The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) today announced they have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU). This agreement continues the long-standing cooperation between IEEE-SA and ETSI, fosters collaboration between the two organizations, and further promotes mutual interests through global standards coordination.

To formally acknowledge the alliance, Luis Jorge Romero, director-general of ETSI, and Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director for IEEE-SA, gathered with members of the Institute for a signing ceremony during the 60th ETSI General Assembly in Mandelieu, France on 13 November 2012. During the ceremony, the two organizations acknowledged the need for IEEE-SA and ETSI to work closely together on coordinated standards to avoid duplicated work and align under a mutually beneficial framework.

“ETSI is the ideal partner for IEEE-SA’s continued progress on expanding cooperation between technical committees with a global reach,” said Karachalios. “Sharing information is the key factor here. Collaboration between governing bodies is top of mind. It’s all part of our vision for widespread adoption of globally relevant standards and our commitment to work cohesively with standards organizations around the world.”

“The framework for coordination between technical groups will greatly benefit industry as it increasingly relies on standards for interoperability,” said Romero. “This agreement will allow ETSI representatives to become more knowledgeable about IEEE activities and vice versa, of course.”

The ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable, a partnership between the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) and member corporations in the pharmaceutical field, is accepting proposals for a one-year, $100,000 grant supporting research in the development of greener solvents that can be used in the pharmaceutical industry.

The award is intended to support research towards developing greener solvent(s) as potential replacements for polar aprotic solvents such as DMF, NMP and DMAc. These solvents are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry because of their powerful solvating properties but have significant drawbacks. Not only does their use result in a large amount of wastewater contamination, but, of more concern, they are known hazards to reproductive health. The Roundtable is committed to finding greener alternatives that perform comparably or better than currently available solvents.

Proposals for this award are invited from public and private institutions of higher education worldwide. Deadline for receipt of proposals is January 15, 2013, at 5 p.m. EDT. More information is available at www.acs.org/gcipharmaroundtable. This is the 12th grant to be awarded by the Roundtable since 2007. In all, the Roundtable has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants dedicated to pharmaceutically relevant green chemistry and engineering research.

The ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable is a partnership between ACS GCI and pharmaceutical-related corporations united by a shared commitment to integrate the principles of green chemistry and engineering into the business of drug discovery and production. Current members include Amgen; AstraZeneca; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Codexis; Dr. Reddy’s; DSM Pharmaceutical Products; Eli Lilly and Company; GlaxoSmithKline; Johnson & Johnson; Merck & Co., Inc.; Novartis; Pfizer Inc.; Roche; Sanofi; and ACS GCI.

Leaders from the standards publishing industry convened November 9th in Alexandria, Virginia, for the inaugural Standards Publishers Innovation Forum (SPIF), presented by Techstreet, part of the Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters and the world’s leading provider of industry codes and standards. Representatives from ASTM International, American Petroleum Institute, IEEE Standards Association and elsewhere participated in the forum, sharing their expertise, shaping consensus and defining parameters for the adoption of new publishing technologies.

At the event: Moving Beyond PDF: New Formats, New Frontiers, standards developing organizations, information professionals, and technical experts engaged in informative and stimulating discussions on the adoption of new content delivery technologies and solutions. Keys insights shared include an overview of the history and evolution of content delivery formats, the use of video as a medium for sharing standards, keys to developing a mobile access strategy, and the importance of SDO’s and IP protection.

“As the standards industry continues to adopt new technologies and delivery methods, it is crucial that we connect and communicate as an industry,” said David von Glahn, director of Training and e-Learning at ASTM International. “I commend Techstreet for understanding this need and creating an environment where we can work together through challenges to establish best practices.”

The forum, which is to be held bi-annually, will showcase a series of topical issues, providing participants with a unique opportunity to learn from industry leaders, collaborate with peers, and help shape the future of the standards publishing industry.

“As a market leader, Techstreet is forward thinking and understands the importance of innovation in the standards publishing industry. We are pleased to establish a place where leaders and professionals can come together to discuss key changes and advancements in the industry,” said Todd Fegan, vice president of Techstreet Operations. “The first Techstreet Standards Publishers Innovation Forum was a huge success and we are confident the event will become a leading forum for members of this community to converge, collaborate and set the course for the future.”

For more information on Techstreet, visit: http://www.techstreet.com/techstreet/services_sdos.tmpl.

Ex Libris® Group, a world leader in the provision of library automation solutions, announced today that Golden Gate Capital, a prominent San Francisco-based private equity firm with $12 billion in capital under management, has entered into an agreement to acquire Ex Libris from its current owner, Leeds Equity Partners. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

“Ex Libris is proud to join Golden Gate Capital, whose software portfolio represents, on a consolidated basis, the sixth largest software company globally,” commented Matti Shem Tov, Ex Libris Group president and CEO. “Golden Gate Capital’s positive assessment of Ex Libris reaffirms our customers’ and management’s confidence in the strength of the Company, its products, and its future strategy. Golden Gate Capital’s deep technology experience and financial resources will support our continued growth as we carry on developing our software and data services and extending our geographic reach.”

“Ex Libris is a dynamic and accomplished leader in the library software marketplace,” explained Jake Mizrahi, a managing director of Golden Gate Capital. “The Company has successfully carried out an impressive transition to cloud-computing technology and to a new business model while continuing to sell and support local and hybrid installations of its solutions. We look forward to working with the strong leadership team at Ex Libris to extend the Company’s offerings and facilitate its future growth.”

Under the new ownership, Ex Libris will remain an independent business based in Jerusalem, run by the current management team.

The deal is expected to be completed in December 2012.

About Golden Gate Capital

Golden Gate Capital is a San Francisco-based investment firm with approximately $12 billion of capital under management. Golden Gate Capital is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams to invest in change‑intensive, growth‑oriented businesses. The firm targets investments where there is a demonstrable opportunity to significantly enhance a company’s value. The principals of Golden Gate Capital have a long and successful history of investing with management partners across a wide range of industries and transaction types. Other notable software investments sponsored by Golden Gate Capital include Infor, SUSE Linux, SSA Global, Datastream, Micro Focus, Attachmate, Novell, Plant CML, DataDirect, Escalate and Symon.