Apple and major publishers face lawsuit over ebook ‘price fixing’

August 15, 2011

Penguin, Macmillan and HarperCollins among firms accused of colluding to scupper Amazon’s consumer-friendly $9.99 rate

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in the US alleging that Apple and five major publishers “colluded … to illegally fix prices” of ebooks.

The lawsuit, filed by law firm Hagens Berman in California northern district court, claims that HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster conspired with Apple to increase ebook prices in order “to boost profits and force ebook rival Amazon to abandon its pro-consumer discount pricing”, and that they are “in violation of a variety of federal and state antitrust laws”.

The complaint centres on the agency model – used by Apple for iTunes and by most major publishers for ebook sales – in which the publisher, rather than the retailer, sets the retail price of ebooks. The model has already sparked investigations in Europe and the UK, with the Office of Fair Trading investigating whether certain publisher-retailer arrangements “may breach competition law”, and the European commission looking into whether companies have colluded to keep ebook prices high.

Naming two plaintiffs, California resident Anthony Petru and Mississippi resident Marcus Mathis – both of whom purchased at least one ebook for over $9.99 after the adoption of the agency pricing model – the lawsuit, once approved, will represent any purchaser of an ebook by a major publisher after the adoption of the agency model and could, according to Hagens Berman, be worth “tens of millions of dollars”.

It alleges that the five publishers “feared” Amazon’s move to price ebooks at $9.99 – a figure considerably below physical book prices. The pricing “threatened to disrupt the publishers’ long-established brick-and-mortar model faster than [they] were willing to accept”, and to set low consumer expectations for ebook prices.

Pointing to Macmillan’s battle with Amazon over the agency model last year, which ultimately saw the online retailer capitulate to Macmillan’s introduction of the model “because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles”, the lawsuit says the five publishers “forced Amazon to abandon its discount pricing and adhere to a new agency model … If Amazon attempted to sell ebooks below the publisher-set levels, the publishers would simply deny Amazon access to the title.” This has, the suit says, seen the prices of new ebooks increase to an average of $12-15 – a rise of 33 to 50% – and reach a point where they are often more expensive than physical editions.

To continue reading the Guardian report click here.

JUSP Portal helping 100 libraries evaluate journal subscriptions usage

August 14, 2011

At a time of economic constraint it is essential that libraries can evaluate usage and make a compelling case about the value of journal subscriptions.

But obtaining and analyzing usage data can be extremely labour intensive for librarians, with each library having to visit each publisher’s website and download their own statistics.

Now 100 libraries are benefiting from the Journal Usage Statistics Portal (JUSP) which offers single sign-in access to this crucial information.

The JUSP Portal provides a single point of access for usage statistics, meaning that users can easily and quickly compare usage across various publishers, subscription or academic years and journal titles.

Ben Showers, programme manager at JISC, said, “Libraries that use JUSP can now download usage statistics at the click of a button, transforming what used to be an arduous and time consuming task into an opportunity to interrogate and analyse business critical statistics. Librarians will be able to ensure that their management decisions are based on evidence and the evolving needs of their users.”

If you are a UK university and would like to participate please complete two copies of theLibrary Participation Agreement and return to Anna Vernon at JISC Collections.

Cliff Spencer, librarian at Newcastle University, said, “Evidence-based library decisions rely on the timely analysis of usage statistics. JUSP has quickly matured into a highly valued service largely due to the team’s skill in solving problems and presenting complex data within a clear and well-structured user interface.”

He added that the portal saves time and money by reducing the administration load on libraries and fitting in with workflow patterns.

Sarah Weston, data manager at the University of Portsmouth, said, “The project has a real community feel to it, in that it actively responds to user input and I think it is a really good example of collaborative working – something we should be striving towards to avoid us needing to reinvent the wheel! I think the team has worked very well with libraries in seeking their input.”

“The more publishers you can get on board the better!” said Kate Newell, e-resources and serials team leader at the University of Exeter, adding, “The JUSP portal is already proving to be invaluable to us.”

Visit the project website or contact Jo Lambert for more information

Thomson Reuters releases Version 3.13 of ScholarOne Abstracts

August 14, 2011

Thomson Reuters today announced the release of ScholarOne Abstracts version 3.13, the latest update to the comprehensive workflow management system for scholarly conferences.

