Fiserv Signs Definitive Agreement
to Acquire BillMatrix Corp.,
Provider of Expedited Electronic Bill Payment Services
BROOKFIELD, Wis.--July 27, 2005--Fiserv, Inc.
(Nasdaq:FISV) announced today that it signed a definitive
agreement to acquire BillMatrix Corp., a provider of expedited
electronic bill payment services, adding a fast-growing
niche to its already significant payments business. BillMatrix
is expected to generate revenue of approximately $90 million
in 2006. The purchase price is approximately $350 million,
and the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.
The transaction is expected to be neutral to earnings in
2005 and slightly accretive to earnings in 2006.
Leslie M. Muma, Fiserv president and chief executive officer,
said the acquisition of BillMatrix will enable Fiserv to
expand its capabilities in electronic bill payment.
"It's no secret that Americans are increasingly using
the Internet and the telephone to electronically pay their
bills," Muma said. "The acquisition of BillMatrix
gives Fiserv a significant foothold in electronic bill payment
technologies to enhance our extensive payments capabilities."
BillMatrix, founded in 1994, provides billers with an outsourced
payment solution that allows their customers to get immediate
credit for bills paid online or over the phone using electronic
checks, debit cards or credit cards. The company's more
than 120 clients include utilities, telecommunications providers,
insurance companies and lenders.
Electronic transactions made up 36 percent of the estimated
17.7 billion consumer bill payments initiated in the U.S.
in 2004 compared with 23 percent of total bill payments
in 2001, according to Celent Communications. The share of
electronic transactions is expected to increase to 56 percent
of total bill payments by 2007, which is approximately a
16 percent compound annual growth rate from 2004.
Pat Foy, president of the Fiserv Bank Servicing and Electronic
Payments Group, said Fiserv is seeing strong demand from
its financial institution client base for electronic bill-pay
solutions.
"There is considerable opportunity for BillMatrix to
expand on its current client base, and we believe we can
leverage the company's success in the biller-direct market
to offer more options to our clients," Foy said. "Financial
institutions can also use BillMatrix's services for their
own expedited payment needs and to resell the company's
services to their corporate customers."
BillMatrix's employees and its president and chief executive
officer, Scott B. Walker, will join Fiserv after the acquisition
is completed. BillMatrix is based in Dallas. The majority
of the company's stock is owned by Great Hill Partners,
a Boston private equity firm, and other outside investors,
while the remainder is owned by management and employees.
Walker said the acquisition by Fiserv will enable BillMatrix
to continue its track record of strong growth. "This
is a very exciting time in the history of BillMatrix because
we are joining with a company that not only understands
payments, but also values the entrepreneurial spirit that
is so much a part of our company," Walker said. "Through
Fiserv, we will have access to capital and other resources
that we can use to improve our current offerings to clients
and to pursue additional growth and new market opportunities."
Fiserv has a comprehensive payments business that includes
processing of debit/ATM transactions, credit cards, checks,
currency and lockbox, as well as cash management products
and services, Internet bill payment and presentment, plastic
card production, statement mailing and automated clearinghouse
(ACH) solutions.
BillMatrix was advised on the transaction by the investment
banking firm of Lane, Berry & Co.
Founded in 1994, BillMatrix Corp. provides outsourced, high-tech
alternatives to traditional payment methods using the latest
automated interface technologies. BillMatrix works with
more than 120 companies to supplement paper-based methods
of remittance with convenient, efficient and cost-effective
electronic payments. Consumers, customer service representatives
and other third-party agents are able to make payments via
hosted Internet and telephone systems using credit cards,
ATM/debit cards and electronic check payment options. For
more information, visit www.BillMatrix.com.
Fiserv, Inc. (Nasdaq: FISV) provides information management
systems and services to the financial and health benefits
industries, including transaction processing, outsourcing,
business process outsourcing and software and systems solutions.
The company serves more than 16,000 clients worldwide, including
banks, credit unions, financial planners/investment advisers,
insurance companies and agents, self-insured employers,
lenders and savings institutions. Headquartered in Brookfield,
Wis., Fiserv reported $3.4 billion in processing and services
revenues for 2004. Fiserv was ranked the largest provider
of information technology services to the U.S. financial
services industry in the 2004 FinTech 100 survey by the
American Banker newspaper and the Financial Insights research
firm. Fiserv can be found on the Internet at www.fiserv.com.
The disclosure set forth above contains forward-looking
statements, specifically statements regarding estimated
revenues in 2006, expected acquisition earnings impact in
2005 and 2006, the closing date for the acquisition and
the anticipated growth of the electronic bill payment industry.
These statements are covered by the safe harbor included
in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward-looking statements are subject to inherent
assumptions, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
results to differ materially from those contemplated by
such forward-looking statements. The factors that may cause
actual results to differ materially from those contemplated
by the forward-looking statements include, among others,
the demand for electronic bill payment services, pricing
and other actions by competitors and delays in completing
the transaction. These factors should be considered in evaluating
the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should
not be placed on such statements.