New York, August 2, 2018 – Elsevier, the global information analytics business specializing in science and health, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Aries Systems, a leader in scientific publication workflow solutions headquartered outside Boston, MA. Aries’ offerings are used by journals, books and other publications for manuscript submission, peer review, production tracking and eCommerce.

“Aries has built a best-in-class workflow solution for publishers, editors and scholars seeking to advance the discovery and dissemination of knowledge,” said Lyndon Holmes, Aries’ Founder. “I’m excited that now with Elsevier we’ll be even stronger and better positioned with enhanced solutions and analytics to help our customers achieve their goals.”

Aries was founded by Lyndon Holmes in 1986 and has successfully developed several generations of technologies to support publications processes, including Editorial Manager^®, an online manuscript submission and peer-review system. Elsevier and Aries have worked closely for nearly 20 years and Elsevier already uses the Editorial Manager platform for a significant number of journals, including its high profile Cell Press portfolio and many society titles.

“We have long admired the business Lyndon has built, both for its innovative solutions and its prestigious client base. Aries’ strengths in the provision of publication workflow systems together with Elsevier’s strengths in information analytics will enable us to continue to innovate the publishing process,” said Dominic Feltham, President Research, Elsevier.

Elsevier is committed to providing the same strong and consistent service for both publishers and researchers as Aries provides today. To that end, Elsevier will be establishing a customer advisory board comprised of Aries’ customers and chaired by Lyndon Holmes, who has agreed to remain with the company. Elsevier also plans to retain the Aries team working for the company in the US, the UK and Germany.

The acquisition is in line with Elsevier’s organic growth driven strategy, supported by acquisitions of innovative open science companies that are helping improve the research information ecosystem, following the acquisitions of Mendeley, SSRN, Plum Analytics and bepress. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and regulatory consents and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018.

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About Aries

Aries Systems transforms the way scholarly publishers bring high-value content to the world. The company’s innovative and forward-looking workflow solutions manage the complexities of modern print and electronic publishing- from submission, to editorial management and peer review, to production tracking and publishing channel distribution. As the publishing environment evolves, Aries Systems is committed to delivering solutions that help publishers and scholars enhance the discovery and dissemination of human knowledge. Publish faster, publish smarter, with Aries Systems. Follow Aries on Twitter: @AriesSystems. www.ariessys.com

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and professional education, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 38,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray’s Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. www.elsevier.com

About RELX Group

RELX Group is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs about 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX. The total market capitalisation is approximately £32.7bn|€36.7bn|$42.9bn.

https://www.relx.com/

Media contact
Tom Reller
Vice President, Communications, Elsevier
t.reller@elsevier.com