The newest version of ScholarOne Abstracts features a redesign of the Itinerary Planner tool, including a new mobile application to give meeting attendees planning tools on the go.

The Itinerary Planner tool, traditionally used by societies to share their content and by meeting attendees to schedule sessions and organize their conference details, now offers new features such as collapsible tables, customized presentation proofs and a simplified search option. The tool’s redesign makes it easy for meeting planners to find, view, edit and share all of the information they need, and to extend these benefits to attendees.

Also included in the enhanced Itinerary Planner is MyItinerary, the new mobile application for ScholarOne Abstracts that allows meeting attendees to manage their personal itineraries using their mobile devices. MyItinerary maximizes the use of meeting content and furthers on-site engagement by replacing traditional bulky conference guidebooks with a streamlined application available for use on most smartphones. Meeting attendees can browse conference sessions and presentations and add them to their itinerary while viewing other important conference details like venue maps and agendas.

“The latest release of ScholarOne Abstracts represents the next generation of itinerary planning,” said Keith Collier, vice president and general manager at Thomson Reuters. “The introduction of our mobile application, MyItinerary, is a significant step forward in the way meeting planners and attendees can share content and make the conference experience even more valuable.”

ScholarOne Abstracts version 3.13 has also been updated to support additional browsers and operating systems. The list has been expanded in response to changes in the types of systems in use across the industry.

ScholarOne Abstracts is the industry’s foremost technology for abstract management, enabling an efficient workflow solution that accelerates abstract acceptance and supports the leading research presentations at scholarly meetings and conferences. It is part of the ScholarOne series of workflow solutions for the submission and review of manuscripts, abstracts, proceedings, books, grants and awards, and production. Supporting over 365 societies and publishers, over 4,100 books and journals, and 13 million users worldwide, ScholarOne is the industry leader.

For more information on ScholarOne Abstracts, visithttp://scholarone.com/products/abstract/.

Android Takes 20% Media Tablet Market Share from iPad in Last 12 Months

August 14, 2011

Worldwide annual media tablet shipments are expected to top 120 million units in 2015. While not quite as strong as traditional PC or smartphone annual sales, media tablets are emerging from the shadow of non-handset mobile devices and rapidly coming into their own. Android media tablets have collectively taken 20% market share away from the iPad in the last 12 months. However, no single vendor using Android (or any other OS) has been able to mount a significant challenge against it.

ABI Research mobile devices group director Jeff Orr comments, “Many vendors have introduced media tablets, but none are separating themselves from the pack to pose a serious threat to Apple. In fact, most have introduced products at prices higher than similarly-configured iPads. Apple, never a company to be waiting for others, has introduced its second-generation iPad media tablet while keeping product pricing unchanged.”

Fragmentation within operating system software is hindering growth of this device category. Application developers must choose an initial software platform and may delay starting development if the market potential is not significant. Google’s Android OS has no less than three different software builds deployed across media tablets at the same time. The benefits of open software platform development have yet to be realized for media tablets.

“De-featured, low-cost media tablets are being introduced by more than fifty vendors in 2011,” Orr says. “This will certainly help bolster year-over-year growth for the category, but it also creates a negative perception in the minds of the mass consumer audience about the readiness of media tablets to be fully functional within the next several years. Good user experiences and product response are needed to propel this market beyond the ‘early adopter’ stage.”

ABI Research’s new “Media Tablets” study defines the product category, discusses market drivers and inhibitors, and provides information about distribution channels, go-to-market strategies, product pricing, and availability. The report also presents information about device features, capabilities, and use cases, and provides forecasts of media tablet shipments and price bands.

It is part of the firm’s Tablets, Netbooks, and Mobile CE Research Service.

Source: ABI

Wiley-Blackwell Launches First Mobile Application in Sociology

August 11, 2011

Wiley-Blackwell Launches First Mobile Application in Sociology

Wiley-Blackwell, the scientific, medical and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is launching its first mobile application in Sociology, accessible via iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Wiley-Blackwell Sociology Spotlight is a must-have app for all Sociologists. It shines a powerful spotlight on Sociology, enabling you to instantly read all of the latest news and developments in the field. Whether you want to keep track of broad trends across the discipline or focus in on a subfield, Sociology Spotlight is an essential tool for your research and teaching.

