Equifax and Initiate Systems Forge Relationship to Deliver Master Data Management Solutions

Equifax, Inc., (NYSE: EFX), a global information solutions provider, and Initiate Systems, Inc., a leader in master data management (MDM) solutions, today announced an agreement to deliver solutions using Initiate Systems’ technologies and data services from Equifax Commercial Information Solutions. Leveraging Initiate’s industry-leading software and Equifax’s world-class business data, businesses gain deeper insight into their supplier, customer and partner relationships to better manage risk.

Supported by the Initiate Master Data Service^® platform, the solutions embed Equifax’s global commercial data management database with information on more than 45 million businesses worldwide. Through the relationship, businesses can match customer and supplier records from disparate sources to a unique and persistent identifier called the EFX ID™. This nine-digit identifier links together an organization’s divisions, subsidiaries and locations into a global tree, giving businesses a single, comprehensive view of customer and supplier information across multiple data sources.

"With master data often dispersed across multiple systems and databases, businesses need new ways to achieve greater customer and supplier visibility across the enterprise,” said Michael Shannon, president, Equifax Commercial Information Solutions. "Our relationship with Initiate gives businesses the technology and data to ‘see’ across multiple systems and tap new revenue and customer opportunities.”

This latest offering provides unparalleled master data management capabilities for customers across a number of industries in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Now, through the relationship between Equifax and Initiate, businesses can also integrate Equifax data services with internal data about their own customers, resulting in better decision-making on many levels.

Bill Conroy, president and CEO at Initiate Systems, added: "We see this partnership as a scenario where one plus one equals three. The ability to employ Equifax data services alongside Initiate’s master data management technology, including identity management, data modeling, data stewardship, relationship and hierarchy management, information sharing and multi-lingual capabilities, helps customers quickly realize value from their data assets that they otherwise couldn’t.”

Initiate and Equifax will be showcasing the new solutions at the Gartner Master Data Management Summit this week in Chicago. Initiate is exhibiting at booth four, and Equifax is a silver sponsor of the Gartner event and exhibiting at booth M. In addition, two Initiate customers will be speaking about their MDM solutions during the conference: Claire Nash, Data Architect at Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, known as Vancity; and, John Miller, Global Enterprise Architect for Customer Master at Dell Computer Corporation.

About Equifax, Inc.

Equifax empowers businesses and consumers with information they can trust. A global leader in information solutions, we leverage one of the largest sources of consumer and commercial data, along with advanced analytics and proprietary technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers.

Customers have trusted Equifax for over 100 years to deliver innovative solutions with the highest integrity and reliability. Businesses – large and small – rely on us for consumer and business credit intelligence, portfolio management, fraud detection, decisioning technology, marketing tools, and much more. We empower individual consumers to manage their personal credit information, protect their identity, and maximize their financial well-being.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax Inc. employs approximately 7,000 people in 15 countries through North America, Latin America and Europe. Equifax is a member of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500^® Index. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EFX.

About Initiate Systems

Initiate Systems, Inc. enables organizations to strategically leverage and share critical data assets. Its master data management (MDM) software and experience as an information exchange leader provide organizations with complete, accurate and real-time views of data spread across multiple systems or databases, even outside the firewall. This allows companies to unlock the value of their data assets for competitive advantages or operational improvements. Initiate Systems operates globally through its subsidiaries, with corporate headquarters in Chicago and offices across the U.S., and Toronto, London and Sydney. For more information, visit www.InitiateSystems.com.