Company Profiles

Auto-Graphics, Inc., 3201 Temple Ave., Pomona, CA 800-776-6939; www.auto-graphics.com Auto-Graphics, a publicly owned company (AUGR), operates in both library automation and publishing. The company's Impact/ONLINE, an interlibrary loan and union catalog product, long its mainstay, has been adopted by a number of statewide and other large consortia. Impact/ONLINE has recently been migrated from operating under UNIX to Windows NT/2000. This year the company sold its first 14 Impact/VERSO integrated library system. Impact/VERSO ILS is entirely web based and offered either as a locally installed system or in an ASP arrangement. Auto-Graphics acquired this product with the February 2001 acquisition of Maxcess Library Systems. Auto-Graphics acquired the WINGS Request Management System from Pigasus Software, Inc. in June 2001. The company subsequently rescinded the purchase agreement, with lawsuits pending between Auto-Graphics and Pigasus. The international downturn in dot-com industries had a large effect on Auto-Graphics' LibraryCard.com subsidiary. LibraryCard.com, a library portal site, delivered bibliographic and reference information to the public and offered users comparative information on book prices, with the ability to make purchases directly on the site. Launched in January 2000, LibraryCard.com is not yet profitable and has been drastically scaled down. As noted above, Robert S. Cope has replaced Michael K. Skiles as president. BiblioMondo Inc., 3600 Themens, Saint-Laurent, QC, Canada 514-337-3000; www.bibliomondo.com During this first full year of operation as BiblioMondo (since December 2000), the company focused on strengthening awareness of its new identity. Formerly Best-Seller and ALS International, the firm's products include the Portfolio (previously marketed by Best-Seller) and Concerto (formerly from ALS International). This year BiblioMondo launched the first phase of Digital Connect, its new library portal product. Through Digital Connect, library users access the library's local online catalog, external databases and web sites, DVD/CD-ROM products, and other digital collections. Major 2001 contracts include Dordrecht and Rijswijt Public Library in The Netherlands, Derbyshire City and County, Buckinghamshire County and Rotherham Borrough in UK, Bibliothèques d'Orléans and Marseille in France, and the much-vaunted Cerritos Public Library, CA. U.S. sales represent only about 5% of BiblioMondo's revenue. Book Systems, Inc., 721 Clinton Ave., Suite 11, Huntsville, AL 800-219-6571; www.booksys.com Book Systems, Inc. offers Concourse, a single-building library automation system, and Concourse Continuum, a version of concourse that can be distributed among library branches. Its eZcat copy cataloging product uses Z39.50 to obtain MARC records from remote libraries and bibliographic utilities. The company markets primarily to schools, which accounted for 73% of its sales; 20% went to special libraries, 5% to public, and less than 1% to academic libraries. Major contracts reported include the Hamilton County Public School System, TN, including the city of Chattanooga. Brodart Automation, 500 Arch St., Williamsport, PA 800-233-8467; www.brodart.com Brodart Automation, a veteran library company, focused on bringing the Amlib library automation system to the United States and Canada, where the firm became the exclusive distributor of Amlib in 2001. The Australian firm InfoVision developed Amlib in 1994, with about 220 installations worldwide. Amlib is distributed in the UK by DS Limited and elsewhere directly by InfoVision. While Brodart has only been recently distributing Amlib, it has been available in Australia and other counties since 1994 and has 200 installations worldwide. Brodart previously offered the DOS-based Precision One Integrated System. The majority of Brodart's Amlib sales were to existing customers converting from the Precision One Integrated System. About 70% of Brodart's Amlib sales were to public libraries. Brodart launched DartClix, a subscription service that delivers MARC records for professionally selected and cataloged web sites, in January 2001. This service provides an easy way for a library to provide access to high-quality web sites through its online catalog. New DartClix subscribers load the entire backfile into their catalog and receive monthly updates on CD-ROM. Brodart has offered its Precision One Cataloging System for many years as a DOS product. In 2001, the product was updated to the Windows environment. A Windows version of the company's Media Minder Booking and Reservation System also was