Pentamedia Graphics Ltd Company History

The Company was incorporated on 5th May, at Chennai as a private

limited company under the name Pentagon Agency and Consultancy Pvt.

Ltd. to manufacture and trade in consumer durables and electronic items

such as Airconditioners, UPS, Water heaters, Stabilisers etc. and

rendering consultancy services in respect of project finance,

administration. The company was supplying these products to reputed

companies including Spencer and Company Limited, for marketing in their

brand name.

The name of the company was changed to Pentagon Agency Private

Limited on June 5th. The company also took-up the business of leasing

and hire purchase operation for the above consumer products, besides

export of finished leather items to USA with the companies overseas

contacts.

The name of the company was changed to Pentafour Software and Exports

Pvt. Ltd. on 27th February. The company was converted into a public

limited company on 15th May. The name of the company consequently

changed to "Pentafour Software & Exports Limited". Fresh certificate

of incorporation was obtained on 15th May. After the issue the main

business of the company will be Computer Software Development primarily

aiming at the export market. The company was promoted by Sri V

Ramakrishnan and his associates.

The Company issued Rights Equity Shares to the existing shareholders,

for total value of Rs.949 lakhs at a premium of Rs.15 per share.

The Company has allotted 20,000 Zero Interest Redeemable

Non-Convertible Debentures of Rs. 100/- each alongwith detachable

Warrants to the Promoters on 25th October and the warrants were

converted into 20,00,000 No. of Equity Shares of Rs. 10/- each at a

premium of Rs. 90/- per Share on 5th April 1995.

The company has introduced a novel concept of a 24 hours computer

center to enable every one to have an easy reach to a computer and

learn the desired application.

The projects and products executed were in the areas of banking,

manufacturing, insurance, year 2000 conversion, Edutainment and films

and broadcasting on IBM, open and multimedia systems. The Company

developed more than 60 titles to be developed on CD for international

market.

The Company has tied-up with Eastman Kodak, for setting up of a film

scan and film print facility, as part of its expansion plans for its

Digital Imaging Center.

The Company has also signed an MoU with the Department of

Electronics, Government of India, for the authoring of O, A, B and C

level courses offered by the DOEACC and in the setting up of accredited

course centers in all major cities and towns in India and SAARC

countries.

The Company has also signed up with Apple Computers Inc., as its

first Developer University partner in the Asian region.

The Company has issued 39,00,000 No. of Equity shares underlying

GDR's @$3 per GDR amounting to US$ 11.7 Million.

Pentafour has set up regional offices in Coimbatore, Hyderabad,

Mumbai and Calcutta.

Pentafour Software, becomes the first Indian software company to go

the GDR route. With the listing in the Luxembourg SE, they become the

first Indian software company to be listed and traded in an

international stock exchange.

Pentafour has recently tied-up with Kodak for their Cineon range of

products to bring provide digital facilities to the entertainment

industry. The facility will be the only one of its kind in India.

The company's software development centre, a 100 per cent EOU, at

Kelambakkam, near Chennai will be focussing more on banking, insurance

and manufacturing segments and on multimedia titles, 2D/3D projects and

special effects for the film and television.

Pentafour Software has received the award for Best New Market

Penetration from Tata-IBM for their success in marketing IBM AS/400

solutions to the education sector.

Pentafour Software & exports Ltd has signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) with the department of electronics accreditation of

computer courses (DOEACC) to jointly produce interactive educational

software.

An memorandum of understanding was signed between Pentafour and the

Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) last year.

Pentafour was also contemplating a joint venture with a Thailand

company to set up a software development park in Bangkok.

The company has also received the Sectoral award in recognition of

highest export in panel from Electronics and Computer Software Export

Promotion Council and New Market Penetration - 1996 award from IBM.

The CD-ROM plant in Kelambakkam has been fully commissioned and 23 CD

titles on interactive tutorials, games, stories and reference titles

have been released.

Pentafour Software and Exports Ltd (PSEL), the third largest software

exporter, has set up a task force to sell its products and services,

especially CD-ROMs, through Internet by having its own web servers in

various countries.

Pentafour Software and Exports Ltd (PSEL) has tied up with System

Software Associates India (SSAI) for marketing of Business Planning and

Control System (BPCS), an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) product of

SSAI.

It recently set up a 200,000 sq. ft software development park and a

50,000 sq. ft digital imaging studio and CD-ROM factory.

Pentafour may also be one more Indian company after NIIT and HCL to

get involved in the Malaysian Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project.

Pentafour Software holds shares in companies like Pentafour Products,

a diversified company, Pentafour Solec Technology and Pentafour

Communications.

Chennai-based Pentafour Software and Exports Ltd has been recommended

by KPMG Quality Register for ISO 9001 certification for scope of

analysis, design, development, installation and support of computer

software projects and products in the industry segment of business

applications, multi-media, Internet, etc.

