Profile: Equifax Inc. (EFX)

Equifax Inc. (Equifax), incorporated in 1913, is a global provider of information solutions for businesses and consumers. The Company’s products and services are based on databases of consumer and business information derived from numerous types of credit, financial, public record, demographic and marketing data. It uses analytical tools to analyze this data to create customized insights, decision-making solutions and processing services for businesses. The Company operates in three global regions: include North America (United States and Canada), Europe (United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal) and Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru and Uruguay). In May 2008, Equifax acquired a majority ownership stake in Credit Report C.A. Buro de Informacion Crediticia (Credit Report). Equifax purchased a 70% interest in Credit Report, which increased Equifax's total ownership to 95%. In October 2009, Equifax Inc. acquired IXI Corporation. In November 2009, the Company acquired Rapid Reporting Verification Company.

The Company operates in five segments: United States Consumer Information Solutions (USCIS), which provides consumer information solutions to businesses in the United States, including online credit data and credit decision technology solutions (OCIS), mortgage reporting and settlement solutions, consumer credit-based marketing services (CMS) and direct marketing services (DMS)-based on demographic and other consumer information; International, which includes Canada Consumer, Europe and Latin America business units; TALX, which provides services enabling clients to outsource and automate the performance of certain payroll and human resources business processes, including employment and income verification, tax management and talent management services; North America Personal Solutions, which provides products to consumers enabling them to monitor and protect their credit information, credit score and identity information and make more informed financial decisions, and North America Commercial Solutions, which provides credit, financial, marketing and other information regarding businesses in the United States and Canada.

The Company’s product and service offerings are diversified and include consumer and business credit information, information database management, marketing information, decisioning and analytical tools, and identity verification services. The Company offers a portfolio of products marketed to individual consumers that enable them to understand, manage and protect their financial affairs. It provides employment and income verification, and human resources business process outsourcing services.

United States Consumer Information Solutions

OCIS products are derived from databases of credit information that the Company maintains about individual consumers, including credit history, current credit status and consumer address information. It offers other analytical and predictive services based on the information in the consumer credit information databases to help further mitigate risk of granting credit by verifying the identity of a consumer seeking credit, predicting the risk of consumer bankruptcy, or indicating the credit applicant's risk potential for account delinquency, for example. These risk management services, as well as fraud detection and prevention services, enables its customers to monitor default rates and proactively manage their existing credit card or other consumer loan accounts.

The Company’s Mortgage Solutions products, offered in the United States, consist of specialized credit reports that combine the reports of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies into one credit report provided in an online format, commonly referred to as a tri-merge credit report. It also offers mortgage settlement services, such as appraisal, title and closing services, with its traditional mortgage service offerings, with certain of these services provided by third parties. Its CMS products enable customers to manage their customer marketing efforts for efficiency and effectiveness; identify and acquire new customers for credit relationships, and realize additional revenue from existing customers.

The Company’s DMS products enable customers to target specifically defined market segments and individuals based on individual consumer demographic characteristics; design effective marketing campaigns; facilitate improved direct mail response, and increase customer loyalty. It offers this information in the form of a list of consumers having specific attributes for ease of use by its customers.

International

The International operating segment includes the Company’s Canada Consumer, Europe and Latin America business units. These business units offer products that are similar to those available in the USCIS operating segment, although data sources tend to rely more heavily on government agencies than in the United States. These products generate revenue in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and Uruguay, with support operations located in the Republic of Ireland and Costa Rica.

TALX

The Work Number (TWN Services) include employment and income verification services; W-2 management services; paperless pay services that enable employees to electronically receive pay statement information, as well as review and change direct deposit account or W-4 information; integrated electronic time capture and reporting services; paperless new-hire services to bring new workers on board using electronic forms, and I-9 management services designed to help clients electronically comply with the immigration laws that require employers to complete an I-9 form for each new hire. TWN Services enable employers to direct third-party verifiers to the Company’s Website or to a toll-free telephone number to verify the employee's employment status and income data.

Tax and Talent Management Services are focused at reducing the cost to the human resources function of businesses by assisting with employment tax matters and planning and improving the cost-effectiveness of talent recruitment and management. It offers a range of services designed to reduce the cost of unemployment claims through effective claims representation and management and efficient processing and to better manage the tax rate that employers are assessed for unemployment taxes. It also offers its customers services designed to research the opportunity for obtaining employer-based tax credits, such as the federal work opportunity and welfare to work tax credits, as well as employment-based state tax credits, process the necessary filings and assist the customer in obtaining the tax credit. In talent management, it also offers secure, electronic-based psychometric testing and assessments, as well as onboarding services using online forms to complete the new hire process for employees of corporate and government agencies.

North America Personal Solutions

The Company’s Personal Solutions products give consumers information to make financial decisions and monitor and protect credit, credit score information through its Credit Watch, Score Watch and identification (ID) Patrol monitoring products. Consumers can obtain a copy of credit file information about them and their credit score. It offers monitoring products for consumers who are concerned about identity theft and data breaches. The Company’s products are available to consumers directly and through relationships with business partners who distribute its products or provide these services to their employees or customers.

North America Commercial Solutions

The Company’s Commercial Solutions products are derived from databases of credit, financial and marketing information regarding businesses in the United States and Canada. The business records included in the United States credit database have been developed primarily as a part of the Small Business Financial Exchange, Inc. (SBFE). Its database includes loan, credit card, public records and leasing history data; trade accounts receivable performance, and Secretary of State and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration information. The Company also offers scoring and analytical services that provide additional information. It also has a marketing database, which hosts approximately 35 million commercial demographic data records worldwide to build corporate family structures for enterprise visibility of customers and suppliers.

The Company competes with Experian Group Limited, TransUnion LLC, Acxiom Corporation, Harte-Hanks, Inc., Fair Isaac Corporation, The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, Automatic Data Processing, Inc., Ceridian Corporation, Barnett Associates, Thomas & Thorngren, UC Advantage, Previsor, Inc., Development Dimensions International, Brainbench, Inc., AON Corporation, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Inc., Right Management Consulting, Devine Group, Inc., Hogan Assessments Systems, Inc. and SHL Group plc.