S&P Acquires IMAKE Consulting and ABSXchange

Standard & Poor's, the leading provider of financial market intelligence, announced today it has acquired IMAKE Consulting, a leading provider of software and services to the structured finance market, and ABSXchange, an end-to-end solution provider for structured finance data, analytics and modeling.

IMAKE Consulting has been providing data, analytics and modeling software and services to the structured finance community since 1991. IMAKE's clients include issuers, investment banks, ratings agencies, trustees and accounting firms. Its premier product, Analytics-on-Demand, is both an Internet-based and client-network-enabled analytical tool providing structured finance market participants with an end-to-end enterprise solution for analyzing and valuing structured finance transactions. IMAKE's software is used by Standard & Poor's in Europe.

ABSXchange provides an end-to-end solution for structured finance data, analytics and modeling. ABSXchange's clients include issuers, trading desks, investors, research houses, rating agencies, risk managers, credit departments, structurers, servicers, and trustees. Its premier product, @Investors Connection, is an Internet-based web portal providing data, reporting and cash flow analysis to the structured finance market.

"The acquisition of IMAKE and ABSXchange will further enhance our existing in-depth surveillance process and enable Standard & Poor's to expand its suite of end-to-end solutions for the structured finance market," says Vickie Tillman, Executive Vice President of Ratings Services at Standard & Poor's.

IMAKE Consulting and ABSXchange are located in Bethesda, Maryland. Trami Tran, principal founder of both companies, will report into Vickie Tillman, Executive Vice President of Credit Market Services at Standard & Poor's.

Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is the world's foremost provider of financial market intelligence, including independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With approximately 8,500 employees, including wholly owned affiliates, located in 21 countries, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for more than 140 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions.

Source: Standard & Poor's