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DialogLink 5 to Help Information Professionals Format, Distribute Intelligence & Analysis Across Enterprises

New Integrated Report Builder Reduces Post-Processing Time, Provides Templates & Tools to Customize Reports, Eases Distribution of Search Result

CARY, N.C., USA (March 7, 2005) — Dialog, a Thomson (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) business and a leading worldwide provider of online-based information services and integrated information solutions, said today that DialogLink 5 is now available for free downloading.

The new DialogLink 5 software package, designed to help enhance the role of information professionals in their organizations, has a new, more intuitive interface and additional tools to streamline the process of finding, retrieving and distributing information found through the Dialog® online service.

DialogLink 5 features report-building tools and linking capabilities that provide a faster and more efficient means of integrating retrieved information into management reports, company publications and internal information-sharing systems, such as company intranets and portals.

The software also includes Electronic Redistribution and Archiving (ERA), a service that guarantees copyright clearance for copying, storing and distributing documents retrieved from Dialog.

"There is a growing appreciation that harnessing intelligence and analysis across an enterprise is a competitive advantage. Information professionals are being asked to do more by adding value to the information they retrieve," said Cynthia Murphy, Dialog senior vice president, strategic marketing. "DialogLink 5 will empower information professionals to meet those heightened expectations. We're giving them a new way to integrate mission-critical information into the real-life workflows of their organizations."

DialogLink 5 enables users to take information and data from a search and put it into a desired format for relay on to customers, managers or others in their organization. The new integrated report builder makes it easy to produce high-quality reports in less time by providing a selection of pre-formatted Microsoft® Excel and Word templates. Users can also build customized templates with unique formatting and with company or department logos.

As an example how an information professional might utilize the report-building tools, data found through searches of Dun & Bradstreet files can be quickly exported to an Excel spreadsheet for use in a management report or sales prospect list. Or, DialogLink 5 users may wish to take portions of text, illustrations and tables retrieved through Dialog searches and insert them quickly into a company newsletter.

Another key feature of DialogLink 5 is its new built-in, automated research assistance. Users can instantly link to related information in other files, choose a display format based on search results, access relevant support materials with one click and ask questions of the Dialog support team directly.

DialogLink provides further assistance by automatically analyzing a researcher's initial search query and then recommending alternate sources and search strategies to be pursued for more in-depth research results. A user can modify the prompted follow-up search query, if desired.

More information is available at www.dialog.com/products/dialoglink/.

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About Dialog and The Thomson Corporation
Dialog, a pioneer in developing the technology behind electronic information retrieval, is the world leader in providing online-based information services to organizations seeking competitive advantages in such fields as business, science, engineering, finance and law.

Today, the online services provided by Dialog — offered through the Dialog®, Dialog Profound®, Dialog DataStar®, Dialog NewsEdge® and Dialog Intelliscope® brands — give users the ability to precisely retrieve data from more than 1.4 billion unique records, accessible via the Internet or through delivery to enterprise intranets. Searchable content includes articles and reports from thousands of real-time news feeds, newspapers, broadcast transcripts and trade publications, plus research reports and analyst notes providing support for financial decision-making, as well as in-depth repositories of scientific and technical data, patents, trademarks and other intellectual property data. Information professionals and end-users at business, professional and government organizations in more than 100 countries prize Dialog services for their depth and breadth of content, precision searching and speed.

Based in Cary, N.C., USA, Dialog has operations in 27 other countries. Dialog (www.dialog.com) is a business of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). With 2004 revenues of US$8.1 billion, Thomson (www.thomson.com) is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers.

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All designated trademarks used herein are the property of The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries. Registered marks are registered by The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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