Subsequent to the deal, the Denver-based desktop publishing specialist said it would be the sole company capable of bringing together professional design and simplified XML-authoring capabilities.

Melissa Webster, program vice president at Quark IDC, said: "XML is key to realising the full power of dynamic publishing. In.vision's Word-based XML authoring together with Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution address these important requirements, and will help Quark significantly broaden the reach of its new product."

Quark had previously partnered with Florida-based In.vision to supply Xpress Author for Microsoft Word, which helps Word users to create content for Quark's Dynamic Publishing Solution (DPS).

Ray Schiavone, chief executive of Quark, said: "Uniting our two companies creates an ideal combination of complementary products, technologies and knowledge. By combining In.vision's user-friendly authoring capability with our professional publishing expertise, we are confident that Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution will be one of the most comprehensive and compelling solutions available today."

In.vision chief executive John Friske added: "Quark is one of very few companies with the technology and global market presence to lead the billion-dollar dynamic publishing market. This union bridges the gap between authoring and publishing and will propel Quark to become the leader in dynamic publishing. "

As part of the acquisition, Quark gained products that support industry standards such as DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) and SPL, giving it access to other markets and applications. In addition, In.vision will enhance Quark's ability to connect to enterprise content management systems, such as Microsoft SharePoint.