asknet publishes figures for first half of 2008
Sales revenues increased 38% to EUR 36.3 million Service revenues EUR 4.4 million (+20%) Operating result yet negative Online transactions up 49%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ots.CorporateNews transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
companies
Karlsruhe (euro adhoc) - Karlsruhe, 14 August 2008 - asknet AG, one of the leading providers of outsourcing solutions for global software distribution via the Internet (Electronic Software Distribution - ESD) published its trading figures for the first half of 2008.
In the first six months of 2008, the asknet Group generated sales revenues of EUR 36.3 million, representing an increase of approximately 38% against the same period last year. The marked increase is due to an expansion of the customer base in the eDistribution network segment. The Group´s services revenues increased by 20% to EUR 4.4 million, after EUR 3.7 million in the first half of 2007. The Group´s service revenues margin was 12.2%. At EUR -1.8 million, the result of ordinary activities fell below those of the same period of the previous year, which had been EUR -1.5 million. This was due to the current lower margins in the large customer segment as well as to increased personnel expenses, particularly at the US subsidiary, and to non-recurring costs generated by structural cost optimisation measures implemented in the first half of 2008. In the period under review, the operating result (EBIT) stood at EUR -1.9 million after EUR -1.7 million in the first half of 2007. At the Group level, the company showed a loss after interest and taxes of EUR 1.8 million for the period, compared to a loss of EUR 1.5 million for the same period of the previous year.
In the period under review, asknet processed a total of approximately 785,000 online transactions in the first half of 2007, representing a plus of 258,000 transactions or 49%. In the first six months of 2008, the share of sales revenues to end customers generated abroad accounted for 66%. This confirms the trend towards the increasing internationalisation of the asknet Group. Especially in the USA, asknet succeeded in markedly increasing business in spite of the persisting weakness of the dollar and the downturn in the economy. The expansion of the Japan and Asia business also received significant impulses from the newly-founded subsidiary asknet K.K. in Tokyo.
"In the first half of 2008 we acquired several new customers, among them also one large international customer, PANDA Security, which is one of the fastest-growing software companies in Europe and offers a correspondingly high online distribution sales potential," says Gerald Prior, CEO of asknet AG, and continues: "The solid sales increase which we achieved in spite of the weak dollar and the slow economy makes us optimistic for the second half of the year in which we expect to conclude further contracts with international customers."
For the entire year 2008, the Management Team expects the growth in sales revenues to be lower than in the same period of last year but still to reach two-digit figures. For the second half of 2008 they expect losses to be significantly lower than in the first.
As of today, the Half Year Report 2008 of asknet AG is available in German language on the company´s website at www.asknet.com.
About asknet: asknet AG, (Frankfurt A5A) leading in Global eCommerce, accelerates eSales for publishers in the digital marketplace. Since 1995, the company has developed a robust eCommerce platform for customers around the world. As media is rapidly transitioning to digital formats, the marketing, sales, distribution, and services of these products are also moving online. The ever expanding reach from fixed and mobile customers all around the globe is pushing companies to perfect their eDistribution. asknet delivers an instant online distribution channel to its customers.
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further inquiry note:
asknet AG
Katharina Thomys
Vincenz-Priessnitz-Str. 3
76131 Karlsruhe
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)721/96458-6116
E-Mail: katharina.thomys@asknet.de
asknet, Inc.
Jaywant Singh Rao
Vice President Sales & Business Development
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 1025
San Francisco CA 94104
Tel: +1.415.602.3380
E-mail: jaywant.rao@asknet.com
Branche: Electronic Commerce
ISIN: DE0005173306
WKN: 517330
Börsen: Börse Frankfurt / free trade/entry standard
Original-Content von: asknet AG, übermittelt durch news aktuell