released. CASPR Library Systems, Inc., PO Box 246, Saratoga, CA 800-852-2777; www.caspr.com CASPR offers several library automation solutions. They include the multiplatform LibraryWorld integrated system (Macintosh and Windows), the web-based LibraryCom.com service, and the Windows-based Columbia Library System. In 2001, CASPR released many enhancements to its Library World system in its new 2.1 version. The company also announced LibraryWorld X, an integrated system designed for Apple's new OS X operating system. LibraryCom.com allows libraries to automate with no local hardware or software. This entirely web-based, remotely hosted ASP system can be operated on a small scale at no cost. The library must pay for the system if it exceeds 10MB of storage, about 5000 records. The new version 3.5 of LibraryCom. com provides new features in each of the modules. CASPR acquired the Columbia Library System from McGraw Hill School Systems in 1997 and continues to support over 2200 libraries using this product. It even sold one new Columbia system in 2001. COMPanion Corp., 1831 Fort Union Blvd., Salt Lake City, UT 801-943-7277; www.companioncorp.com COMPanion Corporation offers the Alexandria library automation system, available for both Macintosh and Windows. The company primarily targets school libraries. In 2001, COMPanion released version 5.3 of Alexandria, which brings in Mac OS X support, the ability to search remote Z39.50-based systems, multilingual support in its web-based catalog, and other new features. CyberTools, Inc., Blanchard House, 249 Ayer Rd., Suite 302, Harvard, MA 978 772-9200; www.cybertoolsforlibraries.com CyberTools, founded in 1986, offers CyberTools for Libraries, a client/server system based on Caché postrelational database technology. Libraries can operate the software locally, or they can lease the system through an ASP arrangement. With the ASP offering, all modules of the system work through web interfaces-no software needs to be loaded locally other than the web browsers. In 2001, the company released the Serials Management Module, implemented with an all-web interface. CyberTools also delivered a new web OPAC that relies on Java servlets and a product called Dynamic CyberTools Tunneling, an application that provides secure access to the system to users behind a network firewall. Also in 2001, the company hired industry veteran Jane Maddox as director of marketing. In 2002, CyberTools expects to complete work on a Z39.50 client, media booking, acquisitions (including EDI), and an interlibrary loan module. Endeavor Information Systems, 2200 E. Devon Ave., Suite 382, Des Plaines, IL 847-296-2200; www.endinfosys.com Endeavor, a subsidiary of Elsevier Science, offers the Voyager library automation system and a number of other products related to delivering, integrating, and linking information resources for library users. Voyager relies on Oracle RDBMS and is available for either UNIX or Windows NT/2000 servers. The company reported a year of continued growth and strong sales. Major new contracts include the 45-library Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization (ILCSO), Yale University, California State University-Bakersfield, and the University of Montana. Major international sales include three down under: the State Library of Queensland, State Library of Victoria, and University of South Australia. Contracts were also made with the Royal Library of Sweden, University of Wales College of Medicine, and Cambridge University. Libraries running Voyager currently total about 900. In 2001, Endeavor added improvements to Voyager including the MyOPAC personalization feature, support for Unicode, and more. Endeavor completed its initial release of the ENCompass Digital Library System and delivered a second major release by year's end. In all, 18 libraries purchased ENCompass in 2001. LinkFinderPlus, a new product also developed in 2001, adds seamless linking of citations and references to ENCompass and can also be purchased as a standalone. Endeavor offered LinkFinder to its Citation Server, available to existing customers of that product without cost. The company focuses on academic libraries, though a significant number of sales were to special libraries. Endeavor's Voyager is used in 30 of the 122 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions. Endeavor is an industry leader in open-URL linking. EOS International, 2382 Faraday Ave., Suite 350, Carlsbad, CA 800-876-5484/760-431-8400; www.eosintl.com EOS International (EOSi) sells the GLAS and Q Series library automation systems. GLAS operates as a peer-to-peer networked system