OCLC has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle for the sale of its local library systems business to Ameritech Information Systems, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameritech, a $10 billion company with over 100 years of experience in the communications field.
Ameritech Information Systems, Inc., currently markets Discovery Place, a local library software system, and is allied with OCLC in bidding on the multi-million dollar Ohio Libraries Information System (OLIS) project. The 2,000-employee company also markets network products and services, telephone equipment, and comprehensive systems solutions.
Under the terms of the agreement, the maintenance contracts and ownership of OCLC's Local Systems products, LS/2000, LS/2, SC350, and ACQ350 will be transferred to Ameritech Information Systems, Inc., and all of OCLC's Local Systems Division employees will be offered employment by Ameritech Information Systems, Inc. OCLC Local Systems accounts for approximately 8 percent of the local library systems market in the United States.
OCLC's local systems installations , include: 95 contracts for the LS/2000 local library system; 27 contracts for LS/2 (former Data Phase systems currently supported by OCLC); and 81 contracts for ACQ350, and 162 for SC350 which are microcomputer-based systems for acquisitions and serials control, respectively.
The agreement in principle is subject to negotiation of a definitive agreement and formal corporate approvals which are expected to be completed this Spring.
[Contact: Phyllis Bova Spies, OCLC, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017-0702; (614) 764-6266.]
