FINANCIAL TIMES NEW CONTENT LICENCE LAUNCHES IN APRIL
11 News Aggregators and 250 corporate customers signed up so far

LONDON: 28th March 2008: From April 2008, Financial Times Content will only be available to those organisations with a direct agreement with the Financial Times. The Financial Times today announced that 11 news aggregators have agreed to support this new licence model. Acting as Authorised Agents, these news aggregators are licensed to provide unlimited access to FT content for organisations with a direct agreement. 250 organisations have entered into direct customer agreements with the Financial Times in advance of the April deadline.

From April 2008, any organisation that wishes to have unlimited digital access to FT content will be invited to subscribe to an FT content licence. The licence will create a direct relationship between the Financial Times and its corporate customers and enable them to access Financial Times content via both FT.com and a wide range of third party channels. The licence is designed to ensure a transparent means of separating the value of FT content from the value created by news aggregation services.

Caspar de Bono, Managing Director B2B at the Financial Times, said: "The new licence model is well underway, with 11 news aggregators and 250 direct customers. Our customers now have the benefit of buying one licence for multiple users of FT content across a variety of platforms - both FT.com and third party channels."

For media enquiries please contact:

Jo Crosby
Communications Manager
T: +44 (0) 20 7873 3811
E: jo.crosby@ft.com

Notes to Editors on the New FT Content Licence

• From 1 April, no third party will be licensed to sell unlimited access to FT content. The only exception to this is for 3rd party platforms offering a transition plan, or "Bridge Licence", for existing customers to the end of their current term or end of 2008.
• The FT Content Licence will apply to all organisations wishing to purchase access to Financial Times content for 10 or more employees. The minimum contract is £1,990 per annum, the equivalent of £199 a seat. The cost per seat will decrease as more seats are purchased.
  
• Subscriptions to FT.com can continue to be purchased by individuals. The content licences are for organisations that wish to benefit from the economy of purchasing multiple licences and the flexibility of accessing Financial Times content across many platforms.
• The new access model was announced on the 1st October, six month in advance of the proposed change. This has been done in order to give customers and third parties plenty of time to make arrangements. From April 2008, there will be a day-of-publication feed available to those with a Financial Times content licence only.
• Further details can be found at www.ft.com/corporate
• Contact details for customers interested in a FT Content Licence:
  ftsales.support@ft.com
  T UK: +44 (0) 20 7873 4001
  T US: +1 800 218 6046

About the Financial Times

The Financial Times Group, one of the world’s leading business information companies, aims to provide a broad range of business information and services to the growing audience of internationally minded business people.  The FT Group includes:

• The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business newspapers, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy.  Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the newspaper is printed at 24 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 449,187 (ABC figures, December 2007) and a readership of more than 1.3 million people worldwide.
• FT.com is one of the world's leading business information websites, and the internet partner of the FT newspaper. Since its relaunch in May 2002, the website has continued to be the definitive home for business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. FT.com attracts 5.35 million unique monthly users generating 43 million page views (ABC electronic figures, March 2007). FT.com has 100,000 subscribers.
• Through FT Interactive Data, the FT Group is one of the world’s leading sources of securities pricing and specialist financial information to global institutional, professional and individual investors.  Its products include eSignal, an online realtime streaming quotation service for brokers and active traders.
• FT Business, which produces specialist information on the retail, personal and institutional finance industries. It publishes the UK’s premier personal finance magazine, Investors Chronicle, and The Banker, Money Management and Financial Adviser for professional advisers.
• The Mergermarket Group, whose products and services provide the global advisory and corporate communities with intelligence and analysis. With regional head offices in London, New York and Hong Kong and 200 journalists in 46 locations worldwide, reliable and validated proprietary intelligence and historical data is provided via the mergermarket, dealReporter, Debtwire and wealthmonitor on-line platforms. 
• The Financial Times Group also has a stake in a number of joint ventures, including;
• FTSE International, a joint venture with the London Stock Exchange.
• Vedomosti, Russia’s leading business newspaper and a partnership venture with Dow Jones and Independent Media
• A 50% stake in BDFM, publishers of South Africa’s leading financial newspapers and websites.
• A 50% stake in The Economist Group, which publishes the world’s leading weekly business and current affairs journal.
• A 13.85% stake in Business Standard, one of India’s leading financial newspapers.