Francisco Partners to acquire Endeavor Information Systems

["Menefee, Daviess \(ELS\)" <D.Menefee@elsevier.com>]

Francisco Partners, owner of ExLibris, signed an agreement with 
Elsevier for
the acquisition of Endeavor.

See http://www.endinfosys.com/ for details.
____________________________________________________________


The following Press Release is currently being distributed to the media.
For questions, please feel free to contact Tony McSean or myself.

Daviess Menefee
Library Relations
Elsevier

****

Francisco Partners to Acquire Endeavor Information Systems from 
Elsevier

Endeavor to be merged with Ex Libris, to create global leader in library
software and services

Menlo Park, London, Chicago, Amsterdam, Jerusalem. November 20, 
2006-Francisco Partners, one of the world's largest 
technology-focused private equity funds, today announced that it 
has entered into a definitive agreement with Elsevier for the 
acquisition of 100% of the shares of Endeavor Information 
Systems, Inc., an Elsevier company. Endeavor will be merged with 
Ex Libris, which was acquired by Francisco Partners earlier this 
year.  The combined entity will be a leading force in the library 
software and services marketplace and will retain the Ex Libris 
Group name and be headed by Matti Shem Tov, president and chief 
executive officer of Ex Libris.

The acquisition of Endeavor will establish the new Ex Libris 
Group and its portfolio of library systems and services as the 
clear choice for libraries seeking proven solutions that are both 
forward looking and cost effective. In the coming years, the 
company will continue the development and support of flagship 
integrated library systems from both companies, Ex Libris 
ALEPH(r) 500 and Endeavor's Voyager(r).  New versions of both 
systems will be released as planned in 2007. The Ex Libris and 
Endeavor management teams will be working closely over the coming 
weeks, in consultation with industry leaders and customers, to 
complete the roadmap for the combined product portfolio.

Together, the Ex Libris and Endeavor customer communities include 
nine of the top ten universities in the world and 39 of the top 
50, according to Newsweek International Edition (" 
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14321230/site/newsweek/> The Top 100 
Global Universities"); 25 national libraries; and five of the six 
largest libraries in the world.

"Today we are combining two market-leading companies to create 
the most powerful library software portfolio in the industry," 
said Matti Shem Tov, Ex Libris Group president and CEO. 
"Leveraging the extensive experience and technologies as well as 
the dedicated, skilled staff of both companies, we will now be 
even better equipped to provide our customers with 
next-generation library products. We welcome Endeavor's customers 
to the Ex Libris community and, with this important acquisition, 
look forward to delivering significant value for our combined 
customer base."

"The decision to seek a new owner for Endeavor business was made 
after we carefully considered the rapid pace of change in the 
library software and services marketplace," said Herman van 
Campenhout, CEO, Elsevier Science & Technology. "Based on that 
review, we concluded that Endeavor, its employees, and its 
customers will greatly benefit from becoming part of a company, 
such as Ex Libris, that is solely focused on leading the library 
software market."

Andrew Gray, a principal with Francisco Partners, commented, "Ex 
Libris and Endeavor are natural partners. With joined forces, the 
Ex Libris Group will carry on the two companies' longstanding 
tradition of collaborating with libraries and industry 
stakeholders to establish industry standards and will continue to 
deliver solutions that best serve the needs of libraries, 
information centers, and researchers."

"This is an exciting time for Ex Libris and Endeavor as it 
represents the coming together of two strong and visionary 
organizations," noted Endeavor CEO Roland Dietz. "With our joint 
research and development, we will be better positioned to bring 
leading edge solutions to market more quickly while continuing to 
build upon our foundation of high quality service and partnership 
with our respective customers."

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, MD Consult, Scopus, bibliographic 
databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The 
Netherlands, and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed 
Elsevier Group plc, 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).

For additional information on Elsevier, see 
<http://www.elsevier.com/>

About Francisco Partners

With approximately $5 billion of capital under management, 
Francisco Partners (FP) is one of the world's largest 
technology-focused private equity funds. The firm was founded to 
pursue structured investments in technology companies at 
strategic, technological, and operational inflection points. FP 
pursues investment opportunities where domain knowledge, 
strategic insight, and long-term focus generate a differentiated 
view of investment value and drive superior investment returns. 
FP makes majority and minority investments in private companies, 
public companies, and divisions of public companies. The 
principals of Francisco Partners have a proven track record, 
having invested in excess of $3 billion of equity capital in over 
50 technology companies.

For additional information on Francisco Partners, see 
<http://www.franciscopartners.com/>

About Ex Libris

Ex Libris is a leading worldwide developer and provider of 
high-performance applications for libraries, information centers, 
and researchers, with installations in 64 countries. ALEPH(r) 
500, the Ex Libris integrated library solution, is in use at over 
1700 sites worldwide. Other products from the Ex Libris suite, 
deployed at over 1000 sites, focus on the digital library and 
offer state-of-the-art, user-centric solutions for managing, and 
providing informed access to, electronic resources and digital 
assets.

For additional information on Ex Libris, see 
<http://www.exlibrisgroup.com>.

About Endeavor Information Systems

Since 1994, Endeavor Information Systems Inc. has pioneered the 
development of advanced library management software systems. In 
use at more than 1600 institutions worldwide, Endeavor's full 
suite of products offer superior functionality coupled with 
intuitive interfaces that increase usability and efficiency.

For additional information on Endeavor Information Systems, see 
<http://www.endinfosys.com/> .

Media Contacts

Endeavor Information Systems: 
Randy Frink
+1.847.227.4839
Randy.frink@indinfosys.com

Ex Libris Group: 
Nancy Dushkin
+1.617.202.2801
Nancy.dushkin@exlibrisgroup.com