Birnbach Communications Named Agency of Record for Luxoft Strategic Partnership Will Raise Visibility of Largest Russian Outsourcing Company

Birnbach Communications, Inc., announced today that it has been named public relations agency of record for Luxoft, Inc., Russia's leading software developer and IT services exporter. The agency works with U.S. and international clients in the software, security, health care, nonprofit, business-to-business and consumer sectors. Key components of the Birnbach/Luxoft communications program include competitive positioning & messaging, media relations, analyst relations, customer case studies, and executive visibility, including speaking opportunities and bylined articles.

As agency of record for Luxoft (www.luxoft.com), Birnbach will coordinate an integrated public relations campaign designed to raise U.S. and global awareness of Luxoft’s proven development and outsourcing engagement model, as well as the growing prominence of the Russian IT outsourcing market. Spinoff of the IBS Group in 2000, Luxoft became the recognized leader of Russian IT and consulting, providing software development and support services that increase speed-to-market, reduce risk and costs, access expertise, meet deadlines, and create competitive advantage for some of the best-known global Fortune 500 corporations such as Boeing, Deutsche Bank, and IBM as well as to small and medium size companies.

As the Russian IT market has emerged into a leading outsourcing destination for companies looking beyond India and China, Luxoft has demonstrated an aggressive growth rate of 100 percent annually.

“To sustain and build on this success and on Luxoft’s stellar reputation, we want to make the rest of the world, especially the U.S., more aware of what we – and Russian IT outsourcing – can offer,” said Lilia Tsalalikhin, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Luxoft. “Birnbach Communications recognizes our opportunities, understands issues and brings us the expertise, energy and dedication we need to help achieve our goals. They have provided top-notch counsel and execution from day one, and have helped us successfully move our story forward.”

Telling the company story right, with Birnbach’s help, Luxoft has been included on the Global Services 100 list of the world’s most innovative business and technology service providers by Global Services magazine and the 2006 Global Outsourcing 100 list, the first-ever selection of the world's top outsourcing service providers by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP). In January, based on ranking input from Gartner Inc., Luxoft was named by BusinessWeek as the top emerging outsourcing provider among the companies from Russia and Eastern Europe.

"We operate in a global economy, and we look for companies like Luxoft that truly have interesting stories to tell. In an offshoring conversation typically dominated by India and China, we have been working to get Luxoft higher on the radar screens of the U.S. media and business and tech communities,” said Norman Birnbach, President, Birnbach Communications, Inc.

About Luxoft
Luxoft, a global IT company, is Russia's leading software developer and IT services exporter. The company, which was founded in 2000 and is a member of the IBS Group, has operations in the US, UK, Ukraine and Russia.

Leveraging a unique, proven offshore engagement model, Luxoft provides a full range of custom software development services for IT solutions on various platforms and technologies. Luxoft's software development processes meet the highest quality standards and the company was the first in Europe to achieve Level 5 CMMI quality certification. Luxoft runs research and offshore development centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Dubna, Omsk and Kiev. Luxoft enjoys long-term business relationships with clients across IT, Manufacturing, Energy, Aviation, Finance and Government sectors including some of the best-known global Fortune 500 corporations such as Boeing, Deutsche Bank, IBM, and Dell. Luxoft also works closely with many mid-size growth companies. For additional information please visit our site at www.luxoft.com.

About Birnbach Communications, Inc.
Boston-based Birnbach Communications, Inc., an independent PR agency, provides its clients with a portfolio of strategic business communication services, specializing in national media relations, executive visibility and corporate communications. The agency enables its client base of emerging and mid-size companies to reach customers, investors, venture capital firms, and business partners; launch new products and services; establish new product categories and drive market demand. Founded in 2001 with the commitment to combine the best aspects of large-agency experience with small-agency culture and dedication, Birnbach Communications brings senior-level intelligence and attention based on an understanding of business issues – not just PR issues. Birnbach’s tried-and-tested team of business, journalism and PR professionals represent more than 100 years of PR experience across a range of industries, including software, security, health care, nonprofit, business-to-business and consumer. For more information, visit www.birnbachcom.com.