January 2007

The Birchman Group, continuesits dramatic growth by announcing that it has acquired the subsidiary of Plaut Consulting in the UK, a leading provider of management consulting and SAP implementation services.

Plaut Consulting in the UK was incorporated in 1993 and has always been built around an exceptional team of highly experienced consultants with a track record of success in a variety of industries. It is also one of SAP’s earliest Partners and has an enviable SAP implementation pedigree in the market. This transaction underlines Birchman’s strategy of strong organic growth mixed with selective acquisitions and will specifically strengthen Birchman’s Solution practice in the UK.

This follows the recent successful acquisition and integration of the Spanish subsidiary of Plaut Consulting by Birchman.

Niel Schoeman, CEO of The Birchman Group: “We are delighted with the addition of Plaut UK to our business and will enhance the range and depth of services provided in the UK. The combination of the businesses will further enhance our ability to deliver major business and IT transformation programmes in the UK market. In addition Plaut’s strong and loyal customer base will benefit from the advisory services and thought leadership of Birchman.”

Hannes Zwicklhuber, CFO of Plaut AG: “This transaction provides Plaut with the opportunity to focus on its core strategic geo-graphical markets, yet retain the wider Plaut network and capabilities. We believe this will result in a win-win situation for both parties and that the success of the acquisition and integration of Plaut Spain into The Birchman Group will be replicated in the UK. ”