 million, corresponding to 4 million shares, at the annual general meeting taking place in Salzburg, June 9, 2000. Chief Executive Officer, Erich Lebeiner, sees this as 'the ideal way of financing further growth, simultaneously stabilising equity capital without diminishing the availability of financial resources.' There are no new plans for setting up further foreign subsidiaries this year, as for time being our priority is to make certain that the newly created companies will move quickly into healthy profits and results. The target to be represented in at least 25 countries by the year 2003, however, remains on schedule. By June 30, 2000 Plaut AG had 1,811 employees world-wide. About Plaut Plaut AG are independent and internationally operating business consultants with a global presence of currently 43 subsidiaries in 19 countries. As Full Solution Providers for strategy, business and IT-consulting and with sales revenues amounting to EUR 230 million (in 1999), they are one of the leading management-consulting companies world-wide. Since November 9, 1999 Plaut AG is listed on the "Neuer Markt" of the Frankfurt stock exchange (PUT; Security Code Number 918 703). You can obtain a complete version of the half-year report as well as any further information relating to Plaut under www.plaut.com/ir or under the addresses below. ots Original Text Service: Plaut AG Internet: http://recherche.newsaktuell.de Plaut AG Monika Kretzschmar Moserstrasse 33A A-5020 Salzburg Tel. +43 (0)662 4092-60 Fax +43 (0)662 4092-15 Monika.Kretzschmar@plaut.de Kirchhoff Consult AG Frank Schwarz Savignystraße 18 D-60325 Frankfurt Tel: +49 (0)69 7474 86 0 Fax: +49 (0)69 7474 86 20 Frank.Schwarz@kirchhoff.de

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