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GMI Announces Multiple Acquisitions Across Three Continents

Brings company one step closer to providing a unified platform linking research buyers, research suppliers and respondents for real-time, global market research

Seattle, September 19th 2005: GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.), the only company that offers a complete integrated solution for global internet-based market research, announced today that it has acquired three companies – Seattle-based NetReflector, Insight in Shanghai, China, and MI Pro AS in Drøbak, Norway, which will operate as wholly owned subsidiaries of GMI. GMI has also formed a new strategic alliance with ARO Sistemas in São Paolo, Brazil. The new acquisitions and partnership bring GMI one step closer to fulfilling its long-term vision aimed at delivering a consolidated operating system that links research suppliers, research buyers and respondents in real time, on a global scale.

With this strategic move, GMI not only adds advanced technology solutions to its existing portfolio, it also expands its global presence by establishing a direct foothold in the fast-developing Chinese market. GMI’s clients will now have access to advanced online research software, more global online panels and 24x7x365 service bureaus that will seamlessly facilitate global market research. The geography of the companies further strengthens GMI’s global position delivering enhanced production and service centers in China, Europe and Latin America, which complements GMI’s current offerings in Bulgaria and India.

“Our acquisition strategy helps expand our global footprint and is just one example of how we plan to continue our rapid growth,” said Rob Monster, founder and CEO of GMI. “We already are a world player operating in 50 countries and in 32 languages. Our recent purchases and partnership underline our promise to offer customers a truly integrated technology platform for market research, regardless of geography or language.”

The addition of NetReflector to the GMI family enables both companies to leverage each others’ respective market presence and expertise, while providing professional market researchers and corporate business users with a broader array of online research solutions and associated consulting services. NetReflector delivers advanced survey solutions that measure customer satisfaction in real time. Powered by GMI, clients can now seamlessly feed their survey results into a GMI-hosted solution and store for future use.

“GMI saw value in our people, technology, expertise and deep customer relationships,” explains Villette T. Nolon, who will remain president of NetReflector. “GMI and NetReflector make an excellent match because of their complementary proprietary technology and services. These create gold-standard end-to-end solutions that help Global 2000 companies quickly gain solid business intelligence to optimize investments, drive revenue and enhance profits.”

GMI’s acquisition of MI Pro AS responds to requests from market research firms for high-performance desktop analytics software that speaks the language of market research, doesn’t require connection to the Internet, and provides a suitable alternative to SPSS software. China’s Insight and Brazil’s ARO Sistemas enhance GMI’s global capabilities by offering local presence through service bureaus and consumer panels, which is a prerequisite to do business in those emerging markets.

GMI has grown tremendously over the past five years of operation, and is investing the $13.2 million round of funding it secured in April 2005 into both organic growth and acquisitions. GMI has built an impressive database of clients, including 15 of the world’s 25 largest market research firms, such as Gartner, Burke, as well as Fortune 500 companies, including Colgate-Palmolive, Principal Financial Group, John Deere and Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery.

About GMI

GMI provides integrated solutions for market research. The company’s advanced software, Net-MR, is a fully integrated net-centric suite of software tools used to manage and automate research throughout the project lifecycle, across the globe. Additionally, GMI’s highly profiled, double opt-in panels offer a single-vendor solution for global sample. One of the world’s largest actively managed panels, it contains 200 country panels, more countries than any other supplier. With operations on five continents, GMI is the partner of choice for conducting global market research at the speed of the Internet.

About NetReflector

NetReflector helps global corporations improve their business processes by assessing the satisfaction and loyalty of their target audiences anywhere in the world, in real time. Its innovative, flexible and high-value feedback solutions combine robust, world-class online survey technology with best-practice consulting and methodology. NetReflector works with some of the world's largest corporations, including Microsoft, British Petroleum and Expedia.

About MI Pro AS

MI Pro has invented new generation software for market research agencies and professionals. It offers substantial cost reductions, true multi-modal interviewing with a fully automated and integrated Print/Scan, CATI, CAPI, WEB, and PDA. By taking a truly holistic, integrated and multi-modal approach to research, this software breaks through the barriers and limitations of today’s technology. It delivers astonishing results for a fraction of the effort through taking a fresh approach to every step of the research process: from designing the questions, through collecting and validating the responses, to presenting the findings. MI Pro is based in Drøbak/Oslo, Norway with offices in Stockholm, London and Cincinnati.

About Insight

Insight was formerly the exclusive distributor of SPSS market research software products in China and provides services to the Market Research industry.

About ARO Sistemas

Founded in 2000, ARO Sistemas is a Brazilian IT consulting company that has developed applications for the media, advertising and market research industries, currently used by numerous companies around the world. Its dynamic multi-functional team integrates technology and data processing expertise for the demanding global market research industry.

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