Wolters
Kluwer has bought SilverPlatter Information (Boston, United States).
SilverPlatter has annual sales of approximately USD 70 million. The
company will be combined with Ovid Technologies (New York, United
States) in a manner which takes advantage of the complementary
strengths of both organisations. The acquisition is in line with
Wolters Kluwer's strategy to expand its electronic offerings in the
medical and scientific fields and integrate content with software
and services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition
of SilverPlatter is subject to regulatory clearance.
SilverPlatter provides search and
retrieval technology to medical, academic, corporate and
educational researchers world wide with access to more than
250 electronic reference databases. Its 'SilverLinker' product
offers more than 2.5 million links to over 6,500 journals and
2 million articles. SilverPlatter has over 11,000
institutional customers world wide, with particular market
strength in academic libraries. The services of SilverPlatter
are offered through the Internet, Intranet and local CD ROM
solutions. SilverPlatter currently employs some 170 people,
and has its main offices in Boston (United States) and London
(United Kingdom).
Comprehensive channel for
medical and scientific information
Wolters Kluwer's main objective with the
acquisition and integration of SilverPlatter is to create a
comprehensive channel for medical and scientific information.
The acquisition of SilverPlatter will more than double the
size of Wolters Kluwer's presence in the rapidly growing
market for electronic medical and scientific information. The
activities of SilverPlatter and Ovid are complementary in many
ways: SilverPlatter has strong sales in the scientific market,
while Ovid has its traditional strength in the medical market.
SilverPlatter has developed leading market positions in Europe
and emerging markets, whereas Ovid is strongest in the United
States.
Hugh Yarrington, Member of the Executive
Board of Wolters Kluwer and responsible for the International
Health & Science cluster about the acquisition of
SilverPlatter, had this to say: "We are very pleased to add
SilverPlatter to our International Health & Science
cluster. Our strategy is to offer the best medical and
scientific information and research tools on a world-class,
technical
platform.
SilverPlatter's
offerings will complement the assets that Wolters Kluwer has
already assembled in Ovid Technologies, Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Adis International
and Facts & Comparisons. The acquisition is an important
step in realising our vision for the
cluster."
Librarians
not pleased by the merger
However, not everybody was happy about the
merger. In a press release, the International Coalition of
Library Consortia (ICOLC) expressed concern about this merger,
which it says is further concentrating control of access to
publicly-used information into a few commercial hands.
According to a press release, "The ownership of two major
access-routes by the same company presents a potential threat
to users of information. Monopolistic control can lead to
unjustified price increases and limited service options for
users. Open and unrestricted access to information is one of
the cornerstones of democracy, and control of access to the
world's information by a few powerful commercial interests is
developing
rapidly."
Comprehensive channel for
medical and scientific information