In a predicted move, the Canadian library systems vendor Best-Seller has acquired the UK based ALSi – the long established UK vendor. More of a surprise is the change of name of the company to BiblioMondo™ and the launching of ambitious growth plans.

Best-Seller is a specialist in the public library niche in Canada with its Portfolio product. They are the dominant supplier in Quebec with the major public library market share and a significant corporate customer base. In 1998 they moved into Europe with the acquisition of Speedware France – a successful move which has seen five of the largest public libraries in the France, including Lyon and Montpelier, install Portfolio – thus becoming the dominant player . Most business in France has been won against fellow Canadian company, Geac who are currently suffering broader financial difficulties.

ALSi have had an interesting history from their beginnings in the early 1970s when they were the public library system of choice in the UK, through the 1980s when their robust, high throughput systems became popular in the Netherlands and Germany, until they lost their way somewhat in the 1990s. Their UK market share now consists of 16 authorities – but include major sites like Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire in the populous London commuter belt. Financing has been the recent problem which the deal with Best-Seller / BiblioMondo will solve as the new Canadian venture brings an investment backing of $23 million Canadian (£10.25 million , $US 15 million). The acquisition also buys out the PICA shareholding in ALSi. Pica is a Dutch co-operative cataloguing organisation – now mostly owned by OCLC – which took a stake in ALSi about 3 years ago.

BiblioMondo’s marketing strategy is to focus exclusively on public and corporate libraries and to become a serious world player. This strategy will probably see a US company added to the group next year. The technology strategy is firmly based on a “Web centric” vision. Both Portfolio and Concerto – ALSi’s latest product – are Web centric products – defined by BiblioMondo as as being totally written and designed for the Web. This is different from Web “enabled” which implies a product that merely has a web capability – according to Todd Joron – president and CEO of BiblioMondo.

Technically, Portfolio is a UNIX / AIX product and Concerto is NT. This is seen as a strategic partnership enabling both of the major platforms to be offered in the future. The Web centric architecture of the products, coupled with the explosion in broadband access to the Internet for public libraries will fuel the future growth of the company believes Joron. Investing companies include TechnoCap which includes many broadband technology companies.

As a demonstration of the trend towards globalisation, this announcement is very important. Showing, not only the trend towards larger globally operating companies, but also the fact that the only way to survive in today’s marketplace and match the pace of technical change is to be well funded. To attract significant finance there has to be a global business vision as well as a technical product.

Articles, Bibliometrics, Glossary, Library management
ALSi, BiblioMondo, Canadian library system