Press Release

Lloyd's Register-Fairplay buys HITT NV's interest in AIS Live

Lloyd's Register-Fairplay (LRF) have purchased the 50% share in AIS Live Ltd (AISLive.com) previously owned by HITT NV of the Netherlands, giving it full ownership of the online vessel tracking system. The management boards of both companies have agreed the sale today and LRF is paying €4.5 million for HITT's interest in AISLive.com plus an earn-out payment of €1 million based on profits during the next three years.

HITT is withdrawing from the joint venture to focus on its core business: systems integration and supply of products for traffic control, air and sea port management and professional navigation. HITT will remain as a strategic business partner for AISLive.com.

LRF's joint managing director Richard Silk said that the number of AIS receivers linked to AISLive.com will continue to expand. "Continued expansion of the network will assist us in achieving our goal of global coverage", he said. "It will add to our other information sources that are coming on stream and support the continued development of our ship movements database. We are experiencing considerable growth in our business and the strategic importance of shipping in the world economy is leading to an increased demand for our information services."

John van Asperen, chief financial officer at HITT said: "We have been delighted with the progress made by AISLive over the last four years and now is the right time for AISLive to focus on its core services as an information provider. We believe this is best achieved under the ownership of Lloyd's Register - Fairplay. As a strategic partner HITT will continue to provide innovative technology which has helped AISLive to achieve its market leading position."

Ron Crean, business development manager at AISLive.com said "We have built up a very loyal customer base in over 90 countries in less than 4 years. This announcement shows our ongoing commitment to developing our services further for our customers."

The joint venture between the companies dates from April 2004 and consists of an online database from which vessel positions may be viewed in real time, enhanced with information about the ships themselves. Position data is obtained from a network of receivers that monitor public transmissions from ships' Automatic Identification System (AIS) broadcasts while ship information is drawn from LRF's extensive databases, which benefit from LRF's unique position as the IMO-appointed body for allocating ship identification numbers.

AISLive.com provides industry users with a real-time view of commercial shipping movements

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Further information about HITT:
John H.M. van Asperen (CFO); t. +31 (55) 543 25 90; e: investor.relations@hitt.nl

Further information about LRF:
Richard Silk (Joint MD LRF); t. +44 (1737) 37 90 08; e: richard.silk@lrfairplay.com

Further information about AISLive:
Ron Crean (BDM): t. +44 (1737) 379 101; e. ron.crean@aislive.com

About AIS Live
AIS Live was the first global AIS (Automatic Identification System) network and continues to provide an online application with access to real time ship movements. Our growing network coverage extends from Europe to North and South America, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Africa and the Far East.
Users of AISLive include port authorities, ship agents, brokers, charterers, port service suppliers, ship-owners and civil authorities, all of whom benefit from having access to timely and accurate information.
The AISLive network provides real time information from over 2,000 locations around the world. We show the live online positions of circa 25,000 vessels per day. The position of each vessel within the areas of coverage is displayed on a chart (map) and is updated every 3 minutes, 24 hours a day. By clicking on a vessel, additional details are available such as IMO number, MMSID, latitude, longitude, course, speed and next port.

About Lloyd's Register-Fairplay
Lloyd's Register - Fairplay is a joint venture company, formed in July 2001 through the merger of Lloyd's Register's Maritime Information Publishing Group and Prime Publications Limited.
Lloyd's Register - Fairplay is the only organization to provide comprehensive details of the current world merchant fleet of 100 GT and above and a complete range of products and services to assist the world's maritime community.
With offices in the United Kingdom, Sweden, United States of America and Singapore, Lloyd's Register - Fairplay can satisfy international demand for information requirements on ships, companies, ports, movements and news related services, as well as provide research and consultancy services.
Lloyd's Register - Fairplay has over 182 employees and is able to draw on the resources of the Lloyd's Register Group, and its network of over 200 Group offices worldwide.

About HITT
HITT is a leading player in the worldwide markets for traffic management and navigation systems. The company develops technology aimed at safety enhancement and traffic flow improvement, whilst also enabling significant cost reductions in infrastructure and logistics. The core activities of HITT consist of developing and selling management & control systems and services for air and vessel traffic and hydrographic and navigation systems.
In 2007 HITT achieved a revenue of EUR 34.4 million and a net profit of EUR 0.3 million. The number of staff at year-end 2007 was 178. HITT has been listed on Euronext Amsterdam NV since June 1998.