R.R. Donnelley acquires Andover, MA-based social publishing platform Helium

CHICAGO, IL, June 22, 2011 (Press Release) - R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company today announced that it has acquired Andover, MA based Helium, a company in which it took an equity position in September 2009. Helium is the world's largest writing community and social publishing platform, serving publishers and other content managers with cost-effective, premium local and lifestyle editorial content. Its freelance Marketplace enables publishers and others to access and commission content used in books, websites, catalogs, newspapers, magazines and other communications.

"This is a superb addition to our suite of content creation, management and delivery services," said Thomas J. Quinlan III, RR Donnelley's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our previous investment in Helium gave us the opportunity to demonstrate its fit with our global offering. In combination with our premedia capabilities Helium expands our content creation resources to enable us to offer end-to-end services to publishers and other customers. We believe that no other provider is capable of packaging an offer that so broadly encompasses each phase of content management, from inception to delivery."

Helium's online community offers publishers, catalogers and other customers stock and custom content as well as a comprehensive range of editorial solutions.

"Since taking a position in Helium we have had an opportunity to expose this content development service to a broad range of publishing, multi-channel retailing and other customers," said John Paloian, the company's Chief Operating Officer. "The ability to bundle solutions such as Helium's with our complete offering of content delivery resources distinguishes RR Donnelley in a unique way. It allows us to address our customers' needs across the full breadth of the supply chain."

Recent acquisitions Journalism Online, 8touches and Nimblefish join with Helium in accelerating RR Donnelley's ability to provide services and resources beyond its traditional scope.

"We are uniquely positioned to help publishers and other customers originate content, deliver it through a variety of media and even enact systems that increase revenue by allowing online publications to charge for access to selected content on their websites," concluded Quinlan.