To download this app, please visit http://itunes.apple.com/app/sociology-spotlight/id452014669?mt=8

To watch the video trailer, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHq9a8oTuv4

New ALA TechSource Workshop on how Google Apps can make a library more efficient

August 11, 2011

ALA TechSource announces an exciting new workshop, “Using Google Apps for a More Efficient Library” with Suzann Holland. This two-day workshop will take place at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 7 and 14.

Budget cuts mean longer shifts at the reference desk or in circulation, so less time for composing library marketing materials, staff training, grant writing or collaborative work. Google Apps is a free, powerful suite of programs that can make this type of work easier, more efficient and less time consuming. From calendars to communication, Google’s Web-based tools are ideal for collaborating across different schedules and locations or accessing documents from multiple computers. Google Apps can help librarians get more done in less time.

In this two-part workshop, library administrator and Google Apps expert Suzann Holland will show how to boost productivity for you and library staff by taking a few simple steps.

Session 1: Meet Google Apps–Beyond Gmail
Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, 2:30 p.m. EDT

Topics include:

Choosing the Best Flavor of Google Apps
The Core Four–Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Reader
The Second Tier–Voice, Groups, iGoogle, and Bookmarks

Session 2: The Next Level–Mastering Google Apps
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, 2:30 p.m. EDT

Topics include:

Basic Tools, New Realms–Filter Hacks and Calendar Layers
Text Expansion–The Ultimate Weapon
The Case for Keyboard Shortcuts
To the Next Level –Great Resources for Mastery

Registration for this ALA TechSource Workshop is available on the ALA Store. You can purchase registration at both individual andgroup rates. The workshop takes place on Wednesdays, Sept. 7 and 14, at 2:30 p.m. EDT. Each session will last 90 minutes.

Suzann Holland has been a public library director since 2003. She received her MLIS and MA in History from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2000, as well as CPLA certification from the Public Library Association in 2008. She is the 2010 winner of the Public Libraries Feature Article Award. A condensed overview of her Google Apps management strategies appears in the forthcoming “Library Management Tips that Work” (ALA Editions, 2011).

ALA TechSource Workshops are designed to give you and your staff the opportunity to participate in a hands‐on learning experience that will help you make the best technology decisions for your library.

ALA TechSource is a publishing imprint of the American Library Association. ALA TechSource publishes Library Technology Reports and the ALA TechSource Blog.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.

BookStats survey details strong 3-year growth in revenue

August 11, 2011

BookStats, the deepest, most comprehensive statistical survey ever conducted of the modern U.S. publishing industry — capturing its size, scope, revenue and rapid strategic expansion across multiplatform content and sales distribution channels — is being released today.

Spanning 2008-2010, BookStats offers data and analysis of the total industry and the individual Trade, K-12 School, Higher Education, Professional and Scholarly markets. Produced jointly by the Association of American Publishers and the Book Industry Study Group, its highlights include:

Publishers’ net sales revenue has grown annually; 2010’s $27.94 Billion is a 5.6% increase over 2008.

Overall U.S. publishing revenues are growing

Overall U.S. publishing unit sales are up as well

Publishers’ 2.57 Billion net units sold in 2010 represent a 4.1% increase since 2008.

Americans, young and old, are reading actively in all print and digital formats

2010 total net sales revenue in the consumer-focused Trade market is $13.94 Billion, increasing 5.8% since 2008 (and excluding 2011’s e-book sales surge). Both Adult Fiction and Juvenile (non-fiction and fiction) have seen consistent annual gains.

Education publishing holds steady and, in some segments, shows solid growth

Higher Education’s $4.5 Billion net sales revenue for 2010 represents a significant 23.1% increase over 2008. K-12 School, the industry’s second largest category by net sales dollar volume, reached $5.5 Billion revenue in 2010.

Professional and Scholarly publishing shows gains

The Professional market’s $3.7 Billion net sales revenue was +6.3% over 2008. Scholarly publishing experienced 4.7% growth since 2008, with $191 Million net sales revenue for 2010.

BookStats examines the industry from three distinct angles: by publishing categories, publishing formats and sales distribution channels.“The BookStats study indicates that the publishing industry is healthy and growing during a time of unprecedented change,” said Dominique Raccah, Founder and CEO, Sourcebooks and Chair of the BookStats Committee. “Publishers in every sector of our business have made significant investments in content and technology to better serve their audiences’ needs and those efforts seem to correlate with the results we’re seeing.”

