asknet AG shows solid growth in the first nine months of 2008
- Sales revenues increased 28% to EUR 53.4 million - Service revenues of EUR 6.5 million (+14%) - Online transactions up 32%
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companies/Quaterly figures
Karlsruhe (euro adhoc) - November 14, 2008 - asknet AG, one of the leading provider of outsourcing solutions for global software distribution via the Internet (Electronic Software Distribution - ESD), published its financial figures for the third quarter of 2008.
In the first nine months of 2008, the asknet Group generated sales revenues of EUR 53.4 million, representing an increase of approximately 28% against the same period of last year. The Group´s service revenues rose by 14% to EUR 6.5 million. The Group´s service revenues margin was 12.2%. At EUR -2.4 million, the result of ordinary activities (EBT) was somewhat weaker than the result of the same period of the previous year, which had been EUR -2.2 million. This was due to lower margins in the large customer segment as well as increased personnel expenses and the strength of the euro relative to the dollar in the reporting period.
Despite the economic downturn - especially in North America - asknet has recorded solid growth. At EUR 17.1 million, sales revenues in the third quarter were around 9% higher than in the same period of the previous year. Service revenues increased by 3% to EUR 2.1 million. Compared to the same period of the previous year the EBT is with EUR -0,64 million on last year´s level.
In the first nine months of 2008, asknet processed a total of approximately 1.123 million online transactions, representing a plus of 272,000 transactions or 32% more than the previous year. The internationalization that has been actively pursued by the Group also showed further progress. In the last quarter 63% of end customer sales were generated abroad; the share of the American market was 25%.
The Management Team of asknet AG is cautiously optimistic regarding further business development of the Group in the final quarter of the year despite the difficult economic conditions. Analysts believe that the online sales sector will not be as strongly affected by the current financial crisis as other branches of commerce. In addition, the increasing cost pressures facing many companies means that software publishers will be forced to focus more heavily on online channels for B2C as well as B2B in the future.
As of today the asknet AG report on the third quarter of 2008 is available in German language on the company´s website www.asknet.de.
About asknet: asknet offers its clients customized outsourcing solutions for global software sales via the Internet. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the University of Karlsruhe, one of Germany´s most prestigious technical universities, the company has become the number two independent global provider for electronic software distribution. In addition to its fully integrated shop solutions for software publishers, the company develops and maintains portals for software distribution such as softwarehouse.de, Europe's largest platform for downloads of standard software. In 2007, asknet had a turnover of about 65 million euros. Among its customers are well-known software publishers such as CollabNet, DivX, F-Secure, Nero, Panda Security, and Web.com. asknet supplies software products to around seventy percent of German universities. Further information is available from www.asknet.com.
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further inquiry note:
Press Office
asknet AG
Kirsten Neininger
phone: +49 (0)721 96458-6399
eMail: kirsten.neininger@asknet.com
www.asknet.com
Branche: Electronic Commerce
ISIN: DE0005173306
WKN: 517330
Börsen: Börse Frankfurt / free trade/entry standard
Original content of: asknet AG, transmitted by news aktuell