BEIJING and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASIA) ("AsiaInfo-Linkage"
or the "Company"), a leading provider of telecommunication software
solutions and services in China,
today announced that it has called a special meeting of its
stockholders (the "Special Meeting"), to be held on December 19, 2013, at 3:00
p.m. (Beijing time), at 4th
Floor, Zhongdian Information Tower, 6 Zhongguancun South Street,
Haidian District, Beijing, People's
Republic of China, to consider and vote on the proposal to
adopt the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated
May 12, 2013 (the "Merger
Agreement"), by and among the Company, Skipper Limited ("Parent")
and Skipper Acquisition Corporation ("Merger Sub").
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will be
merged with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as
the surviving company after the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary
of Parent (the "Merger"). If completed, the proposed Merger will
result in the Company becoming a privately-held company and the
common stock of the Company will no longer be listed on the NASDAQ
Global Market. The Company's board of directors, acting upon the
unanimous recommendation of the special committee formed by the
board of directors, approved the Merger Agreement and resolved to
recommend that the Company's stockholders vote to adopt the Merger
Agreement.
Stockholders of record as of the close of business, New York time, on November 14, 2013, the record date for the
Special Meeting, are entitled to receive notice of the Special
Meeting and to vote the shares of common stock of the Company owned
by them at the Special Meeting. Additional information regarding
the Special Meeting and the Merger Agreement can be found in the
transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3 and the definitive proxy
statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") on November 18,
2013, which can be obtained, along with other filings
containing information about the Company, the proposed Merger and
related matters, without charge, from the SEC's website
(http://www.sec.gov) or at the SEC's public reference room at 100 F
Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington,
D.C. 20549. In addition, holders of shares of common stock
of the Company as of the record date will receive the definitive
proxy statement by mail. Requests for additional copies of the
definitive proxy statement should be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc., the Company's proxy
solicitor, toll free at 1-800-758-5880, collect at 212-269-5550 or
by email at asiainfo@dfking.com. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE
URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THESE MATERIALS AND
OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME
AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE
COMPANY, THE PROPOSED MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS.
The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and
other members of management and employees may, under the SEC rules,
be deemed to be "participants" in the solicitation of proxies from
the Company's stockholders with respect to the Merger. Information
regarding the persons who may be considered "participants" in the
solicitation of proxies is set forth in the definitive proxy
statement and Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement relating to the
proposed Merger. Further information regarding persons who may be
deemed participants, including any direct or indirect interests
they may have, is also set forth in the definitive proxy
statement.
This announcement is neither a solicitation of proxy, an offer
to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities
and it is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other filings
that have been or will be made with the SEC.
About AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc.
AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASIA) is a leading provider of
high-quality software solutions and IT services to the
telecommunications industry. Headquartered in Beijing, AsiaInfo-Linkage employs more than
11,000 professionals worldwide. AsiaInfo-Linkage provides a full
suite of business and operational support solutions (BSS/OSS) and
associated professional services. AsiaInfo-Linkage's core Veris
product line includes billing and customer care systems that serve
nearly a billion subscribers globally – almost one seventh of the
world's population – plus business intelligence, network management
and solutions.
AsiaInfo-Linkage's customers work with it to converge large
scale pre- and post-paid mobile operations; improve time to market
for new products and services; and develop cost-effective new
business models. In China,
AsiaInfo-Linkage has more than 50% market share in billing, CRM and
business intelligence through its longstanding partnerships with
China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. AsiaInfo-Linkage aims
to be the leading IT solutions provider to the global
telecommunications industry, enabling the Connected Digital
Lifestyle, and helping its customers build, maintain, operate and
constantly improve their network infrastructure and IT
environment.
For more information about AsiaInfo-Linkage, please visit
www.asiainfo-linkage.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology such as "believe," "expect," "may,"
"will," "should," "project," "plan," "seek," "intend," or
"anticipate" or the negative thereof or comparable terminology.
Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, such as the uncertainties as to how
the Company's stockholders will vote at the meeting of the
stockholders, the possibility that competing offers will be made,
the possibility that debt financing may not be available and the
possibility that various closing conditions for the acquisition may
not be satisfied or waived. Further information regarding these and
other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC.
These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations
as of the date of this press release. The Company does not
undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement,
except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Mr. Jimmy Xia
AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc.
Tel: +86-10-8216-6039
Email: ir@asiainfo-linkage.com
In the United
States:
Mr. Justin Knapp
Ogilvy Financial
Tel: +1-616-551-9714
Email: asia@ogilvy.com
SOURCE AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc.