Bangkok--17 Aug--Thai Business News Acquires MarketShare of Hong Kong/Singapore as base to attack USD 3.3 billion Asian market Acquires Decima Research - one of Canada's largest full-service Canadian research firms Harris Interactive(R) (NASDAQ:HPOL): Noteworthy Points MarketShare -- US $2.6 million revenue - 40 employees - with recent 75-80% growth -- Proven Global Network partner - has worked jointly with Harris for over three years -- Will provide access into the rapidly-growing US$3.3 billion Asia/Pacific market, and serve as a platform for continued acquisitive growth in the region Decima -- Full-service Canadian research firm - US $26 million revenue - 125 employees -- Will provide access to US $0.6 billion Canadian market - Seventh largest in the world -- Combination will create one of the largest and/strongest research companies in Canada Continuing the expansion of its global research capabilities, Harris Interactive(R) (NASDAQ:HPOL) has acquired MarketShare, a private Asian research firm with co-located headquarters in Hong Kong and Singapore, and Decima Research, a private Canadian research firm based in Ottawa, Canada. "Adding the strengths of these firms to the Harris Interactive enterprise will improve our global service offering and provide increased access into two fast-growing regions that represent about a US$4 billion market opportunity," commented Gregory T. Novak, president and CEO of Harris Interactive. "We're doing what we said we would do: grow this Company in order to remain competitive and serve our clients on a global basis," Novak continued. '"We believe that we're going about it in the right way, by acquiring motivated partners who share our vision and by structuring future earn outs that align with our goals and promote mutual success. "These acquisitions represent significant progress in extending our reach into the world's top research markets. By adding these new operating units, Harris Interactive now has presence in six of the top-ten research markets, and access to two-thirds of the global research market, up from approximately one-half just six months ago." stated Kyle Karnes, executive vice president of corporate development at Harris Interactive. "In line with our global expansion goals, we will continue to look for attractive partners in other sizable and high-growth regions around the world." MarketShare MarketShare is an Asia-Pacific consulting and market research firm with joint headquarters in Hong Kong and Singapore. The majority of their research is conducted in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore and Malaysia. For the 12-month period ended June 30, 2007, the firm's 40 employees generated US$2.6 million in revenue (15% Internet-based) for about an 80 percent increase over the previous year. As a member of the Harris Interactive Global Network, MarketShare has been working jointly with Harris Interactive on major global and regional accounts since 2004. The Company has proven expertise in the retail, financial services, technology, and travel/tourism sectors. "The rapid rise and continued growth of consumerism in Asia will force companies to better understand their customers' evolving needs and drive demand for faster and more sophisticated research solutions such as those available through Harris Interactive," said Ali Mirza, executive director of MarketShare. "Harris Interactive with its global technology and experience, coupled with MarketShare's localized knowledge and presence is a winning formula to tap these opportunities for rapid growth throughout Asia," added Anthony Venus, executive director of MarketShare. Harris Interactive paid US$2.8 million in the all-cash deal for the firm plus future considerations tied to growth and profitability. MarketShare will become part of the Harris Interactive Asia group, and the transition to the Harris Interactive global brand is expected to begin immediately. Decima Research Acknowledged as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies, Decima Research is a privately-held, full-service, public opinion and market research firm headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with additional offices in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The firm has particularly strong practices in financial services, telecommunications, public affairs and tourism/recreation/gaming research. Decima has approximately 125 full-time employees, and in FYE January 2007, generated approximately US$26.2 million in revenue, about 20 percent from online research. We believe that the combination of the existing Harris Interactive Canadian panel with Decima's 140,000 online members will create one of the largest and highest quality online survey panels in Canada. "We're thrilled to join Harris Interactive. This new union will allow us to utilize the technological muscle and extensive research solutions of Harris Interactive to better serve our clients," said Bruce Anderson, CEO of Decima Research. "I believe we will be able to quickly take advantage of many cross-border synergies to propel us to the next level of growth in the North American marketplace." Harris Interactive paid US$21.3 million in cash up front for the firm, plus future considerations tied to growth and profitability. The newly combined entity will be known as Harris/Decima and join the Harris Interactive North America group. A complete transition to the Harris Interactive global brand will take place within the next year. About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. Visit us at www.harrisinteractive.com. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at http://www.harrispollonline.com. About MarketShare MarketShare is a full-service market research and consulting firm working with clients across the world to understand, invest and profit from opportunities in the emerging markets in Asia-Pacific and Middle East. Our mission is to help our customers gain profitable market share through understanding consumer behavior, competition, local regulations and changing market dynamics. For more information, please go to www.marketshare.com.sg. About Decima Research Decima is Canada's fastest-growing and largest independent public opinion and marketing research company, offering research-based advice to clients, as well as large-scale telephone, online and qualitative data collection. Visit us at www.decima.com. CONTACT: Harris Interactive Inc. - USA Dan Hucko, +585.214.7470 [email protected] or MarketShare - Singapore Ali Mirza, +65.6324.4246 [email protected] or MarketShare - Hong Kong Anthony Venus, +852.6181.4140 [email protected]