More highlights about overall publishing

More highlights about publishing categories including breakdowns of fiction and non-fiction

More highlights about publishing formats including hardcover, paperback, e-books, internet and bundled products and services

More highlights about distribution channels including physical and online retail, independents, export sales, wholesalers/jobbers and institutional sales

BookStats’ methodology includes source data from nearly 2000 publishers, additional databases and resources. How BookStats was built

The complete BookStats survey is available for purchase along with a supplemental online dashboard enabling customization of the data. How to purchase BookStats

Springer signs book agreement with the American Physiological Society

August 11, 2011

Three book series and individual titles added to Springer’s physiology publishing program

Springer has signed a book partnership agreement with the American Physiological Society (APS) to publish titles in three APS book series as well as individual monographs and contributed volumes. The new publications are aimed primarily at researchers and will support Springer’s growing physiology publishing program.

The American Physiological Society will commission book projects, and Springer will provide editorial guidance, as well as production, marketing, sales, and distribution services. In addition to individual books, Springer will publish titles in three APS book series: Methods in Physiology, Clinical Physiology, and Progress and Perspectives in Physiology. All titles will be published in print and electronically as part of Springer’s Physiology eBook Collection. Additionally, Springer will digitize 32 of APS’s previously published titles to be included in Springer’s Online Book Archives. Under the agreement, the Society will be granted free access in perpetuity to the digital files of any works published.

William Curtis, Executive Vice President Clinical Medicine, Biomedicine, and Life Sciences at Springer, said, “Springer is delighted to partner with the American Physiological Society and work with its authors and members to bring top physiology research to the global community. The APS has an active book program and a long history of collaborating with the country’s best physiologists. We look forward to working together with them.”

Martin Frank, Executive Director of the American Physiological Society, said, “APS is excited to be partnering with Springer to bring the best of physiology to the community. In selecting Springer, APS did so because of its long history and its commitment to digitizing the Society’s past titles as well as Springer’s willingness to include APS books in their eBook Collection.”

The American Physiological Society (www.the-aps.org) is a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information in the physiological sciences. The Society was founded in 1887 and currently has over 10,500 members.

Apple leads smartphone market in 2011 second quarter, says IDC report

August 8, 2011

The worldwide mobile phone market grew 65.4% year over year in the second quarter of 2011 (2Q11), marking the third consecutive quarter where total shipments exceeded 100 million units. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 106.5 million units in 2Q11 compared to 64.4 million units in the second quarter of 2010. The 65.4% growth was on par with IDC’s forecast of 67.3% for the quarter and below the 84.0% year-over-year growth in 1Q11.

“The smartphone market crowned a new leader in 2Q11, and its name is Apple,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. “Ever since the first iPhone launched in 2007, Apple has made market-setting strides in hardware, software, and channel development to grab mindshare and market share. Demand has been so strong that even models that have been out for one or two years are still being sought out. With an expected refresh later this year, volumes are set to reach higher levels.”

“The smartphone market leadership change signifies the parity that comes with a fast-growing market such as smartphones,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. “There is no runaway leader in the market, which means there could easily be further Top 5 vendor changes to come.”

Market Outlook

For 2011, IDC maintains that the worldwide smartphone market will grow 55.0% over 2010. “The first half of the year has demonstrated strong growth for the smartphone market,” added Llamas. “The second half of the year will bring new flagship models and refreshed user experiences to market. These will keep smartphones well out in front of the market, and keep growth on an upward trajectory.”

Top Five Smartphone Vendors

Apple‘s success can be directly attributed to its distribution (more than 200 carriers in more than 200 countries), increased manufacturing capacity, and solid demand within emerging and developed markets from both consumers and business users. Apple’s emergence as the number one smartphone vendor worldwide comes at a time when former worldwide leader Nokia is in the midst of a major transition. However, Apple has yet to top Nokia’s single-quarter volume record of 28.1 million units. But given Apple’s momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when.

Samsung realized the largest year-over-year growth of any vendor among the top five, and key to its continued success was the global popularity of its flagship Galaxy S smartphones. What originally began as a series of high-end smartphones has proliferated well into the mass-market, but has not strayed too far from its high-end roots. Moreover, its steady cadence of device releases and updates has kept Samsung’s smartphones well out in front of the competition. Samsung’s bada-powered smartphones likewise grew, while demand for its Windows Phone smartphones has cooled off.

