ACXM Acxiom Holdngs (delisted)

DST Vision(TM) and Acxiom(R) Introduce Innovative Prospecting Service Advanced Capabilities Help Independent Advisors Grow Their Practices KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DST Vision(TM), the leading account management Web site for financial intermediaries, now offers a prospecting service that enables financial advisors using Vision to build custom mailing lists for use in direct mail campaigns. The service is based on Acxiom(R) Corporation's InfoBase(R), one of the most comprehensive and accurate U.S. consumer databases available, with information on more than 100 million U.S. households. The distinguishing feature of this service is its ability to precisely target potential customers by specific demographic and lifestyle criteria. These criteria include household income, net worth, occupation, age, recreational interests and family size. For example, advisors may identify characteristics of their most-profitable clients and then find prospects that match these distinct characteristics. In addition, they can further develop niche markets, such as specific ethnic groups or occupations, in which they are already successful. As part of an advisor's ongoing marketing program, the service increases response rates and reduces costs by narrowing each mailing list to only those prospects most likely to be interested in a particular subject matter. "I found the service easy to use and very economical," said Brian P. Walsh, a principal with Walsh & Nicholson Financial Group in Wayne, Pa. "The ability to customize the mailing list to match the specific needs of my practice is a major benefit." The prospecting service is available through Vision's Alliance Program, which provides independent advisors access to information and technology typically found only at larger financial services firms. Advisors benefit from the Program through a combination of discounted pricing, data integration and seamless navigation. Currently, Vision's Alliance Program offers access to several other advisor-based tools, including Search401k(R), Search529(R), Overlap(R) and Forefield Advisor(TM). "Our mission is to help advisors become more efficient and grow their businesses," said Ken Keiser, who manages Vision's Alliance Program. "Improving the effectiveness of advisor marketing programs through Acxiom's custom-built mailing lists is the most recent example of this commitment. In the future, we hope to add print and mail capabilities resulting in fully- automated direct mail campaigns." "Today's regulatory environment poses a challenge for advisors to contact their most promising investment customers," said Scott Zust, Acxiom Financial Services segment manager. "Direct mail remains an attractive choice. Through thepower of the Acxiom consumer database, advisors using Vision now have the tools they need to obtain improved results by having more targeted mail campaigns." Introduced in 1998, DST Vision(TM) is designed to give independent advisors an easy-to-use, one-stop information source for customer positions held directly with fund families and variable annuity providers. With a single ID and password, advisors have access to account management tools including transaction processing capabilities, customizable client portfolios, and access to electronic statements. A majority of third-party-distributed mutual funds, representing more than 93 million accounts, and over half of the leading variable annuity providers participate in Vision(R), including industry giants AllianceBernstein, AIM Investments, American Funds, MFS Investment Management, Nationwide Financial, OppenheimerFunds, Inc., and Pacific Life. Vision is continually enhanced to simplify account management and serve the evolving needs of financial intermediaries. Visit Vision at http://www.dstvision.com/ . DST Systems, Inc. (NYSE:DST) provides sophisticated information processing and computer software services and products that help clients improve productivity, increase efficiencies, and provide higher levels of customer service. DST is organized domestically and internationally into three operating segments: Financial Services, Customer Management, and Output Solutions. DST operates one of the most advanced data centers in the world, which provides information-processing services to support the products within each operating segment. These products are further enhanced through the integration of DST's advanced technology and e-commerce solutions. Acxiom Corporation (NASDAQ:ACXM) integrates data, services and technology to create and deliver customer and information management solutions for many of the largest, most respected companies in the world. The core components of Acxiom's innovative solutions are Customer Data Integration (CDI) technology, data, database services, IT outsourcing, consulting and analytics, and privacy leadership. Founded in 1969, Acxiom is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, with locations throughout the United States and Europe, and in Australia and Japan. For more information, visit http://www.acxiom.com/ . DATASOURCE: DST Systems, Inc. CONTACT: Jill Metzler, Media Relations of DST Systems, Inc., +1-816-843-9087 Web site: http://www.acxiom.com/ http://www.dstvision.com/

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