Virgo Acquires Billing & OSS World Magazine, Trade Show September 2007

Virgo Publishing LLC, the publisher of xchange and PHONE+ magazines, said Monday it has acquired the Billing & OSS World trade show and conference and Billing World and OSS Today magazine from TeleStrategies Inc.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Virgo Publishing will take over the properties with the November/December issue of Billing World and OSS Today magazine, and the spring 2008 Billing & OSS World event, April 29-May 1 in Chicago.

Dr. Matthew Lucas, CFO for TeleStrategies, will remain involved through the 2008 trade show to ensure a smooth transition. Ed Finegold, editor in chief of Billing World and OSS Today magazine, will be joining the Virgo Publishing editorial team and will remain editor of the publication.

With the acquisition of the Billing World properties, Virgo Publishing is able to immediately grow its Telecom Division and at the same time offer the Billing World franchise the ability to grow to the next level with the backing of an experienced publishing and events company, said Jenny Bolton, CEO of Virgo Publishing.

Virgo Publishing produces nine trade shows and conferences and 16 business-to-business magazines, as well as online products and services. The companys Telecom Division publishes PHONE+ and xchange magazines, and is the producer of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. PHONE+ marked its 20th anniversary in 2007, and xchange and the Channel Partners Expo are more than 10 years old.

The Billing & OSS World trade show, which will celebrate its 16th year in 2008, focuses on the business and operations support systems requirements for communications networks. More than 1,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the 2008 event.

Billing World and OSS Today magazine, established in 1995, is published six times a year and offers coverage and analysis of the telecommunications BSS/OSS sector, including billing, customer management, OSS, IMS, taxation, revenue assurance and cost management.

The synergies between Virgos telecom industry titles and the Billing World properties are clear, said Mike Saxby, group publisher for Virgo Publishings Telecom Division. Virgo brings the breadth of coverage and readership while Billing World offers depth in one critical area. Together, they can build on these strengths and create a more valuable educational resource for the communications industry.

Billing World and OSS Today www.billingworld.com
PHONE+ magazine www.phoneplusmag.com
TeleStrategies Inc. www.telestrategies.com
Virgo Publishing LLC www.vpico.com
xchange magazine www.xchangemag.com