《财经》记者 王欢 《财经》网络版
2008-02-20

　　2月19日下午，在历时四个多月的深入反垄断调查后，欧盟委员会有条件地批准了加拿大汤姆森集团收购英国路透集团一案。

　　合并后的汤姆森—路透集团将拥有4.9万名员工，年收入120亿美元，成为全球最大的金融资讯提供商。新公司得以凭借市场份额的微弱优势，与近年崛起的彭博社展开竞争。

　　去年5月15日，汤姆森以79亿英镑（最初收购金额为87亿英镑）收购了路透，条件是，每股路透股票可换3.525英镑现金和0.16股汤姆森股票。

　　由于汤姆森与路透合并，可能对金融资讯服务市场的竞争产生不利影响，去年10月8日，欧盟委员会开始对这一交易进行反垄断调查。去年10月，微软垄断案在欧盟败诉，表明欧盟在运用反垄断权力方面比美国的决心还大，因此，欧盟委员会对汤姆森与路透合并的反垄断调查进程，受到外界高度关注。

　　为消除欧委会对垄断的担心，汤普森同意出售“Thomson Fundamentals”数据库，路透同意出售“Reuters Estimates”、“Reuters Aftermarket Research”和“Reuters Economics”三个数据库。汤普森和路透还承诺，合并后的新公司不会挤占潜在竞争对手在市场上建立竞争力的空间。

　　在两大集团作出上述“补偿”表态后，欧盟委员会裁定汤姆森和路透的合并不属非法垄断行为。欧盟委员会负责竞争事务的委员尼丽·克罗斯说，“双方允诺的补偿措施，强有力地确保了金融数据用户不会因此宗合并而受到不利影响。”

　　路透集团是一家有着156年历史的“新闻百年老店”，在全球130个国家拥有约2400名记者。但近年来，由于彭博社的崛起，路透主导地位逐渐丧失。路透期待借此合并重新收复失地。

　　合并后的汤姆森—路透集团预计每年将节省开支5亿美元，从而大大提高竞争力。合并后，汤姆森集团原有财经信息业务和路透集团原有财经信息和新闻业务将统一使用“路透”品牌，而汤姆森集团原有法律、税收、财务、科学、卫生信息业务将使用“汤姆森—路透专业(信息)”品牌。

2008.02.21

Dear Colleagues,

Today we took a big step towards completing the acquisition of Reuters by Thomson. The competition authorities in the US, Europe and Canada have given the deal the green light, subject to a small number of measures that do not change the logic or economics of the transaction. This is good news, and reaching agreement means we are now on course to start life as Thomson Reuters by mid-April.
Tom Glocer
We have not been required to dispose of any Reuters or Thomson business or product. Instead, under the agreement we reached with the authorities, we will sell to one or more third parties a copy of each of the following databases: Reuters Estimates, Reuters Aftermarket (Embargoed) Research, Reuters EcoWin Economics and Thomson Fundamentals (Worldscope). We have been in early stage discussions with several potential purchasers and we expect to complete a sale or sales promptly after closing. Importantly, we are free to complete the Thomson Reuters combination before any such sale.

In connection with any required database sale, we may also be required to provide the purchaser with certain transitional services and we may be asked to allow some of the staff to transfer to the purchaser. We will brief affected employees about what this may mean for them.

With the important antitrust hurdles now cleared, we are free to proceed to complete our deal. To do so, we must first convene an extraordinary general meeting of Reuters shareholders to vote on whether to approve the combination. This is now scheduled for March 26 in London. On the same day, Thomson shareholders will vote on the deal, but with 70% of the shares already committed to vote in favor of the transaction, the outcome is not in doubt. After the votes we must get a final approval of the combination plan from the English and Ontario courts, and then we can formally complete the transaction - which we expect to do during the week of April 13.

So, we are now really close to the first day we will operate as a single new company, Thomson Reuters. The integration planning has gone really well, and now that we have the antitrust approvals in hand, we can start to share some of the detailed customer data we need to ensure that customers benefit from the combination from day one.

I want to take this moment to thank you again for keeping your focus on what counts – serving our customers and running the day-to-day businesses of Thomson and Reuters. I have been impressed by how professional both companies have been during a time of significant change.

Thomson Corporation recently released its 2007 results and the numbers showed how, despite all the work taking place on the deal, staff have stayed focused on customers and delivered terrific financial results. While Reuters won’t release full year results until March 6, I am confident that they will support the “signature year” I have been calling for.

As impressive as the performance of each company has been recently, our combined future promises even stronger results. I can’t wait to make it happen, and look forward to working with you.

Tom Glocer
CEO, Reuters
CEO–designate, Thomson Reuters

2008-02-13

　　“全球资讯化、资讯全球化”的大势，引发全球资讯供应商之间的并购。路透（Reuters）全球总编辑（Global Editor-in-Chief）David Schlesing er(图)表示，与汤姆森公司（Thomson Corp.）的合并预料会在下季内完成；公司会加强网上多媒体服务，并继续在新兴市场部署。

　　路透去年同意与加拿大汤姆森合并，组成全球最大的财经媒体及资讯供应商。合并后公司的编采部门仍会交由David Schlesinger负责，他在接受本报访问时透露，并购预计会在今年四月完成，相信能够起互补作用，特别是结合双方在处理新闻及分析数据的优势。

　　他解释，二家公司的目标客户不尽相同，路透主要向从事交易人士提供新闻内容，汤姆森则集中以投资者及资产管理公司为对象；前者传统以来都以欧洲作为总部，近年并锐意开拓亚洲市场，后者多年来都以北美为根据地。

　　“受众所要求的资讯只会愈来愈多”，路透作为全球最大的资讯供应商之一，会适当地筛选材料，给予读者所想的新闻，同时并引导他们，故他形容是一种互相牵引的关系。事实上，随全球化发展，财经媒体对资讯的需求与日俱增，未来料会持续向上发展。

　　澳洲传媒大亨梅铎旗下新闻集团为此亦提出收购道琼斯。David Schlesin ger表示会密切留意事态发展，但目前不会对路透的新闻方针有任何影响。他承认，路透与彭博之间的竞争很激烈，但作为全球性的资讯供应商，来自各地本土新闻机构的竞争可能更大。

　　正因如此，路透近年致力发展网上多媒体服务，例如加强网志及评论等部分，目的是要打破传统“单向式新闻”（one-way news）的框框，希望能够与读者有更多互动交流，促进新闻的讨论，同时亦增加了路透网站的浏览量，目前却未有计划要收费。

　　尽管部分评论包含了个人见解，惟他认为能有助改善新闻质素，并加强报道的准确性。他相信，随时代不断进步，日后接收新闻资讯的方式将出现巨大变化，并笑言就连机器也懂得读新闻（路透与汤姆森据报曾分别推出能“阅读”财经资讯数据的自动系统）。

　　“中国本身已是一个庞大经济体系，重要性绝不下于其他大国。”路透早在十多年前已落户中国，而加入公司长达20历任大中华区高层的David Schl esinger说，会继续把注意力放到中国、印度等新兴市场，以及近来在金融市场大出风头的海湾地区国家。

　　他补充说，相比在成熟经济体系，大部分企业都会稳定地发放资讯，根本不愁没新闻；相反在新兴市场，只好靠记者主动去深入发掘及核对数字。在一八五一年成立的路透，总部设于伦敦，目前在全球有2400作者，其中约三分一在亚洲区工作。