Kluwer purchases SilverPlatter

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

Press release issued today:

Wolters Kluwer nv
April 6, 2001

Wolters Kluwer acquires SilverPlatter

Acquisition expands Wolters Kluwer�s position as premier provider of
medical and scientific databases and research tools

Wolters Kluwer today announced it will acquire SilverPlatter Information
(Boston, United States). SilverPlatter, with annual sales of approximately
USD 70 million, is a provider of medical and scientific databases and
related software. The company will be combined with Ovid Technologies (New
York, United States) in a manner which takes advantage of the
complementary strengths of both organizations. The combination of
SilverPlatter and Ovid Technologies will be a first class provider of
research tools for medical and scientific researchers. The acquisition is
in line with Wolters Kluwer�s strategy to expand its electronic offerings
in the medical and scientific fields and integrate content with software
and services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition of
SilverPlatter is subject to regulatory clearance.

SilverPlatter provides search and retrieval technology to medical,
academic, corporate and educational researchers worldwide with access to
more than 250 electronic reference databases. Its �SilverLinker� product
offers more than 2.5 million links to over 6,500 journals and 2 million
articles. SilverPlatter has over 11,000 institutional customers worldwide,
with particular market strength in academic libraries. The services of
SilverPlatter are offered through the Internet, Intranet and local CD ROM
solutions. SilverPlatter currently employs some 170 people, and has its
main offices in Boston (United States) and London (United Kingdom).
  
Wolters Kluwer�s main objective with the acquisition and integration of
SilverPlatter is to create a comprehensive channel for medical and
scientific information. The acquisition of SilverPlatter will more than
double the size of Wolters Kluwer�s presence in the rapidly growing market
for electronic medical and scientific information. The activities of
SilverPlatter and Ovid are complementary in many ways: SilverPlatter has
strong sales in the scientific market, while Ovid has its traditional
strength in the medical market. SilverPlatter has developed leading market
positions in Europe and emerging markets, whereas Ovid is strongest in the
United States.

Hugh Yarrington, Member of the Executive Board of Wolters Kluwer and
responsible for the International Health & Science cluster about the
acquisition of SilverPlatter:

�We are very pleased to add SilverPlatter to our International Health &
Science cluster. Our strategy is to offer the best medical and scientific
information and research tools on a world-class, technical platform.

SilverPlatter�s offerings will complement the assets that Wolters Kluwer
has already assembled in Ovid Technologies, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,
Kluwer Academic Publishers, Adis International and Facts & Comparisons.
The acquisition is an important step in realizing our vision for the
cluster.�

Note for the editor:

Ovid Technologies is a leading provider of electronic information to the
scientific, technical and medical markets. Ovid develops sophisticated
search software for academic, medical and corporate customers and bundles
this technology with full text, bibliographic, and summary content
databases from the world�s leading professional publishers. Ovid has over
5,000 institutional customers worldwide with more than 2.5 million
individual users. As the leading source for medical and scientific
information, Ovid provides more than 9 million links between bibliographic
and full text resources. Wolters Kluwer acquired Ovid Technologies in
1998. The company is part of the International Health & Science cluster.
The company headquartered in New York (United States) and employs 240
people.

SilverPlatter collaborates with content partners to provide authoritative
reference information to libraries in academic and research institutions
worldwide. The Company utilizes the tools of the software and information
science technologies to integrate the content provided by partners into
electronic information products and services, adding value in the
integration of the content and the software.  The company aims to utilize
a broad range of best-of-class content and software produced by others in
its products and services. The adding of value in the integration of the
content and the software is the Company�s distinctive competence.
SilverPlatter's products and services are used to obtain comprehensive
answers to reference questions posed by researchers and students, which
are relevant in the context of the question being asked, and which include
a minimum of extraneous material. The Company makes its products and
services available to users in the research and academic communities in
collaboration with a worldwide network of partner distribution and user
support organizations.

Wolters Kluwer is a multinational information services company with annual
sales of approximately EUR 3.7 billion, employing approximately 19,000
people in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. The company�s core
activities are Legal, Tax & Business, International Health & Science, and
Education. The Wolters Kluwer shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam.
The Annual Report 2000 of Wolters Kluwer will be released on April 17,
2001. The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will take place on May 4,
2001. The financial results for the first half 2001 will be announced on
August 14, 2001.

Internet:
www.wolterskluwer.com

For more information, please contact:

- Press:                        Patrick Hendriks, tel. +31 20 6070 450
- Analysts/Investors:           Annie Hull-Bom, tel. +31 20 6070 407

Wolters Kluwer nv
P.O. Box 75248
1070 AE Amsterdam
the Netherlands
e-mail: info@wolterskluwer.com (press)
e-mail: ir@wolterskluwer.com (investor relations)
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