ScienceDirect Significantly Expands Service to ...

AMSTERDAM, February 1 /PRNewswire/ --

    - Elsevier's Online Information Resource Popular With German Institutes
and Universities



    During 2005 and 2006, Elsevier (LSE: REL , NYSE: EML), a leading 
publisher of scientific, technical and medical (STM) information, made 
several agreements with German research institutes, universities and 
consortia for access to the increasing wealth of scientific information 
contained within ScienceDirect, its unsurpassed online database.



    Most recently, in December 2006, the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft decided to
not only continue its ScienceDirect subscription for another three years, but
also collaborate in the further development of ScienceDirect: Max Planck will
deliver valuable input to make ScienceDirect even more useful for the
scientific community. The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft - a vital element in
Germany's industrial and scientific landscape - has also chosen ScienceDirect
as a source for scientific information. The new agreement with Elsevier
ensures that all 12,500 researchers and employees working at 56 Fraunhofer
institutes in Germany have access to journal content and an increasing range
of reference works, books series and handbooks provided by Elsevier.



    Also at the end of 2006, four new journal Backfile packages became
available to the German research community through a nationwide license
funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). This took the total to
14 Backfile packages, which range from the first volume of the first journal
until 2002.



    In addition, over the last two years, several new university customers
opted for Elsevier's platform, which hosts one quarter of the world's STM
articles. Among the new institutions that have chosen ScienceDirect are the
prestigious University of Heidelberg and the universities of Dortmund, Jena,
Mannheim, Passau and Greifswald. The agreements with these universities serve
a community of about 100,000 students (not counting agreements with other
smaller organizations that have been arranged in addition).



    Elsevier has also consolidated and upgraded existing agreements with
customers such as the Saxony Consortium, which has signed a licensing
agreement to provide Scopus(R) and ScienceDirect(R) to their research
community. The agreement ensures that all nine academic libraries in Saxony
will provide more than 90,000 students and researchers with access to the
world's most comprehensive and easy-to-use scientific STM information tools.



    The latest uptake in Germany has come as Elsevier is taking steps to make
ScienceDirect more customer focused and further expand its online content
offering. In 2006, the company introduced the first in a series of
user-driven enhancements with a new User Interface, Improved Browse, Search,
and added Personalization Features. In 2007, approximately 4,000 book titles
will be added to expand the platform's breadth of coverage.



    "I'm delighted that ScienceDirect is gaining widespread popularity in
Germany," said Joep Verheggen, Director, ScienceDirect. "We have been working
hard to ensure that the platform fits with user needs and ultimately helps
enhance productivity. That many institutions in Germany will be benefiting
from these developments is undoubtedly pleasing. Equally significant is the
decision by Max Planck to contribute their valuable input to help ensure that
ScienceDirect remains closely tied to what German users want as new
technology becomes available and needs change."



About the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

    The Max Planck Society (http://www.mpg.de/) for the Advancement of
Science is an independent, non-profit research organization in Germany. The
80 Max Planck Institutes perform basic research in the interest of the
general public in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and
the humanities. In particular, the Max Planck Society takes up new and
innovative research areas that are not yet established at the German 
universities.



About the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft

    The Fraunhofer Society (http://www.fraunhofer.de/fhg/EN/index.jsp) has a
distinctive profile within the German research environment. Research of
practical utility remains the focal objective of all activities, whether
these involve contract research, pre-competitive research, consulting
services or studies. The majority of the Fraunhofer Society's activities
therefore take place in the middle ground between public sponsorship and free
enterprise.



About ScienceDirect

    Over a quarter of the world's full text scientific, technical and medical
(STM) articles - managed by renowned editors, written by respected authors
and read by researchers from around the globe - are available in one place:
ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com).



    Elsevier's extensive and unique full-text collection covers authoritative
titles from the core scientific literature including high impact factor
titles such as THE LANCET, Cell and Tetrahedron. Over 8 million articles are
available online, including Articles in Press which offer rapid access to
recently accepted manuscripts. The critical mass of information available on
ScienceDirect is unsurpassed. Coverage includes over 2,000 journals published
by Elsevier and dynamic linking to journals from approximately 350 STM
publishers through CrossRef. An expanding program of online major reference
works, handbooks, book series and e-Books in all fields of science seamlessly
interlinks with primary research referenced in journal articles.



About Elsevier

    Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical
information products and services. Working in partnership with the global
science and health communities, Elsevier's 7,000 employees in over 70 offices
worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in
addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as
ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), MD Consult (
http://www.mdconsult.com/), Scopus (http://www.info.scopus.com/),
bibliographic databases, and online reference works.



    Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com/) is a global business headquartered in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of
Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading
publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical,
legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides
high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing
emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier's ticker
symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and
ENL (New York Stock Exchange).