In Germany, Olympus Europa GmbH of Hamburg has acquired Soft Imaging System of Münster and its subsidiaries. The companies have cooperated for several years in the light-optical microscopy market, and it is anticipated that Olympus' microscopy and imaging products will be enhanced by the addition of Soft Imaging's soft- and hardware for the technology. The acquisition provides a foundation for combined research and development, enabling Olympus to provide integrated, yet modular and scalable imaging systems to its customers.