Innovative Acquires Polaris Library Systems

Emeryville, Calif.– Innovative, a global leader in library technology, announced today that it has acquired Polaris Library Systems, a leading provider of technology to public libraries in the U.S. The combined companies will be led by Innovative CEO Kim Massana.

“This is the combination of two companies with complementary strengths that will allow us to better serve the technology needs of public libraries,” says Kim Massana, CEO of Innovative. “We have appreciated and respected Polaris’s focus on service and support, especially to public libraries, and we look forward to combining two great service organizations and learning from each other.”

Bill Schickling, former Polaris President and CEO, will join Innovative as VP, Public Library Products, leveraging his industry knowledge and relationships. Other members of the Polaris executive team will join the Innovative management group and Polaris’ current Syracuse, New York office will be retained and become one of Innovative’s key centers for operations, along with Emeryville, California, Dublin, Ireland, and Noida, India.

“I am particularly proud of what we’ve accomplished here at Polaris over the past 11 years,” says Schickling. “We’re joining forces with Innovative because we think the combined company will provide Polaris customers with a long term partner for innovation and growth.”

“We’re fully committed to supporting the customers of both companies,” Massana concludes. “By bringing our public library expertise under one roof, we will be sharing best practices and ultimately accelerating the pace of product development with a clear strategic direction for first-class products and services that will shape the industry.”

For more information on this news, see http://www.iii.com/polaris.

About Innovative Interfaces
Innovative is dedicated to providing leading technology solutions and services that empower libraries and enrich their users worldwide. Innovative offers the broadest and most complete portfolio of library automation products on the market today. Innovative’s flagship library services platform, Sierra, is the most rapidly adopted product in library automation history. The company’s versatile and market-leading solutions also include the Millennium ILS, the Encore discovery solution, Electronic Resource Management, Decision Center collection management tool, the SkyRiver cataloging service, and INN-Reach resource sharing. Customers are supported through a 24/7/52 Help Desk, Innovative University, and the CSDirect Web support center. A recognized leader in library automation software, Innovative has introduced technological advancements for over 30 years. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, Innovative serves thousands of libraries in over 50 countries and has offices around the world. Keep up with Innovative on the CEO INN-Sights blog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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