HACKENSACK, New Jersey and MUMBAI, India, February 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ness Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: NSTC), a global provider of information technology solutions and services, today announced that Pearson plc, the international education and information company whose businesses include the Financial Times Group, Pearson Education and the Penguin Group, has chosen Ness as its product development partner in a three-year agreement that will expand Pearson's engineering capacity substantially. Ness will establish and operate an India Development Center in Mumbai for Pearson to enable close collaboration on end-to-end product engineering for Pearson's next-generation products and systems.

"As leaders in information, education and assessment we continually seek effective ways to bring innovative technology, products and services to our customers," said Atish Banerjea, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Pearson. "For several years we have worked successfully with partners in India who have helped support the growth of our business and address talent gaps in other parts of the world. We view our India Development Center with Ness as the foundation of a strategic product development capability in India. In Ness we have a partner with a product mindset and we believe that their Managed Labs engagement model will make them a true extension of our business."

"We are delighted to be working with an industry leader like Pearson," said Shashank Samant, president, Ness North America and head of the global high-tech and software vertical. "Pearson's dedicated Managed Lab team will bring to bear Ness' proven offshore product development methodology, acting as an extension of Pearson delivering state-of-the-art solutions and intensifying the product innovation culture within Pearson."

Ness' high-tech and software vertical provides software product expertise - from concept through development to market support - delivered via collaborative "extended product labs". Ness operates software R&D labs for more than 45 ISVs and other product-oriented clients, utilizing its centers in India (Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai) and its center in Kosice, Slovakia, along with onsite and local presence in North America, Europe, Israel and Asia Pacific.

About Ness Technologies

Ness Technologies (NASDAQ: NSTC) is a global provider of end-to-end IT services and solutions designed to help clients improve competitiveness and efficiency. Ness specializes in outsourcing and offshore, systems integration and application development, software and consulting, and quality assurance and training. With over 8,000 employees, Ness maintains operations in 18 countries, and partners with numerous software and hardware vendors worldwide. For more information about Ness Technologies, visit http://www.ness.com

About Pearson

Educating 100 million people worldwide, Pearson (LSE: PSON; NYSE: PSO) is the global leader in educational publishing, providing research-based print and digital programs to help students of all ages learn at their own pace, in their own way. Pearson's businesses include the Financial Times Group, Pearson Education and the Penguin Group. For more information about Pearson, visit http://www.pearson.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often are preceded by words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "assumes," "will" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Ness' actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward looking statements as a result of various factors. Some of the factors that could cause future results to materially differ from the recent results or those projected in forward-looking statements include the "Risk Factors" described in Ness' Annual Report of Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 14, 2007. Ness is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of such changes, new information, subsequent events or otherwise.



    Ness Technologies media contact:

    David Kanaan
    USA: +1-888-244-4919
    Intl: +972-3-540-8188
    Email: media.int@ness.com

    Ness Technologies investor contact:

    Drew Wright
    USA: 1-201-488-3262
    Email: investor@ness.com

SOURCE Ness Technologies Inc