using the FoxPro database; Q Series, a client/server system, relies on either SQL Server or Oracle RDBMS. Both systems are offered in an ASP model through their e-Library Service. In 2001 EOSi developed its next-generation web OPAC for Q Series in collaboration with a customer focus group, with general release planned for early 2002. The company initiated a new Client Ambassador service to deliver speedy implementation and high-quality maintenance service. After Scot Cheatham purchased EOSi, industry veterans Tony Saadat and Paul Moore joined the company as COO and sales and marketing manager, respectively. The firm's products primarily target special libraries, which accounted for 70% of its sales. epixtech, inc., 400 W. 5050 N., Provo, UT 801-223-5200; www.epixtech.com In 2001, epixtech had strong sales of its Horizon Sunrise product, while continuing to support a large customer base of libraries using Dynix and NOTIS. The company released version 7 of Horizon Sunrise, incorporating new features and increasing the flexibility and expandability of the system. Epixtech delivered version 182 of Dynix in 2001. Continued support of Dynix is important, given the 2,356 libraries that continue to use the aging but full-featured system. Another 26 libraries will follow the 145 that have completed migrating from Dynix to Horizon Sunrise. Support for NOTIS continues for its 74 libraries. Epixtech completed version 2.1 of its iPac, a web OPAC enriched with content licensed from Syndetic Solutions and multiresource consolidated searching through technology licensed from WebFeat. Major new contracts include Boston Public Library, Ottawa Public Library, and San Joaquin Valley Library System, CA. Only 10% of the new customers selected epixtech's remotely hosted ASP option. Ex Libris (USA), 1919 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago, IL 773-404-5527; www.exlibris-usa.com Ex Libris (USA) reported a year of strong sales of ALEPH 500, primarily to large libraries and library consortia. Of total library sales, 55% are academic, 27% special, and 17% public. U.S. sales accounted for 38% of revenues. Of the 122 ARL libraries, 17 have selected ALEPH 500-a remarkable figure given that Ex Libris has been in the U.S. market only since 1998. Major U.S. contracts announced in 2001 include the California Digital Library, University of Delaware, Texas Tech University, UC-Santa Barbara, UC-Davis, and Florida State University System. International sales included many major libraries and library consortia. SFX, a commercial reference linking product developed via one acquired from Belgium's University of Ghent in April 2000, had 48 sales in 2001. OpenURL, one of the underpinnings of SFX, is currently under review by National Information Standards Organization (NISO) for consideration as a standard and has seen wide acceptance by information providers and other companies developing linking products. Ex Libris offers MetaLib, an enhanced content web OPAC, and DigiTool, a digital asset management product. Ex Libris will partner with the University of Maryland in the continued development of DigiTool and with Curtin University in Australia for MetaLib. Follett Software Company, 1391 Corporate Dr., McHenry, IL 815-344-8700; www.fsc.follett.com Follett has long dominated the school library market, offering not only library software but also books and other services. Follett markets its Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus products almost exclusively to school libraries, which account for 95% of sales. The 6000 sales this year brought Follett's total installed base to a massive 36,000 libraries in the United States. Only about 4% of 2001 sales were outside the United States. Major contracts in 2001 include school districts in Miami/Dade County, FL; Gary, IN; and Brentwood, NY. The company's new Find-It-All One Search provides the capability to search multiple resources simultaneously; the Find-It-All Collection provides subscribers with access to a catalog of over 160,000 web sites appropriate for the K-12 audience. The company's WebCollection Plus product allows libraries to create their own collection of web resources. Follett integrated links to reading skills resources for major clients in Florida and California, allowing students to find books from reading programs such as Accelerated Reader that match their reading ability and interests. Fretwell-Downing, Inc., 7400 W. 132nd St., Suite 140, Overland Park, KS 913-239-1200; www.fdusa.com Fretwell-Downing offers the Oracle-based OLIB7 library automation system. The company is based in the UK, with a