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***** Forwarded by Alison McNab <[log in to unmask]> ***** From: "Mack, Ruediger" <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Press Release: EUSIDIC and NFAIS to form global alliance of information services Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 09:44:26 +0200 For Immediate Release 20/10/2000 EUSIDIC and NFAIS to Form Global Alliance of Information Services Karlsruhe, Philadelphia - The European Association of Information Services (EUSIDIC) and the National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS) have announced their intent to merge their operations into a global alliance of information services, subject to the completion of plans and the approval of NFAIS and EUSIDIC members. Under the plan, EUSIDIC and NFAIS will retain their separate identities, governance structures, and programs. In merging operations, the two will form an umbrella organization, "the global alliance," which will seek additional partners in other parts of the world. The umbrella organization will focus on global issues, common strategies, and shared goals, while NFAIS and EUSIDIC will retain full control over their national/regional agendas. The alliance will initially bring together NFAIS's membership of approximately 50 information producers and providers with EUSIDIC's membership of approximately 100 information services, intermediaries, users and providers. The two organizations will share a secretariat. "The alliance is mutually beneficial to both organizations," said EUSIDIC Chair Daphne Tomlinson of Siemens Building Technologies AG, Switzerland. "EUSIDIC will bring a large membership base representing a broad spectrum of the European Information Industry and NFAIS will offer a more solid machinery. The synergistic effects of joining with NFAIS in common administrative operations are obvious. With this alliance, both organizations will achieve a critical mass, allowing improved membership services and the possibility to shape and influence the global policy and research agenda of the alliance." Both the NFAIS Board of Directors and the EUSIDIC Council have endorsed the decision for the two organizations to enter into detailed negotiations in order to develop the detailed plans and complete the merger, which is expected in early 2001. "This alliance," said NFAIS President Brian Sweet of Ovid Technologies, "fulfils a strategy that the NFAIS Board of Directors first outlined several years ago. We have been seeking a strategic partner to work with us in creating an umbrella organization that would focus on global issues. We are delighted that EUSIDIC shares our vision and we look forward to working with them in completing these plans." Established in 1970, the European Association of Information Services (EUSIDIC), exists to provide a forum and channels of communication for professionals involved in the information industry, both suppliers and users. The National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS), founded in 1958, is a membership organization of more than 50 leading not-for-profit, commercial, government, and academic producers and distributors of digital information services for research and professional communities. EUSIDIC c/o Fachinformationszentrum (FIZ) Karlsruhe 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Germany Phone: +49 7247-808 403 Fax: +49 7247-808 114 e-mail: [log in to unmask] Internet: http://www.eusidic.org NFAIS 1518 Walnut St., Suite 307 Philadelphia, PA 19102 USA Phone: +1 215 893-1561 Fax: +1 215 893-1564 e-mail: [log in to unmask] Internet: http://www.nfais.org -------------------------------- FIZ Karlsruhe Ruediger Mack Manager Marketing Communication P.O. Box 24 65 D-76012 Karlsruhe Germany -------------------------------- Tel. +49/(0)7247 808 513 Fax +49/(0)7247 808 136 E-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%