SirsiDynix Acquisition: What It Means

By Michael Rogers -- Library Journal, 02/15/2007

Vista Equity Partners' acquisition of SirsiDynix is a done deal. The vendor announced January 17 that it is now the legal property of the $1 billion private-equity firm. SirsiDynix's Angus Carroll told LJ that “librarians should be encouraged” because investment firms see potential in the library market. “Too many companies can't dedicate [research and development money],” he said. Carroll sees libraries moving toward vendor-hosted library systems, a growth area for SirsiDynix. “In this industry, most of the public libraries don't have big IT shops,” he noted.

Although Vista owns 20 software companies, the acquisition marks its initial foray into the library market. It was a lightning fast turnover, as SirsiDynix had only announced Vista's intent to purchase on December 27, 2006. Its other properties include business and insurance industry software such as Applied Systems, Brainware, CRC Information Systems, and Reynolds & Reynolds. Financial terms were undisclosed.