ALSO pioneers new communications approach to annual reporting

Emmen, Switzerland, February 24, 2017

ALSO is publishing "Spreading Knowledge," the world's first annual report featuring Virtual (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) elements. "2016 was a very successful year for ALSO. With this new form of reporting, we not only want to visualize last year's key figures; we want to illuminate our complex business models with a compelling 360-degree experience. We have to start working with these technologies, especially as they gain importance for our more than 100,000 customers," said Gustavo Möller-Hergt, CEO of ALSO Holding AG (SIX: ALSN).

The custom-designed ALSO VR app, which is available in the Apple and Google app stores, allows the viewer to virtually explore the world of ALSO in 360-degree rooms. With the ALSO-branded VR headset and a smartphone, users can watch the 360-degree videos and control the experience with their eyes. Moreover, the AR component of the app displays the ALSO Group's most important financial figures three-dimensionally using the smartphone camera and the first page of the annual report.

"The app is the cornerstone of our digital communications and holds great potential that we will continue to tap for ourselves and for our customers. It is as innovative as it is informative. In the future, the app will enable us to provide inexpensive, fast, and web-based updates that will facilitate transparent communication with our stakeholders," said Mr. Möller-Hergt.

Direct link to the VR/AR Annual Report 2016 on ALSO's website: http://www.also.com/goto/report2016

Direct link to the press release: http://www.also.com/goto/20170224en

Contact person:
Brunswick Group GmbH
Dr. Marc Langendorf
Tel: +49 89 80 99 02 517
Email: [email protected]



ALSO Holding AG (Emmen/Switzerland) brings providers and buyers of the ICT industry together. The company offers services at all levels of the ICT value chain from a single source. In the European B2B marketplace, ALSO bundles logistics services, financial services, supply services, solution services, digital services, and IT services together into individual service packages. ALSO's portfolio contains more than 188 000 articles from some 500 vendors. The Group has around 3 670 employees throughout Europe. In fiscal year 2016 (closing on December 31), the company generated net sales of 8.0 billion euros. The majority shareholder of ALSO Holding AG is the Droege Group, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Further information is available at http://www.also.com

Droege Group
(Major shareholder)
Droege Group (founded in 1988) is an independent consulting and investment company under full family ownership. The company acts as a specialist for tailor-made restructuring programs aiming to enhance corporate value. Droege Group combines its corporate family-run structure and capital strength into a family-equity business model. The group carries out direct investments with own equity in corporate subsidiaries and medium-sized companies in "special situations". The motto of "The Art of Implementation" has made the group a pioneer of hands-on implementation-oriented corporate development. Droege Group demonstrates its implementation excellence daily within its own portfolio. The entrepreneurially platforms of the Droege Group are aligned to current megatrends (knowledge, connectivity, prevention, demography, shopping 4.0, future work). Enthusiasm for quality, innovation and speed determines our actions. In this way Droege Group has successfully gained a position in domestic and international markets and operates in 30 countries.
More information: http://www.droege-group.com

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current assumptions and forecasts of the ALSO management. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the forward-looking statements made here and the actual development, in particular the results, financial situation, and performance of our Group. The Group accepts no responsibility for updating these forward-looking statements or adapting them to future events or developments.