Nokia ceded the number one position for the first time in the history of IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker, with smartphone volumes dipping below the 20 million unit mark for the first time since 3Q09. Even as the company released new smartphones running on Symbian^3, demand for its products running on the aged Symbian platform has shifted to other devices. At the same time, Nokia must be considered as a company in transition, as it recently unveiled its first MeeGo-powered smartphone and Windows Phone-powered smartphones, designated as the primary operating system for Nokia moving forward, have yet to reach the market.

Research In Motion posted the lowest year-over-year growth of all the vendors in the top five, but still shipped enough BlackBerry smartphones to be the number four vendor worldwide. The company has released only a few new models so far this year, leaving the bulk of its shipments to be comprised of older, less expensive models. That has allowed its competitors to grab mindshare and market share with multiple new models. In addition, many vendors have targeted business users with enterprise-grade smartphones, which have long been RIM’s stronghold. Still, demand for BlackBerry smartphones remained healthy in the face of competition.

HTC marked another upward quarter, having launched and announced several new smartphones to the market. These featured 3D displays and 4G speeds, attesting to HTC’s ability to bring devices with the latest and forward-thinking technologies. For a company that got its start providing carrier-branded smartphones, HTC’s success at building a strong and readily identifiable brand stems directly from a broad and deep selection of devices, a steady stream of device releases, and a warm reception among carriers and end-users. With a goal of shipping more than 13 million units in 3Q11, HTC is well poised to reach its goal of shipping 50 million units for the year.

Top Five Worldwide Smartphone Vendors, Shipment Volumes, Market Share, and Year-Over-Year Growth, 2Q11 (shipments in millions)

Vendor	2Q11 Shipments	2Q11 Market Share	2Q10 Shipments	2Q10 Market Share	2Q11/2Q10 Change
Apple	20.3	19.1%	8.4	13.0%	141.7%
Samsung	17.3	16.2%	3.6	5.6%	380.6%
Nokia	16.7	15.7%	24.0	37.3%	-30.4%
Research In Motion	12.4	11.6%	11.2	17.4%	10.7%
HTC	11.7	11.0%	4.4	6.8%	165.9%
Others	28.1	26.4%	12.8	19.9%	119.5%
Total	106.5	100.0%	64.4	100.0%	65.4%

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, August 4, 2011

Note: Vendor shipments are branded shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors

For more information about IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, please contact Kathy Nagamine at 650-350-6423 or knagamine@idc.com.

Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine Comes to the App Store

August 8, 2011

Elsevier announced its Braunwald’s Heart Disease Practice Guides App for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch is now available on the App Store. The app includes content from Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, Ninth Edition,and provides the most up-to-date, evidence-based cardiology clinical practice guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

Braunwald’s Heart Disease Practice Guidelines App provides access to the most useful, see this center clinically actionable and evidence-based cardiology clinical practice guidelines today. The joint cardiovascular practice guidelines of the ACC and the AHA have become important documents for guiding cardiology practice and establishing benchmarks for quality of care. In each edition of Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, the market-leading global clinical textbook of cardiology, authors and editors summarize all the latest ACC/AHA practice guidelines and transform them into clinically actionable points presented in an easily accessible, bulleted format. For the first time the guidelines have been streamlined for mobile presentation and are available for download by cardiologists and all related healthcare professionals who want mobile access to this clinically actionable information in a high-yield, bulleted format.

“We wanted to provide cardiologists and healthcare professionals the ability to have the most up-to-date information available right at their fingertips,” said Dr. Eugene Braunwald, founding editor and online editor of Braunwald’s Heart Disease. “This app will give clinicians and professionals anytime, anywhere access to this important information so they can continue to provide the best quality of care possible for their patients.”

Braunwald’s Heart Disease Practice Guidelines App has several features, including:

Content from the brand-new, ninth edition of Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine;
Content and cases based on the latest published evidence;
Clinically actionable points presented in an easily-digested, bulleted format;
Easy navigation, searching and browsing options.

Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, Ninth Edition features definitive, state-of-the-art answers covering every aspect of contemporary cardiology. Edited by Drs. Robert Bonow, Douglas Mann, Douglas Zipes, and Peter Libby, the reference applies the most recent knowledge in molecular biology and genetics, imaging, pharmacology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and much more. Additionally, the new edition features online content, including new dynamic cardiac imaging videos, heart sound recordings, and podcasts.