The company's CD plant has also been recommended for ISO 9002

certification. Pentafour Software had recently bagged the Best

Business Partner - AS/400 sales and Best partner for New venture, from

IBM.

To address the year 2000 challenge, in India and abroad, Pentafour

Software and Exports Ltd, has set up Y2K training centres in Mumbai,

Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta and Hyderabad, to train over 2000 Y2K

professionals every year.

The company proposes to pre-pay its foreign currency loans first

despite the fact that it has adequate cover against currency

fluctuations by virtue of its software export operations.

PSEL has set up an interactive internet team to focus on bringing

interactive technology on the Net using JAVA, VRML, CGI and Quicktime.

The city-based Pentafour Software and Exports Ltd (PSEL) is setting

up a nationwide backbone network of high-powered IBM mainframes to

spearhead its thrust into interactive cable TV.

The Company Tied-up with System Software Associates for their

flagship product BPCS.

The Company received "Sectoral Award" given by the Electronics &

Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC), Govt. of India.

The Company has issued the second tranche of GDR of 35,32,100 GDRs @

3.16 US$ per GDR aggregating to US$ 11.16 million.

The Company also allotted 2 lakhs, 14.75% Redeemable Cumulative

Preference Shares of Rs. 100/- each, thus making the total Redeemable

Cumulative Preference Shares issued to Rs. 4 crores.

The Company has entered into an agreement with National Securities

Depositary Limited (NSDL) to facilitate the holding and trading of the

Company's share in electronic form.

CD-ROM manufacturing unit is engaged in pre-mastering, mastering and

replication of CD titles for which the company provides software and

undertakes orders from other clients.

PENTAFOUR Software & Exports Ltd has placed 29,30,000 equity shares

of Rs 10 each at a price of Rs 700 a share on preferential allotment

basis aggregating Rs 205 crore. Of the 29,30,000 shares, 21 per cent

were allotted to FIIs, 28 per cent to FIs, 27 per cent to OCBs and 24

per cent to mutual funds.

Pentafour has also entered into an alliance with Microsoft under

which the latter would undertake to market the products developed by

Pentafour.

Second in the software industry, Pentafour Software has emerged as a

winner in software development.

The company had set up a research and development facility in Pune.

The company is also working with Ricoh Inc of Japan to develop XEF

(Extended ERP Framework) base interfaces. Pentafour has inked an

agreement with CTG Inc, one of IBM's preferred vendor.

Indian multimedia major Pentafour Software & Exports has been ranked

third by the Ronacerelli Report of the computer animation industry for

this year. The report has ranked the US-based Lucas Digital as the

number one animation company while Disney Studios has been ranked

second.

Pentafour is the only company from the Asia Pacific region in the top

10 ranking. The benchmark annual report of the computer animation

company is prepared by Pixel Animation Directory.

"Animasia Singapore and Kingdom Animasia -- a subsidiary of Animasia

Singapore were jointly acquired by Pentafour Software."

Pentafour Software & Exports Ltd (PSEL) proposes to hive off its

business software division and transfer it as a going concern to

Pentafour Communications Ltd.

Pentafour Software & Exports Ltd (PSEL) is set to enter the internet

broadcasting arena with the live broadcast of music concerts during the

Music Festival currently on in Chennai.

It has also entered into collaboration agreements with certain

institutions to promote multipurpose hospitals.

Pentafour Software and Exports has tied up with US-based

entertainment major Iwerks Entertainment Inc for making simulation ride

films.

The Company has also entered into a strategic alliance with High-Tec,

Bahrain and Newsman in Saudi Arabia to achieve greater penetration in

the shortest possible time.

Pentamedia Graphics Ltd, and US-based 3dMax Media Inc, a Web 3-D

animation company, have formed a 50:50 joint venture which will develop

digital animation software to produce 3-D animation movies.

The Company and Modi Entertainment Network have entered into a joint

venture to deliver animated software to the world market, especially

for television and the Internet.

Indian multimedia and entertainment software firm Pentamedia Graphics

Ltd, launched an Internet broadcast service.

Pentamedia Graphics launched an internet broadcasting entertainment

portal `numtv.com' targeted at non-resident Indians across the globe.

The company tied up with other TV channels, including Raj TV, CNBC,

Sony, Gemini, Udaya and Surya to provide content for this portal.

The Company Chennai-based entertainment graphics company, has been

awarded the "Best Software Exporter".

The Company has received the best software exporter award from the

Ministry of Commerce-Federation of Indian Exports. Organisation.

Chairman and CEO of PentaMedia Graphics, Mr V Chandrasekaran has been

selected as `UWA Man of the Year's by United Writers' Association,

Chennai.

The Company has been awarded SEI-CMM level 4 certification from the

KPMG Quality Registrar. It is the first multimedia company in Asia to

achieve level 4 certification.

The Company has signed a technical and marketing agreement with EVSB,

Malaysia, the executors of E-Village on September 7 to set up a joint

competency centre on multimedia technologies.