U.S. office. About 130 libraries worldwide use OLIB7. In the United States, Fretwell-Downing has found much more success with its VDX (Virtual Document eXchange) resource sharing system than it has with its OLIB7 library automation system. VDX along with ZPORTAL, the company's information gateway product, provides an infrastructure in which library consortia can offer sophisticated resource sharing and document delivery. VDX includes support for the ISO 10160/10160 protocol for ILL transactions. Major North American contracts for VDX in 2001 included the California Digital Library, Colorado State Library, Western New York Library Resources Council, Access Pennsylvania consortium, Ontario Council of University Libraries, and Ohio Public Library Information Network. Gateway Software Corporation, PO Box 367, Fromberg, MT 406-668-7661; www.gscweb.com Gateway offers the Library Management System for IBM AS/400 mid-range computers. The system is primarily used in K-12 school districts. Gateway has a web OPAC product called Meriwether. In addition to its library automation system, the company features a number of other school-related automation components including textbook management and media booking. Gaylord Information Systems, PO Box 4901, Syracuse, NY 315-457-5070; www.gaylord.com Gaylord Information Systems (GIS) offers the Polaris Integrated Library System and continues to support 245 libraries that use its older Galaxy system. Polaris relies on the Windows NT/2000 server and Microsoft SQL Server as the basis for a system designed for medium to large libraries and consortia. GIS sold 32 Galaxy WebPAC or Graphical Galaxy modules to existing customers. A dozen Polaris systems were sold, including ten upgrades from Galaxy. Of total product sales, 80% were to public libraries, with the remainder to academics. All Polaris sales were to public libraries. About 200 libraries now use Polaris. A major update, Polaris 2.0, was released in 2001. It includes a new PowerPAC with an updated interface, a new metasearch feature, a capability that can be accessed from all modules of the system. A variety of content streams can be integrated into the Polaris PowerPAC including news feeds from MSNBC, enhanced bibliographic content from Syndetic Solutions, and science-related information from DiscoverySchool. Geac Software Solutions-Libraries Division, 120 Turnpike Rd., 2d fl., Southborough, MA 01772-2104 508-871-6800; www.library.geac.com The Geac Library Division (GLD), is a unit of a diverse, worldwide company. The company regrouped in 2001, following a period of uncertainty, and seems to have emerged in good fiscal health. GLD sells a number of library automation products. ADVANCE and PLUS, its primary products in North America, are aging. Geac has largely stopped selling PLUS but has completed enhancements to both into full client/server systems. New releases continue to be developed. This year Geac developed GeoScan, a resource discovery product that integrates external content sources into the GeoWeb OPAC. Outside North America, Geac offers the VUBIS suite of products. The Vubis Original product is a UNIX-based host terminal system, Vubis 4 Windows is a client/server system, and V Smart is the latest generation of this system. V Smart has been successfully implemented in Europe and Australia and will now be marketed in North America. With sales of Geac's other systems falling off, V Smart stands as its strategic library automation product and will be marketed aggressively worldwide. Inmagic, Inc., 800 W. Cummings Park, Woburn, MA 781-938-4442; www.inmagic.com Inmagic focuses on the corporate library, offering its DB/TextWorks family of products and the BiblioTech PRO integrated library system (ILS). All of Inmagic's sales are to corporate libraries, divided equally between domestic and international customers. Inmagic's TextWorks line includes a number of general information products and a library module that provides traditional ILS functionality. Improvements to TextWorks made this year include relevance ranking of results, import and export in XML, and record-level security. This year Inmagic launched IntelliMagic, a business intelligence product that can be customized to gather competitive information from internal and external sources and to publish it on the corporate intranet. Inmagic also offers BiblioTech PRO, a full-featured client/server ILS. There were two major updates to BiblioTech PRO in 2001, delivering significant enhancements to the web OPAC and improvements to all the modules. Innovative Interfaces, Inc. (III), 5850 Shellmound Way, Emeryville, CA 510-655-6200; www.iii.com