Today, 23 September 2010, Ancestry.com announced that it will acquire iArchives, Inc., the parent company of Footnote.com, Ancestry’s leading rival, for a price of about $27 million in cash, Ancestry stock, and liability assumption. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Both subscription sites provide digital images of original records through partnerships with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and FamilySearch.org. However, the holdings are quite complementary. Though the official announcement today does not specifically address the future of the Footnote.com brand, one would expect that their collections would eventually begin to merge.
Ancestry.com is the leading genealogy subscription site in the United States. Established during the dot-com boom of the mid-1990’s, the site revolutionized genealogy research by developing a search engine-driven, every-name index to the decennial U. S. federal census, linked to digital images of the records. The series of indexes was completed for all fifteen extant censuses in 2006, and remains the centerpiece of Ancestry’s U. S. collections. Through its partnership with NARA, Ancestry also provides access to many other microfilmed federal records, including passport applications, U. S. Colored Troopsservice records, and World War I draft registration cards.
Footnote.com began its life just a few years ago, but through its own partnership with NARA—through which it has digitized many original records never available even on microfilm—quickly built a large subscriber base. The strength of Footnote’s collections are in its military holdings, including full Revolutionary War service and pension records, and Civil War records such as several Confederate collections, and a current project to digitize Union service records and widows’ pension application files. Another recent partnership with Lowcountry Africana provides free access to Charleston, South Carolina, estate inventories.
Footnote’s service is superior to Ancestry in its interactive “Web 2.0” functions:
- Rather than using static indexes, Footnote allows “tagging” of segments of its document images, including names and places. Any user can tag the images, for collaborative “indexing.”
- Footnote allows the linking of multiple documents from different record groups. For example, a person’s military service record can be connected to their entry in the 1860 federal census. This allows other users to more easily research multiple documents.
- Footnote also allows users to upload their own documents to the site, which then also become searchable to other users. This comes through the creation of “Footnote Pages,” which users can create for any of their ancestors. One can both upload their own documents and connect documents from Footnote’s own connections to these Pages, as well as adding photos, stories and other information.
While Ancestry.com made its own efforts toward incorporate some of its own social functions last year with the expansion of its “MemberConnect” service, this acquisition may mean a prime upgrade to the site if Footnote’s usability is brought to Ancestry. Combine this with the possible expansion of Ancestry’s record offerings, and the value of an Ancestry.com subscription may greatly increase.
Comments
I choose to not put too much thought in this acquisition/merger. It is what it is. Businesses do these things.
We genealogists and family historians need to continue doing what we do best; research and tell the stories of our ancestors.
I'll continue to use both products until they no longer serve my purpose or they set their prices out of my comfort zone.
The Ancestors aren't interested in hearing me quibble over such things.
Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors"
everything promoting decent genealogy research is commendable!
I do not understand why we have to pay for any service related to Genealogy. The government should provide this EXACT service to Americans for free. After all, our ancestors paid taxes to live here and they collected them. This could be one way they honored the lives of the citizenzs that help make this country what it is today, as well as to come.
Quit charging for things that are of great importance as Genealogy, proving that dollar does not rule heritage. The government should be an example of self evidence and endowment. Instead they only show that this only applies to them when it comes to Genealogy. Give to the people something that only you can give and stop allowing others to get rich off of our heritages! Cut out the middleman, and help provide answers to our heritage as a non profit. Volunteers are more then ready to volunteer to help you scan these images for the public citizens, for the optimum no cost learning experience in history. Stop charging us for our own work and the work of our ancestors! We have already paid the price once and that should be enough. We pay taxes.
With justice and liberty for all!
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