Francisco Partners Strikes Again: Endeavor Bought, To Be Folded Under Ex Libris!

-- Library Journal, 11/22/2006

Techie private equity outfit Francisco Partners has made its second strike deep inside library vendor territory in five months, this time acquiring Endeavor Information Systems from parent Elsevier for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition comes on the heels of its July purchase of Ex Libris. And it may be taps for the Endeavor brand, as the official November 21 announcement came from Ex Libris and reads: "Endeavor will be merged with Ex Libris….and will retain the Ex Libris Group name and be headed by Matti Shem Tov, president and chief executive officer of Ex Libris." The fate of Endeavor's top management including prexy and CEO Roland Dietz "will be worked out in weeks to come," Brian Schwatrtz, Endeavor's marketing communications manager, told LJ. Schwartz also confirmed that unlike the Ex Libris purchase, which took several months, the Endeavor acquisition "will be completed before the end of 2006." Ex Libris said that "both ALEPH and Voyager [Endeavor] will continue to be developed and supported in the coming years." Endeavor and Ex Libris represent many major universities and the Library of Congress.