Vista Confirms US Acquisition of Competitor Ticketsoft

New Zealand based cinema software and analytics company, Vista Group International (Vista), has completed an agreement to acquire the leading-edge software company, Ticketsoft.

Founded in 2001 and based in Dallas, Texas, Ticketsoft’s cinema management software solutions are used by more than 200 cinemas across North America, representing more than 2,000 cinema screens.

Both large chain and independent cinema exhibitors use Ticketsoft’s software for their point of sale, ticketing, loyalty, management and analysis, and corporate office systems.

Murray Holdaway, Chief Executive of Vista Group, said, “We are delighted to have reached agreement with a company that has demonstrated consistent innovation and dedication to their customers over a long period of time.”

Providing a wider portfolio of similar products, Vista Entertainment Solutions (VES), a Vista Group company, is the world’s leading supplier of software to cinema exhibitors including installations in over 950 USA cinemas totaling 11,300 screens.

The integration of the two companies will progressively allow for the provision of VES software to the Ticketsoft customer base, delivering a number of immediate benefits to customers, including support for recently mandated EMV credit card processing. Longer term, benefits include access to the ongoing development of VES software and the support that VES provides to customers in the USA and in more than 60 other countries around the world. Philip Wood, the founder and President of Ticketsoft, will continue working with VES to ensure a seamless customer experience throughout the integration process.

Vista USA President, Derek Forbes, comments, “I am excited to welcome Ticketsoft’s team and customers to Vista. Philip and his team have built a strong product for American cinemas. We are looking forward to expanding on this offering with our own innovation, and working with Ticketsoft’s exhibitor customers to help them achieve even greater success at the box office and throughout their businesses.”

Mr. Wood adds, “This transaction provides Ticketsoft customers with an excellent outcome in terms of their ability to access the latest technology and solutions available to cinema exhibitors. It also provides an exciting future for our staff with an international market leader.”

About Vista Group International:

Vista Group International (Vista Group) is a public company, listed on both the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges (NZX: VGL; ASX: VGI). Vista Group provides cinema management, film distribution and customer analytics software to companies across the global film industry. Cinema management software provided by Vista Entertainment Solutions is the core business of the Group. Veezi, MACCS, Movio and Numero products leverage the success of this platform into other parts of the film industry; from production and distribution, to cinema exhibition and through to the movie-goer experience. It is estimated that in excess of a billion cinema tickets are processed every year through Vista products. Vista Group has over 250 staff across six offices in New Zealand (Auckland headquarters), Australia, the USA, the UK, the Netherlands and China.

About Vista Entertainment Solutions (VES):

Vista Entertainment Solutions is the world leader in cinema management software solutions with installations in more than 60 countries across all continents and an estimated 38% global market share in the large cinema circuit market. The Vista cinema management product line is both integrated & scalable, suited to cinema exhibitor’s operating 20+ screens and up to 100's of cinemas. Vista software comprises multiple software modules required to deliver optimal Box Office returns, total cinema management and both internal and external analysis and reporting.

For further information:

www.vistagroup.cowww.vista.cowww.ticketsoft.com

MBCMaggie Begley, [e-mail]