Information Today
                 Volume 17, Number 1 • January 2000		 Swets Subscription Service Merges with Blackwell’s Information Services

Blackwell’s Information Services has announced the signing of a formal agreement to merge with Swets Subscription Service. This follows the announcement last June of the intention to create a joint venture combining the two companies. Due diligence, tax, and regulatory processes have been accomplished, and completion is anticipated to take place this year.

The new company, formed through the merger, is called Swets Blackwell. Swets is the majority shareholder, and the head office of the new company will be based in the Netherlands.

The merger is between the subscription agency and information services divisions of Blackwell’s and Swets. Remaining outside the joint venture are the mail-order and retail bookselling operations of Blackwell, Ltd. and the publishing, document services, psychological tests, and publishers’ services divisions of Swets & Zeitlinger BV.

Following the signing of the agreement, Swets Blackwell will implement the agreed-upon plans for the structure of the new company; the integration of personnel, offices, and systems; and the review of the company’s services and products. Senior management appointments have been made, and all further appointments will be completed in the coming few months. The overall integration of all systems and offices will be completed by 2001, with the majority of the systems being fully integrated this year.

According to the announcement, Swets Blackwell will be the leading global subscription agent and information services company, with a turnover in excess of $1 billion. The company will provide a complete range of services to libraries, scholars, and publishers in the area of print and electronic journal provision and management. The unique services that both companies have developed in recent years in the area of access to full-text electronic journals, databases, and contents information will be integrated and relaunched to ensure continuity of service to customers of the new company.

Customers and publishers will be kept informed on a regular basis of the progress of the integration of the services and systems.
According to the announcement, Swets and Blackwell’s, two of the leading global subscription agents and information service companies, provide innovative services in the area of print and electronic publications to thousands of libraries and scholars around the world.

Source: Blackwell’s Information Services, Oxford, U.K., 011-44-186-526-2446; http://www.blackwell.co.uk.

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