Following Grant's exit from VTLS, he and Lou Leuzzi founded CARE Affiliates, a company focused on providing services for open source software for libraries. The company was involved in a number of partnerships, especially with Index Data, LibLime and WebFeat. The OpenTranlators initiative launched by CARE Affiliates involved providing access to the collection of connectors developed and maintained by WebFeat to libraries using other federated search platforms such as the MasterKey federated search environment developed by Index Data. During its year of operations CARE Affiliates signed agreements with OpinionArchives for services related to MasterKey and with the Ohio Public Library Information Network for OpenTranslators.
Though CARE Affiliates ends its brief 12-month existence as a company devoted to open source for libraries, the work that it has accomplished in the furtherance of open source software in libraries will continue under LibLime. With Grant departing from CARE Affiliates, the company will be sold to LibLime, with that company assuming its assets and taking responsibility for its contractual commitments. The organizations that contracted with CARE Affiliates should not experience disruption as support transfers to LibLime. One advantage of open source software is that it does not impose the risk of a forced system change in the event of a business transition, which might be the case with a traditional licensing model.
LibLime frames this arrangement as its third business acquisition, however, these are relatively small transactions compared to what is normally understood in the industry as a business acquisition. The acquisition of the Koha Division of Katipo Communications involved taking on three employees at that New Zealand-based company. These employees were involved with the initial development of Koha and also transferred intellectual property assets associated with Koha including trademarks, domain names, documentation and other content. Two of these individuals left the company in Feb 2008 which led to LibLime closing its New Zealand office.
The acquisition of Skemotah Communications involved assuming some Koha-related Web sites and content from Stephen Hedges. Hedges was director of the Nelsonville Public Library at the time that it implemented Koha and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Ohio Public Library Information Network. These business transactions don't quite compare with the mergers and acquisitions of the larger companies that have reshaped the industry.
LibLime continues to grow rapidly as a company both in terms of libraries served and personnel employed. The acquisition of CARE Affiliates represents another step in its growth.
