Southampton UK, 9th July 2012: Aareon AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aareal Bank AG and the leading consultancy and IT systems house for the European property sector, has announced that it has acquired 1st Touch Limited, the UK’s leading developer of mobile systems for the social housing and public sectors. The decision is seen as a reflection of Aareon’s belief in the significant opportunities presented by mobile technology in the property sector across Europe and as complementary to the Group’s other software investments in the sector.

Commenting on the news, Dr. Manfred Alflen CEO of Aareon AG said; “1st Touch is the recognized market leader for the supply of mobile technology to the UK social housing and public sectors. Clearly with the rapid growth of demand for this kind of mobile solution, across Europe, the opportunities are enormous. Together we aim to capitalize on these.

Aareon AG Acquires 1st Touch “Following the acquisition, 1st Touch will continue to provide mobile solutions across multiple back office and ERP Housing systems and will become an essential element of our technology strategy, in the UK and the rest of Europe. It is this independence which makes this such a good acquisition for Aareon AG and with the backing that the Group can offer, we are confident that 1st Touch will continue to grow significantly.”

Robert Dent the Managing Director of 1st Touch echoed Dr. Alflen’s comments adding, “This is excellent news for both 1st Touch employees and also for our customers. We look forward to witnessing the first fruits of this very compatible union and therein taking full advantage of the opportunities now available to us.”