Nielsen Buys Into eBook Sales Measurement

Nielsen is to acquire the Business Intelligence and Commerce Solutions products of bibliographic information specialist R.R. Bowker, aiming to measure the impact of eBook sales in the US and UK, and analyse by demographics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1868 by bookseller Frederick Leypoldt, the company was later acquired by Richard Rogers Bowker, who established two book-industry references - Literary Marketplace and Ulrich's Periodicals Directory. It was sold to Xerox in 1967, and to Reed International in 1985, and then bought by Cambridge Information Group in 2001.

As well as offering bibliographic information products and services, the firm generates readership research and resources for publishers. Last year, Bowker merged its US-based PubTrack Consumer and UK-based Book Marketing Limited (BML) under a new global brand named Bowker Market Research, covering the company's US and UK consumer research products, industry statistics, the UK's Book Marketing Society, and US bibliographic statistics.

Nielsen says the acquisition will build on its own book intelligence offering - which currently includes BookData, BookNet, Registration Agencies and BookScan - and provide publishers with data and analytic services to help them move into digital publishing.

Jonathan Nowell (pictured), Nielsen's President, Books, comments: 'Bowker has developed first-rate book analytic solutions, which offer a great complement to Nielsen's existing solutions for the book industry. We are excited to welcome Bowker's team to Nielsen and we will work together to provide our clients with the measurement, tools, insights and linked commerce solutions needed to exceed their current and future expectations.'

Web sites: www.nielsen.com and www.bowker.com .