The Braunwald’s Heart Disease Practice Guidelines App is available for $24.99 from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, or at www.itunes.com/appstore

EPiServer Launches MobilePack for Fast and Easy Mobile Web App Creation

August 8, 2011

EPiServer, the world’s fastest growing provider of platforms that drive online engagement, today announced the launch of MobilePack for EPiServer, a set of templates and software for creating mobile web apps that extend a brands’ reach to a critical and growing segment of web users. With the introduction of MobilePack, EPiServer empowers marketers to quickly and efficiently extend their primary online presence, whether that’s a website, ecommerce site or branded social community, to smartphones and tablets.

Marketers today understand the benefits of making their brands more mobile, but many fear the complexity and expense of entering the mobile channel. MobilePack unlocks marketers’ from reliance on their IT staff while enabling content reuse across multiple channels. Based on HTML 5, MobilePack allows marketers to use familiar analytics tools to understand visitor preferences before investing in more expensive native apps which may be similar to 벳엔드.

Key features of MobilePack include the ability to add new content specific to the mobile context, device-specific preview and can be customized by developers to create richer mobile experiences.

“Our customers want to get in the mobile game now. And they want to keep costs under control as they learn how to adapt to a different set of visitor needs based on context,” said Bob Egner, Vice President of Product Management and Global Marketing at EPiServer. “We’ve created MobilePack in the spirit of our open source community culture to solve a critical need. MobilePack is a solution that is easy to implement, puts power in the hands of marketers and editors, and ties into the digial ecosystem that is already in place.”

By 2015, eMarketer estimates that more than 135 million Americans will access the web via their mobile devices. Still, only a fraction of websites are optimized for mobile devices. In order to have an effective mobile web application, marketers need the services of app development companies to develop a contextual mobile strategy to extend the reach of sales, delivery and services to reach new customers and retain brand loyalty with existing ones.

MobilePack is available immediately. EPiServer will continuously build out more features and functionality in subsequent releases. Developer specialists can learn more by downloading implementation requirements and device preview.

To learn more about the features and benefits that marketers should consider when defining their mobile strategy, download EPiServer’s latest whitepaper, You Can’t Afford To Miss Mobile: Simple Strategies for Reaching a Critical Audience.

Thomson Reuters acquires UK-based analyst firm GFMS

August 8, 2011

Thomson Reuters has acquired analyst firm GFMS (formerly known as Gold Fields Mineral Services), a leader in precious and industrial metals markets research and analysis, to further expand its specialised offering to the metals market.

At a time when the metals markets are experiencing all time highs, this acquisition enables Thomson Reuters to offer powerful forecast analytics and rich fundamentals content from GFMS alongside its leading metals news and pricing service on Thomson Reuters Eikon. This combination delivers all the critical information and tools that customers need to optimize their business, investment and trading strategies in the metals marketplace.

“The strategy for our commodities business has been to deliver best-of-breed, specialist services and unique content to energy, metals and agriculture professionals via our next generation desktop Thomson Reuters Eikon,” said Shaun Sibley, global head, commodities, Thomson Reuters. “This investment coupled with our acquisition of Point Carbon last year is helping us deepen those propositions by bringing in specialist talent to our team which delivers invaluable insight, information and tools to our clients.

“Our clients will now have access to additional high-value GFMS content via Thomson Reuters Eikon in the future. We’re extremely pleased to join forces with GFMS and significantly strengthen our offering to the metals market,” added Sibley.

Both Philip Klapwijk, chairman of GFMS, and Paul Walker, CEO of GFMS, will remain with the business and take up new roles as global head of metals analytics and global head of precious metals respectively. They will report to Mitchel Ingham-Barrow who is Global Head of Metals at Thomson Reuters.

“This is an exciting time for GFMS as we become part of the large-scale and dynamic company that is Thomson Reuters, helping us to provide an even sharper focus on the global metals markets,” commented Philip Klapwijk, incoming global head of metals analytics, Thomson Reuters. “We see the Thomson Reuters Eikon desktop as one of the most innovative tools for metals professionals and we look forward to enhancing this proposition even further with the addition of our research and analysis.”

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.