UMS Group Announces Acquisition of Research Reports International

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Aug. 10, 2011 -- UMS Group announced today that it has acquired Research Reports International (RRI), a company formed in 1999 to provide Technology Monitoring, Market Research, Competitive Intelligence, and Regulatory Tracking information products and services to the worldwide electric and gas utility industry.

Under the terms of the transaction, UMS Group has assumed ownership of Research Reports International and will expand its offerings to fully leverage UMS Group's experienced staff, best practices, and proprietary databases to bring maximum value to its clients. UMS Group's new Global Business Intelligence Center (GBIC), headquartered in Manila, Philippines, will serve as the global hub of the company's expanded research, analysis, benchmarking, and knowledge dissemination efforts, and Research Reports International will operate within this Center.

"Although Research Reports International has developed an extensive customer base over the years, changes in the energy market require deeper knowledge and capabilities to meet the industry's increasing need for verifiable and insightful information to support business decisions," said Shawn Morris, President of Research Reports International. "By becoming a part of UMS Group, with its broad experience in utility consulting throughout the Americas, Europe, Australia, Asia, and other parts of the world, we will be able to provide a more comprehensive product set and better meet client needs."

"UMS Group is excited about the opportunity to further expand our offerings. This acquisition continues our recent business expansion focused on bringing a wealth of new capabilities to our existing and future clients," said Jack Shearman, chief executive of UMS Group. "Companies today face a series of challenges that require accurate and actionable information about the competitive environment in which they operate. UMS Group will meet this growing requirement for knowledge by utilizing new channels such as RRI to distribute critical information to our clients."

About UMS Group

UMS is a leading global consultancy and thought leader in the areas of utility asset management, performance assessment, performance management and the management of sustainable change. UMS proprietary databases, analytical tools and methodologies have been utilized by over 300 gas, water and electric utilities on six continents to build world-class operations.