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I’m pleased to share that Experian has taken another important step in the transformation of our Consumer Services business, having signed an agreement to acquire CSIdentity Corporation (CSID). The name CSID may not be familiar to most, but it’s a major provider of identity theft and fraud detection solutions in the United States. CSID is the technology platform that sits behind many other identity solution providers, and it’s CSID’s innovation that powers many of the core features of identity protection products marketed under other brands. Experian is familiar with CSID as we have partnered with them in the past, given the synergistic nature of our products. Helping Consumers and Businesses … Beyond being a very important step for our business in North America, I want to highlight how joining forces will help businesses and consumers alike. The combination of our products and services creates a powerful solution in the identity theft protection world. By bringing together Experian’s industry-leading Consumer Services products with the proprietary technology and innovation of CSID’s identity protection platform, we will be able to offer consumers and clients best-in-class credit and identity solutions. This acquisition significantly enhances our ability to address consumers’ advanced needs for tools to protect their identity and detect fraud. CSID has developed a sophisticated and patent-protected technology platform that discovers when identity information has been possibly compromised, and notifies consumers of the activity so that immediate action can be taken. By combining Experian’s credit expertise and CSID’s enhanced capabilities in identity management, we will be able to provide consumers with the ability to manage both their credit and their identity information in one proposition. This two-level approach using credit and identity information enables us to proactively inform consumers that their identification data has been compromised using CSID identity solutions, and advise them that stolen identity information is actively being used in credit inquiries and new account openings. Business Strategy … Consumer adoption of identity-related services is growing globally, driven in part by identity-related trends such as increasing digital activity and the threats around cybersecurity. We now have clear sight of a larger and more dynamic market that provides us with greater opportunities to leverage the entire range of Experian data and analytics capabilities to address the growing needs of consumers. And identity theft protection is a big part of our growth plan. This effort puts the consumer at the center of our decisions. Our aim is to significantly enrich the consumer experience by providing access to a broad range of information, including credit, automotive, health, and identity to help consumers make more informed decisions and control their information. CSID has existing contracts with many industry participants. I’m confident Experian’s breadth of data and analytics capabilities could add real value to these relationships. The Details … As is common in a deal such as this, the agreement is subject to Hart-Scott Rodino regulatory approval. Once that is concluded, we will be in a position to talk in even greater detail about how and why this acquisition will be a powerful win for helping businesses and consumers navigate the modern era of personal identity theft protection services. We’re delighted by the opportunities the acquisition of CSID brings, and we look forward to welcoming the CSID team to Experian. Craig Boundy Experian North America CEO

On Tuesday, Experian held a press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony with San Diego Mayor, Kevin Faulconer to announce and celebrate the expansion of the data and innovation lab in North America. The new 10,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility will allow Experian to use breakthrough experiments to good things with data.  Mayor Faulconer spoke about creating innovative jobs and opportunities in San Diego and welcomed the growth, ingenuity and creativity that Experian’s talented employees will bring to San Diego. Eric Haller, Executive Vice President of Experian’s DataLabs, joined Mayor Faulconer in addressing the three major broadcast news networks in San Diego, as well as reporters from the San Diego Business Journal, San Diego Union-Tribune and Reuters. “At this point, I’d like to think of this not as a finish line for our labs but a starting point. We have a lot of great opportunity ahead of us, and we hope that in this lab we'll start to achieve our vision around the future of banking, retail and automotive,” said Haller. Experian DataLabs currently staffs 30 employees in San Diego and plans on doubling the team within this year. Click the links below to view media coverage from the event. http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/22084420?token=f65a02f2-ab51-4766-9f99-deeee5ec8788

Experian has expanded its growing North America DataLabs in San Diego to further innovation and enable leading data scientists to help clients and businesses solve strategic marketing and risk management problems through advanced data analysis processes, research and development. This new state-of-the-art facility will be equipped with beacons, biometrics and emerging technologies to keep Experian on the forefront of innovation. “We are proud that Experian has selected San Diego as home for its new innovation lab facility. This commitment from an information services giant like Experian is further validation that companies are expanding, growing and helping us to create more jobs in San Diego,” said San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “San Diego is indeed a world-class city of innovation, and our highly skilled scientific and technology talent is clearly helping to make San Diego a destination for new businesses, jobs and opportunities.” Experian DataLabs is staffed by teams of Ph.D. scientists and applied research practitioners with expertise in advanced analytics and modeling, as well as other statistical methods. The labs provide access to Experian resources such as broad and secure consumer and commercial credit data and demographics, which can guide Experian clients in determining their approaches. Projects often tackle high-dimensionality problems where computer science, applied mathematics and business acumen intersect to create solutions that can be   implemented cost effectively. The first innovation lab was launched five years ago to provide clients with innovative techniques and applications to capture the value hidden within their data assets. The labs allow data scientists to conduct breakthrough data experimentation to present a larger picture and deliver greater competitive advantages. “We want to provide our team with an environment that will further inspire them, spark their powerful creativity and drive innovation for Experian and our clients,” said Eric Haller, executive vice president, Experian Global DataLabs. “I’m so very proud of the team and to be part of a truly innovative and entrepreneurial company like Experian that had the foresight five years ago to allow us to create these labs. The future is bright for us and our clients, and I can’t wait to see the good things with data that will come out of this new facility.” Experian DataLabs operates globally with labs in San Diego, Calif.; London, England; and São Paulo, Brazil. Click here to view video coverage from yesterday's ribbon cutting ceremony featuring San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Executive Vice President of Experian DataLabs, Eric Haller.