Database giant ProQuest has inked a deal to buy Dialog from Thomson Reuters. Founded 40 years ago, Dialog was the first online information-retrieval system to offer worldwide access to significant commercial databases.
“Dialog is a highly respected source of information and a trusted brand for libraries, so it is an exceptionally good fit in the ProQuest family,” ProQuest chief executive Marty Kahn said in a statement released yesterday. “We share a deep understanding of the library community and commitment to serving it with high-quality information tools.”
The deal will extend ProQuest’s reach in the so-called Deep Web of content not readily available via Internet search engines. Dialog provides access to more than 900 databases, including repositories of intellectual-property data such as patents and trademarks, scientific and technical data, newspapers, broadcast transcripts, and content related to government regulations, the social sciences, energy and the environment, and medicine.
ProQuest’s plans for Dialog include “refreshing its platforms, evolving them to meet the needs of today’s information professional, as well as exploring new products and renovating existing products,” the statement said. It noted that Thomson Reuters content will still be available through Dialog.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. —Jennifer Howard
Developing online and blended learning programs requires research and collaboration. Learn how top technology companies are partnering with campuses across the country to advance online learning as it becomes an increasingly important aspect of higher education.