African Is Cool Becomes Expolink®’s Hotline First Partner

10 Mar 08

Expolink® has announced today that it has signed a platinum reseller agreement with African Is Cool (“AIC”) to become it’s reseller for it’s internationally renowned whistle blowing hotline service in emerging African markets.

Already providing a competent and thoroughly managed shareholder communications service to listed companies across Africa, AIC has added Expolink®’s unique whistle blowing hotline service to it’s current product and service portfolio.

Under the agreement, AIC will offer it’s listed customers the additional whistle blowing hotline service to their employees, providing them with the ability to report criminal or inappropriate behaviour through Expolink’s external confidential hotline service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service will offer employees the security of an anonymous, external and confidential service at all times and the peace of mind they need to speak out about malpractice in the workplace. For employers this service will dramatically reduce business crime, which often goes undetected in the workplace alongside an essential reporting mechanism back to the businesses.

AIC’s philosophy is built around developing and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships with their stakeholders and shareholders. The majority of their services are through a web-based SOX compliant investor communications platform adding shareholder value whilst improving corporate governance. This new addition supports their pursuit of efficient management of business risk for their clients, essential to long term corporate sustainability. In offering this service AIC is ahead of the compliance requirements across Africa.

Expolink® were way ahead of the broader corporate governance curve when they launched their hotline service back in 1996. Today, the company is a European market leader in external whistle blowing services, used by many FTSE companies on a global platform.

AIC felt that Expolink® had the appropriate credentials to align with their brand. Rob Stangroom, representative of AIC said, “Expolink's whistleblowing hotline service can offer distinct advantage to our customers. Not only will it provide significant value in mutually profitable relationships with our customers and their shareholders and stakeholders, it also helps to stamp out business loss through fraud for example, and provides a thorough reporting channel for employee grievance or any other unprofessional behaviour. We are very pleased to become a reseller for Expolink as we share a similar ethos and commitment to use technology and innovation. This enables executives to concentrate on running their businesses safe in the knowledge that their governance and communications obligations are satisfied efficiently and with the minimum of effort.”

David Crook, Chairman of Expolink said "We were very impressed with the goals that Africa Is Cool has set themselves with the aim of improving corporate governance throughout Africa and we look forward to working with them and their clients to achieve that aim. Our service will give employees of AIC’s clients the opportunity to report any malpractice within their workplace in a safe and secure manner, while also acting as a deterrent against inappropriate and criminal behaviour. Our staff are fully trained to act with total consideration to the caller, and the information obtained will then be submitted to key personnel within the employee's company to enable the business to investigate and resolve the issue".

The reseller agreement goes live on the 13th March 2008 following AIC’s appraisal of African listed company shareholder communications practices at the Securities Africa sub-Saharan Investment Conference in London.

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Notes to editors

About Expolink

Expolink is a leader in outsourced corporate governance and whistle blowing hotlines supporting over 25% of the FTSE 100 companies, local authorities, police forces, retail organisations, multi-national corporates and businesses of all sizes. Over one million employees worldwide have access to the service, which is used to disclose criminal activity, fraud, bullying, theft, damage to property. The Expolink Hotline is free for employees to call from anywhere in their country, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

The company also has a contact centre and a software division.
For further information please contact:
Amanda Cleverly

Email: amanda.cleverly@expolink.co.uk, Tel:+44 (0) 1249 661680

www.expolink.co.uk

About African Is Cool
AIC provides a managed shareholder communications service to African listed companies through a web-based investor communications platform called Investorpass.
Using Investorpass and internationally accepted investor relations practices (adopted specifically for emerging African markets), AIC increases the depth and efficiency of shareholder communications in a manner that complements existing governance, financial reporting, PR and marketing campaigns. Investorpass is fully compliant with all major international regulations regarding corporate communications.
AIC’s products and services encourage feedback at all times and they promote long-term mutually beneficial relationships with shareholders and stakeholders. It is this feedback, a fundamental tenet of corporate governance, which enables AIC’s clients to communicate responsively to the investment and broader communities in which they operate.

For further information please contact: Rob Stangroom

Email: rob.stangroom@gmail.com Tel: + 27 73 4281404 (Mobile)
www.africaniscool.com
www.africanshareholder.com
www.africanfinancials.com