Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen
Encyclopedia
Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen (VNU, founded 1964) was a Dutch publishing
company with products including European consumer
magazines, Dutch
regional newspapers, business publications in the European and North American markets, and educational publications.
In 1997 VNU acquried the directory publishing business of ITT Sheraton (ITT World Directories) for $2.1 billion; the business was renamed VNU World Directories.
VNU acquired Nielsen Media Research, part of the former AC Nielsen Company, in 1999.
The company disposed of its magazine publishing arm in the 1990s to Sanoma for €1.25 million, and sold its newspaper properties to Wegener
. Focussing instead on market research and data collection, it acquired AC Nielsen in 2001, recombining the two halves of the former Nielsen business, and added other research and data collection units including BASES, Claritas, HCI and Spectra. In 2006 the company was acquired by a consortium of six investors for €28.75 per share, a sum of €7.5 billion. In the same year, the group hired David L. Calhoun, formerly of General Electric
, as CEO.
VNU sold its business publications division in 2006 for €320m (£210m) to venture capital group 3i
, which then sold the UK division (VNU Business Publications Ltd) to Incisive Media
.
The company was renamed The Nielsen Company in 2007.
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
company with products including European consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
magazines, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
regional newspapers, business publications in the European and North American markets, and educational publications.
In 1997 VNU acquried the directory publishing business of ITT Sheraton (ITT World Directories) for $2.1 billion; the business was renamed VNU World Directories.
VNU acquired Nielsen Media Research, part of the former AC Nielsen Company, in 1999.
The company disposed of its magazine publishing arm in the 1990s to Sanoma for €1.25 million, and sold its newspaper properties to Wegener
Wegener (company)
Koninklijke Wegener NV is a Dutch publisher of newspapers. It is the largest publisher of regional newspapers, free newspapers and special interest magazines in the Netherlands and also deals with internet products and graphical products-History:...
. Focussing instead on market research and data collection, it acquired AC Nielsen in 2001, recombining the two halves of the former Nielsen business, and added other research and data collection units including BASES, Claritas, HCI and Spectra. In 2006 the company was acquired by a consortium of six investors for €28.75 per share, a sum of €7.5 billion. In the same year, the group hired David L. Calhoun, formerly of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, as CEO.
VNU sold its business publications division in 2006 for €320m (£210m) to venture capital group 3i
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
, which then sold the UK division (VNU Business Publications Ltd) to Incisive Media
Incisive Media
Incisive Media is a publisher of business media. It is based in London, United Kingdom, with offices in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing.-History and management:...
.
The company was renamed The Nielsen Company in 2007.