Hill & Associates Announces Merger of Its Verify(TM) Screening Solutions Unit with Quam Data Services to Create One of Asia's Largest Pre-Employment Screening Service Providers

Hill & Associates Announces Merger of Its Verify(TM) Screening Solutions Unit with Quam Data Services to Create One of Asia's Largest Pre-Employment Screening Service Providers

July 04, 2006

    HONG KONG, July 4 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Hill &
Associates Limited ("Hill"), Asia's largest risk
management & business intelligence consultancy firm,
today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement
with Quam Limited ("Quam" - Stock code: 952 -
SEHK) an integrated financial services group listed on the
Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, to merge their respective
pre-employment screening operations and form a leading
Asian pre-employment screening business.  

    The merged entity will trade as Verify(TM) Screening
Solutions (Verify(TM); http://www.verifyscreening.com/ )
and will hold leading market positions in all substantial
markets throughout Asia, thereby offering a 'one-stop-shop'
screening & credit data verification service to
multinationals across the region.  In addition to providing
customers with more resources and expertise, both units will
complement each other geographically given Verify(TM)'s
strong footprint in Singapore, Malaysia and India, and Quam
Data's leading status in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.

    Mr. Marc Davey from Hill & Associates is appointed
as President of  Verify(TM) and will take primary
responsibility for customer relations and new business
development.  Mr. Allan Matheson from Quam Data (
http://www.quamdata.com/ ) is appointed as Senior Vice
President of Verify(TM) and will take primary
responsibility for service delivery. 

    Commenting on the merger, Mr. Richard Hickson, CEO of
Hill & Associates, said: "I am excited about the
prospects for Verify(TM); this deal substantially
strengthens our presence and capabilities in the China
market.  Verify(TM) offers a comprehensive range of
screening solutions throughout Asia and with this increase
in our capabilities we look forward to being of greater
service to our customers. 

    Mr. Bernard Pouliot, Chairman of the Quam Group stated,
"We are pleased about this agreement.  The synergy
between Quam Data and Verify(TM) will help us better serve
the growing demand for comprehensive verification
services."  

    Under the terms of the agreement, Hill will hold a
majority of the equity of Verify(TM) and the merger is
expected to be completed by 8th August 2006.  The merger is
subject to standard closing conditions typical for this type
of business transaction.

    About Hill & Associates
    With 19 offices throughout Asia and the Middle East,
Hill & Associates is Asia's largest and most respected
risk management & security consultancy firm. By
combining local knowledge and expertise with world-renowned
professionalism, leading edge technology partnerships and a
comprehensive range of integrated services, we are able to
assist our clients to operate safely, efficiently and
without disruption in some of the world's most difficult
markets.  We address a wide range of operational business
risks and develop comprehensive solutions for both
prevention and response.

    For more information on Hill & Associates, please
visit its website at http://www.hill-assoc.com .

    About Quam Limited
    Quam Limited is a Hong Kong-based financial services
group, which was listed on the SEHK in 1997 (SEHK: 0952). 
After a series of strategic acquisitions beginning in 2001,
the Group is now comprised of several renowned Hong Kong
companies, including Quamnet.com, Quam Capital, Quam
Securities, Quam Investor Relations and Quam Asset
Management.  By utilising the best of both its online and
offline resources, Quam offers premier one-stop-shop
financial services, with the objective of becoming the
financial advisor of choice in Hong Kong and Mainland China
for corporations and individual investors alike.

    For more information on Quam, please visit its website
at www.quamlimited.com .

    Media contacts:

     Karene Dufour Lo
     Vice President, Marketing & Communications
     Hill & Associates Ltd
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Winnie Chau
     Investor Relations
     Quam Limited
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  Hill & Associates Ltd