Innovative Interfaces, the company with the top revenue in the industry, continued its steady growth and product development. The Java-based Millennium ILS stands at the core of the company's product strategy, with a suite of ancillary products recently developed to expand its scope and capabilities. Significant improvements were made to MAP, Millennium Access Plus, an enhanced web OPAC with context-sensitive linking, metasearching, and authentication components. The new AirPAC allows wireless devices to search the Millennium OPAC. Innovative introduced two new tools that help libraries integrate e-journals into their collections. Electronic Journal Holdings Update automatically updates serials holdings statements based on data acquired from the e-journal provider, and Serials E-Check-in was developed to facilitate the tracking of individual e-journal subscriptions based on Electronic Packing Slips transmitted by the e-journal supplier. Major contracts won in 2001 include Access Pennsylvania, which unites 2500 libraries; Cooperating Libraries in Consortium in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area; National Library of South Africa; Bibliothèque de la Sorbonne in Paris; University of Ottawa; Carleton University (also Ottawa); MARMOT Library Network in Colorado; and CW/MARS consortium in Massachusetts. Innovative's customer libraries are steadily migrating from its earlier Innopac system to Millennium. This year 90 library systems made this migration. Few, if any, libraries migrated from Innopac to any other system, and Innovative's 34 ARL library customers continue to give it the highest pentration into ARL's 122 institutions. Insignia Software, 10123 99th St., Suite 1520, Edmonton, AB, Canada 877-780-7769/780-497-7769; www.insigniasoftware.com Insignia Software offers the Windows-based Insignia Library System. This client/server system relies on Microsoft SQL Server as its database, operates on Windows NT or XP for its server, and offers both Windows and web-based clients. The company markets primarily to schools, community colleges, and small public libraries. Kelowna Software Ltd., #202 1980 Cooper Rd.. Kelowna, BC, Canada 800-667-3634; www.L4U.com Kelowna Software sells a standalone ILS called Library 4 Universal, which runs on either Windows or Macintosh computers. A multiuser version is also available. The L4U web server provides a web-based OPAC. In 2001, the Canadian-based Kelowna began marketing its products in the United States, Africa, and other parts of the world. Keystone Systems, Inc., 8016 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 919-782-1143; www.klas.com Keystone Systems offers KLAS (Keystone Library Automation System), a client/server system based on Progress, a fourth-generation computer language and database. KLAS has proven to be very popular with libraries that provide services to persons with vision-related disabilities, as the system is designed to work well for library patrons who use assistive technology. This year the KLAS web OPAC was rewritten, delivering a number of new capabilities. In 2001, all sales were to special libraries. The Library Corporation, TLC/CARL, Research Park, Inwood, WV 800-325-7759; www.tlccarl.com TLC/CARL offers two major library automation systems: Library•Solution, which it developed, and the CARL•Solution, acquired through the acquisition of CARL Corporation in 2000. Library•Solution is an Oracle-based client/server system, which has until recently been available only for Windows NT/2000 servers. Beginning with Version 3, this product will also be available for UNIX servers. Library•Solution sales by library type were as follows: 72% public, 14% special, 7% academic, and 6% K-12 schools. CARL•Solution appeals to very large municipal libraries and library consortia, such as this year's sale to Wellington City Libraries in New Zealand. Both Library•Solution and CARL•Solution released major upgrades in 2001. A new acquisitions module for Library•Solution will be released in early 2002. TLC sells a content-enhanced web OPAC called YouSeeMore, which now is available for Carl•Solution in addition to Library•Solution. New personalization features and additional content offerings were added to both versions In 2001, TLC entered an ASP partnership with Baker & Taylor in which it provides a cataloging production system to the book supplier's Library Services Distribution network. Mandarin Library Automation, Inc., PO Box 272308, Boca Raton, FL 800-426-7477; www.mlasolutions.com Mandarin Library Automation is the new corporation created by the reorganization of SIRS Mandarin. The