Word is the Voter Activation Network -- better known as the VAN or, by those who know it well, simply VAN, and used by many a Democratic candidate to both hold and slice-and-dice voter data -- is buying a new labor-focused firm in the hopes of both bringing some powerful new tools into its toolshed and prepping for what it expects to be an Obama-era resurgence in union membership. From the announcement:

Voter Activation Network (VAN), the world’s largest provider of political organizing software, will acquire New Union Work Systems (NUWS), the makers of Organizer’s Toolbox, a software package widely used by union organizers. The strategic acquisition is expected to be completed on November 1, 2009.

"By combining the deep expertise behind Organizer's Toolbox with the power and scalability of the VAN platform, we expect to deliver the best available technology to union organizers on a huge scale," said Mark Sullivan, founder of Voter Activation Network. "We will be prepared to support a vast expansion of organizing once Congress passes the badly needed labor law reform supported by President Obama."

As for the tools themselves, folks who regularly work with the VAN suggest that the company's moves to bring on proven tools, especially ones that play nice with the web and other systems, are welcome -- particularly considering just how many Democratic campaigns and progressive groups have come to rely upon the VAN (the Obama '08 campaign and the Democratic National Committee among them). Others with experience with NUWS Organizer's Toolbox, while saying that the system can take some getting used to, give high points to it for stability and giving organizers the data they need and how they need it. More here. (Photo credit: izaeus | argazkiak)