AGE Edwards AG

A.G. Edwards Signs Seven Year Agreement With Thomson Financial St. Louis-based financial services firm to use BETAHost to support trade processing activities NEW YORK, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Thomson Financial, an operating unit of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information and technology solutions to the worldwide financial community, today announced the signing of a seven year agreement with A.G. Edwards Technology Group, Inc., the technology subsidiary of A.G. Edwards, Inc. (NYSE:AGE). According to the agreement, Thomson BETA Systems will provide securities-processing services at the financial services firm's St. Louis headquarters using Thomson's software and operational capabilities. The agreement is one of the largest contracts to date for Thomson BETA Systems. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This arrangement will allow A.G. Edwards to further automate its back-office procedures, while moving those expenses from a fixed-cost structure to a variable cost structure. This will better align the firm's securities processing expenses with market conditions and client activity. The BETAHost back-office processing solution incorporates approximately 500 separate applications. As part of the conversion, Thomson Financial worked with the brokerage firm to incorporate BETAHost functionality into its existing state-of-the-art desktop workstation, known as ClientOne. "By transitioning our back-office systems to BETAHost we are better positioned to quickly adjust to operational changes mandated by the securities industry," said Ronald J. Kessler, vice chairman, executive vice president and director of operations for A.G. Edwards. "This will enable us to focus our internal technology resources on providing technology enhancements that differentiate us within the financial services marketplace, while allowing us to continue providing the 'client first' service our clients have come to expect from A.G. Edwards." Kessler also noted that A.G. Edwards will remain a self-clearing organization, meaning the firm will continue to handle the settlement of its clients' trades. "Working with A.G. Edwards over the past two years on this project has been a very gratifying experience for us," said Sharon Rowlands, president and chief operating officer, Thomson Financial. "It gave us the opportunity to bring to bear the depth and breadth of experience at Thomson BETA Systems in developing an effective and efficient solution for one of the industry's most respected investment firms." "Thomson Financial will continue to be at the forefront of providing IT solutions specifically tailored to the needs of financial institutions, by offering its world-class technology and expertise to a growing roster of clients who are looking to improve on their bottom line," said Ken Wagner, chief operating officer, Global Transactions Services, Thomson Financial. About A.G. Edwards, Inc. A.G. Edwards, Inc. is a financial services holding company whose primary subsidiary is the national investment firm of A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. For more than 115 years, individuals and businesses have turned to A.G. Edwards & Sons to develop strong personal relationships with financial consultants dedicated to a client-first philosophy of providing financial strategies tailored to their clients' individual needs. A.G. Edwards and its affiliates encompass nearly 6,900 financial consultants in 715 offices nationwide and two European locations in London, England and Geneva, Switzerland. About Thomson Financial Thomson Financial is a US$1.5 billion provider of information and technology solutions to the worldwide financial community. Through the widest range of products and services in the industry, Thomson Financial helps clients in more than 70 countries make better decisions, be more productive and achieve superior results. Thomson Financial is part of The Thomson Corporation (http://www.thomson.com/), a leading provider of value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research and healthcare. With revenues from continuing operations of US$7.44 billion, The Thomson Corporation lists its common shares on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). About Thomson BETA Systems Thomson BETA Systems operates within the Thomson Financial group of businesses and is one of the largest securities processing firms in the U.S. Headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, with over 600 staff and offices in New York, San Francisco, London and Hong Kong, Thomson BETA Systems provides its customers with the tools they need to succeed in the ever-evolving brokerage industry. For more information on Thomson BETA Systems, visit http://www.betasys.com/. DATASOURCE: Thomson Financial CONTACT: Janice Addams, Manager, Public Relations of Thomson Financial, +1-646-822-2826, ; or Margaret Welch, Director, Public Relations of A.G. Edwards, +1-314-955-5912, Web site: http://www.thomsonfinancial.com/ http://www.betasys.com/ http://www.thomson.com/

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