ownership is unchanged, but the database content and the library automation businesses are now separate, independent operations. Mandarin Library Automation develops and supports the Mandarin M3 ILS, the largest market for which is schools (65% of new system sales). Special libraries buy 16%, public 12%, and academic 7%. Mandarin M3 is a network-based system, compatible with Windows NT/2000/XP and Novell Netware. It uses a proprietary database system developed by the company. Graphical clients are available for Macintosh, Windows, and the web. All libraries operating the superseded DOS-based Mandarin system are eligible to receive Mandarin M3 at no cost, a remarkably generous arrangement. In 2001, the company released two major updates to Mandarin M3, plus a separate release of the OPAC. New Generation Technologies Inc., Dept. 844, PO Box 34069, Seattle, WA 800-661-7112; www.librarysoft.com New Generation Technologies offers the LiBRARYSOFT automation system geared to K-12 school, religious, corporate, and other small libraries. The product is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers and can be shared on a network with no additional cost. The company does not offer a web-based OPAC. Open Text, Inc., BASIS Division, 6500 Emerald Pkwy., Suite 200, Dublin, OH 614-761-8083; www.opentext.com The Basis Division of the publicly traded Open Text Corporation (NASDAQ: OTEX, TSE: OTC) develops and markets the Techlib library automation system, acquired in 1998 when it purchased Information Dimensions. Internal organizational changes at Open Text resulted in the creation of a Product Technology Division that has responsibility for Techlib, BASIS, BRS/Search, and the iRIMS records management system. Open Text's flagship product is LiveLink, a sophisticated collaborative knowledge management application. Techlib, designed for corporate libraries, relies on the company's own BASIS database technology. The system is completely web-based, including all staff modules as well as the OPAC. Organizations can use UNIX, Windows NT/2000, or OpenVMS servers to host Techlib. Windows XP support will be available by mid-2002. All of the 20 Techlib sales were to corporate libraries, bringing the total installed base to 229. Sagebrush Corporation, 3601 Minnesota Dr., Suite 550, Minneapolis, MN 800-533-5430; www.sagebrushcorp.com Sagebrush Corporation, a major force in the school library marketplace, was best known as a book supplier and information services company for schools before 1998. That year Sagebrush acquired Nichols Advanced Technologies. In 2000 it purchased Winnebago Software Company. These acquisitions gave Sagebrush two of the most popular automation products for school libraries, Athena and Winnebago Spectrum. This year the company licensed Accent from Sirsi Corporation. It is a full-featured library automation system based on Unicorn. With these three automation products, Sagebrush can provide solutions to any size school or school district library. In 2001, Sagebrush released Athena 9.1 and Winnebago Spectrum 5.0. Sagebrush developed Athena Cross Reference Add-on, giving Athena users the ability to view related and alternate search terms. The In-Hand PDA application released last year for Athena and Winnebago Spectrum was expanded this year to work with Accent, allowing users of all three systems to perform remote inventory and circulation tasks. Sagebrush Union, released this year, provides a framework for school districts to create union catalogs from any combination of Winnebago Spectrum, Athena, or Accent systems. Schools account for 88% of Sagebrush sales, while special libraries total 5%, public 4%, and academic libraries 3%. Sanderson Australia Solutions, Sanderson CMI, 50 Hillside Ct., Englewood, OH 45322 937-836-4499; www.sanderson.com Sanderson, an Australian firm with U.S. offices, offers the Spydus library automation system. A client/server system, it operates on both UNIX and Windows NT/2000 servers and Windows clients and a web-based OPAC. Spydus has an installed base of 191 libraries worldwide. This year nine new names were added, one in the United States, the rest in Australia. Sanderson's library-related revenues were 95% from outside the United States. Sirsi Corp., 101 Washington St. SE, Huntsville, AL 256-704-7000; www.sirsi.com A transformative year for Sirsi Corporation, 2001 began with the appointment of Patrick C. Sommers, formerly of Dialog Corporation, as president. Company founders Jim Young, Jacky Young, and Mike Murdock remain involved. Sirsi extended its reach to the K-12 market by exclusively licensing Sagebrush Technologies