Elsevier's Acquisition of Interfolio: Risks and Responses

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary

  5 mins read

  Elsevier recently completed its planned acquisition of Interfolio, the leader in a rapidly emerging category of products known as Faculty Information Systems (FIS). This deal exemplifies many of the worrying trends described in SPARC’s ongoing market analyses over the past four years.

• The Interfolio Acquisition Highly Concentrates the Nascent Market for Faculty Information Systems

  7 mins read

  Elsevier's acquisition of Interfolio puts the FIS market on the brink of a key regulatory threshold.

• Elsevier’s Dominance in the FIS Market Could Threaten Competition in Related Markets

  6 mins read

  Elsevier is poised to leverage its leading position in the FIS market in ways that could extend its power in the academic publishing and research analytics markets.

• Possible Negative Impacts From Elsevier’s Increased Market Power

  10 mins read

  Possible negative effects from this acquisition could include less consumer choice, higher prices, and decreased product quality across the markets in which Interfolio and Elsevier operate.

• Potential Institutional Responses to Elsevier’s Acquisition of Interfolio

  2 mins read

  As the pace of market concentration continues to accelerate across the research enterprise, the academic community will be best served by adopting a proactive approach that considers, in advance, the potential for future consolidation and begins to build the case for regulatory intervention before the next merger or acquisition is announced.