The Company will issue 90,000 No. of equity shares to G. V. Films for

acquiring internet broadcasting rights for 2,000 south Indian film

titles held by the latter.

Entertainment graphics major Pentamedia Graphics has signed an MoU

with would enable the company to become a strategic partner with

Infocomm Development Authority, Singapore for enhancing Singapore's

Interactive Broadband Multimedia industry.

The Rathikant Basu-promoted television company Broadcast Worldwide

has entered into an understanding with entertainment graphics major

Pentamedia Graphics to stream its channels on the Internet through

numtv.com.

The Company has signed a MoU as a strategic partner with the Infocomm

Development Authority of Singapore to enhanceSingapore's IBBMM

(Interactive Broadband Multimedia industry).

The Chennai-based entertainment company Pentamedia Graphics has

entered into a business alliance with Nasdaq Japan listed Creek and

River Co Ltd. (C&R), Japan.

The Company has entered into a business alliance with Creek and River

Co. Ltd, Japan, to provide animation and special effects with higher

production speed and cost-effectiveness in Japan.

Multimedia major Pentamedia Graphics Ltd has signed a letter of

intent to pick up 51 per cent stake in US-based Film Roman, a leading

producer of television animation programmes for $15 million.

The Company obtained the shareholders' approval to hive-off its

webcasting division, NumTV.com into a separate company.

Pentamedia Graphics has acquired three companies Media Dreams, Krish

Srikkanth Sports and Entertainment Ltd and Mayajaal (Hotel Whales).

The Company has issued 35,19,296 No. of Equity Shares at a price of

Rs 500/- each on 22.12.2000 under preferential allotment basis by stock

swap method to acquire 100% stake in Media Dreams, Mayajaal, and Krish

Srikkanth Sports and Entertainment as valued by SBI Caps.

Chennai-based Pentamedia Graphics Ltd., has acquired Improvision

Corporation, California, USA in an all stock deal Pentamedia has issued

3.3 million Global Depository Receipts at the rate of $6 per underlying

equity share US $19.8 million for 100 per cent of improvision

Corporation USA, according to the company's press release.

The board of directors of Pentamedia Graphics, at a meeting on the

July 13, approved the allotment of 12.7 million GDRs at the rate of

$1.50 per GDR for cash to investors, as advised by Investment Banking

Division of Amas Bank, Geneva.

Indian animation software company Pentamedia Graphics on September 25

said it had asked 107 creative professionals to leave for

"underperformance" but that some were protesting against the decision.

Petamedia Graphics Ltd has announced the changes in the directorship

of the company. According to a statement from the company, Mr G.

Venkatesh Babu has been appointed as Additional Director and Chief

Operating Officer and Ms Usha Ganesharajah as Additional Director, both

with effect from August 3, 2001.

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has suspended trading in the shares

of Pentamedia Graphics from October 4 till further notice.

India's leading animation and special effects software firm

Pentamedia Graphics plans to invite strategic investors to buy stakes

in its subsidiaries.

Transfer 7m GDRs valued at $14 mn to Numtv Mauritius to itself.

Writes off its investment in Pentasoft Technologies and distribution rights worth Rs.550 cr.

Mr G Venkatesh Babu, Director resigns from the Directorship of the company.

Allots 74,95,829 bonus shares of Rs.10 each.

Appoints Mrs Padma Suresh as the Compliance officer and company Secretary of the company.

Gets nomination of its 3D animation film "Alibaba and 40 thieves" with other six animation films for Oscar Award.

Allots 50,00,000 non-cummulative optionally convertible redeemable preference shares of the company of Rs.10 each.

Receives notice from Bank of India for defaulting on the outsourcing amount worth Rs. 36 cr to the public bank.

Appoints Mr S D Vishwanathan as the Additional Director on the Board of the company.

Floats a sports complex named, 'The champs sports village' at the cost of Rs.7 cr at the outskirts of Chennai.

Board approves for the allotment of Shares of Rs.10 each at Rs.11.36 per share and warrants to be converted into equity share within 18 months on preferential basis.

Debt Recovery Tribunal orders the company to hold back the transfer of shares worth Rs.40 cr.

Receives approval from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for setting up its own earth station and teleport for uplinking five channels by hiring transponder space.

Releases its fourth full-length 3D animated feature film Son of Aladdin costing $3.6 mn.

Acquires Silversans Beach Resort near Chennai for Rs 20 crore

Pentamedia's NumTV has tied up with Samachar.com, a portal of Sify, to target the NRI community with a string of South Indian channels that will be made available online.

The registered office of the company has been shifted to Taurus, No.25, First Main Road, United India Colony, Kodambakkam, Chennai - 600024 ,opposite to the "Softowers" office.

The Board of Directors of the Company had considered and approved the Appointment of Mr. Krish Narayanan as Director & CEO of the Company.

Board of Directors of the Company has appointed Mr. T. S. Srinivasan as Company Secretary a Compliance Officer of the Company.