to sell to schools in the form of a product named Accent. In May, Sirsi created the LINK division to focus on the marketing and development of products and services for academic and research libraries. Sirsi then acquired DRA, one of its major competitors, bringing it four new products: TAOS; DRA's next-generation library automation system, DRA Classic; MultiLIS; and INLEX/3000. The latter three systems are "legacy" products ripe for migration to more up-to-date systems. Within a few months Sirsi dropped TAOS to focus solely on the development of Unicorn. By the end of 2001, a new management team was in place, comprised of executives from both the DRA and Sirsi ranks. Sirsi continued development of the iBistro Electronic Library it introduced in 2000. A parallel product, the iLink Online Scholar's Portal, was developed as part of the LINK division's efforts to reach academic and research libraries. The company integrated additional streams of content into iBistro/iLink, including enriched bibliographic data from Syndetic Solutions, Reed Business Information, Northern Light, and its own LibraryHQ. Reflecting the company's focus on content integration, Laura N. Dawson, former director of content development for Barnes&Noble. com, was appointed to a similar position at Sirsi. Softlink America Inc., 5575 DTC Pkwy., Suite 340, Greenwood Village,CO 303-741-1521; www.softlinkamerica.com Softlink America, the North American division of the Australian firm Softlink International, distributes Softlink Alice for small to medium-sized school libraries and Softlink Library for special and small public libraries. Both are peer-to-peer network products, operating on Windows NT/2000 and Novell NetWare networks. This was the first year that Softlink sold its products directly in North America, terminating its distribution agreement with COMPanion Corporation. In 2001 Softlink released Book Wizard, a program to assist K-12 students in selecting reading material, based on an extensive database of titles from major publishers. The company released Softlink Fingerprint Recognition Module, allowing libraries to checkout materials to library patrons based on a fingerprint reader rather than library cards. Surpass Software, 517 Oothcalooga St., Suite C, Calhoun, GA 706-625-5399; www.SurpassSoftware.com Surpass Software targets K-12 school and small public and special libraries with its Surpass Library Automation system. Components of the system include Central, the cataloging and circulation module; Safari, the online catalog; and Web Safari, a web-based online catalog. In 2001, Surpass developed a serials module to be released in early 2002. Surpass reports that its software is in use in about 800 libraries in North America, 80% of which are schools. SydneyPLUS International Library Systems, 5138-13562 Maycrest Way,Richmond, BC, Canada 604-278-6717 www.sydneyplus.com SydneyPLUS International Library Systems focuses on corporate and legal libraries. Its SydneyPLUS client/server library automation system operates in Windows NT/2000/XP, UNIX, or Novell NetWare servers and Windows clients with a web-based OPAC. This year, SydneyPLUS opened a new Technical Services office in New York City, fostering its relation to its Fortune 1000 customers. The company also released a web portal resources module that gives its web OPAC the ability to search other databases and resources, including links to predefined searches executed with a single click. The web portal allows the organization to bring all its information resources into a unified environment. VTLS Inc., 1701 Kraft Dr., Blacksburg, VA 540-557-1200; www.vtls.com VTLS continues to market its next-generation Virtua client/server library automation system to libraries worldwide and to offer innovative technologies such as RFID (radio frequency identification) and advanced imaging systems and services. VTLS sold 34 Virtua ILS systems and four Virtua SLEs (Small Library Editions) last year. The installed base of Virtua worldwide is 53. The company reported eight sales of its older VTLS UNIX system. VTLS opened new offices in Malaysia and Switzerland and expanded its operations in India. The firm finds success in the international arena, reporting 68% of its 2001 sales to non-U.S. customers. In 2001, VTLS released Chameleon iPortal, a web-based interface that integrates multiple information resources, with results customized for each category of user. The product takes its name from the ability to change its form according to selections made by the library or the patron, dynamically dropping in or pulling out content or interface components.