2018 School Spending Survey Report
Automation System Marketplace 2008: Opportunity Out of Turmoil
As the industry consolidates, competition heats up to provide next-generation catalogs, and open source enters the mainstream
The dramatic shifts that redefined the industry in 2006 precipitated turmoil in 2007, which made companies that avoided major business transitions more attractive and sparked explosive interest in open source alternatives. Some companies held a steady course and benefited from the fallout. The consolidated entities formed by recent acquisitions stand as formidable competitors in their respective market sectors, wielding vast resources to retain—or even strengthen—their industry positions. Sales of new integrated library system (ILS) products dipped 15%, offset by increased procurements of replacement interfaces and tools for managing electronic content and creating digital collections. The overall library automation economy held even with aggregate revenues at $570 million. A majority of companies increased their workforce in 2007.Strategies for a zero-sum game
Several factors limited opportunities to sell traditional library automation systems this year. The higher-end market of public and academic libraries has saturated; fewer libraries have legacy systems in immediate need of replacement. Recent migrations from legacy systems have largely run to completion. Many libraries still use Dynix Classic, though most have made procurement decisions. Other libraries considering ILS replacements are holding off, hoping better options will emerge soon, especially on the open source front. Libraries feel a sense of urgency to acquire next-generation interfaces that will allow them to cast aside library catalogs that work more like the web of 1998 than 2008 and gain tools to manage ever-growing collections of electronic content. In this tough market, Innovative led the industry with sales of Millennium to 79 new clients and 95 contracts overall. SirsiDynix inked 121 contracts for Unicorn, with 51 of those to new customers. In the K–12 school market, Follett Software Company led with 639 sales of Destiny Library Manager for Districts. In the small to midsized public library arena, Auto-Graphics provided AGent VERSO to 47 institutions. Open source vendor LibLime contracted with 29 libraries for Koha Classic and 28 for Koha Zoom for a total of 57. Polaris moved into the ranks of the large municipal libraries. In a year of plummeting sales to academics, Ex Libris had only 29 Aleph sales, though it climbed a notch among the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members by adding New York University. Industry prospects remain strong, however. As legacy migrations run dry, the 1,612 organizations running Horizon, which represent over 4000 library facilities, introduce new potential contracts. Though SirsiDynix aims to entice these libraries to adopt Symphony through irresistible incentives, other challengers will compete for their business. For K–12 school automation, the inevitable transition from PC-based systems such as Athena, Winnebago Spectrum, and Circulation Plus to districtwide web-based systems has just begun. Interest in open source library automation software will fuel the growth of a new breed of companies. In the zero-sum game of the library automation economy, gains here will be offset by losses among the traditional vendors. International markets offer strong opportunities, as does non-ILS library automation software. The concept of decoupling the front-end interface from the back-end ILS has become well established, presenting openings to sell these products even when a complete ILS replacement is out of the question.The industry's changing face
The consolidations and private equity buyouts of 2007 involved major shifts in product strategies that had repercussions throughout the industry, with direct impact for thousands of libraries. Vista Equity Partners, a $1 billion private equity firm, acquired full ownership of SirsiDynix, as its previous venture capital owner, Seaport Capital, recovered its investment at peak value. The three months following the acquisition brought tumultuous change for SirsiDynix (including staff reductions) and its customer libraries. CEO Patrick Sommers made an abrupt exit in mid-February along with most of his team. Following Sommers's departure, Vista principal Martin Taylor stepped in as interim chief executive, building the ILS product strategy on Unicorn and jettisoning development of Horizon 8.0, previously positioned as its future platform. This left Horizon 8.0 beta test sites and adopters either to fall back on their incumbent systems or make an accelerated migration to Unicorn. The 7.x version of Horizon will continue to receive limited support for the intermediate term. This new plan came as startling news to the libraries that had based their automation plans on Horizon. By June 2007, when Gary M. Rautenstrauch became CEO, SirsiDynix had selected Symphony as the brand for its flagship automation system. A direct descendant of Unicorn, Symphony will incorporate key features and characteristics of Horizon to make it a suitable migration path. Unicorn libraries will see Symphony as a routine upgrade. Under Rautenstrauch's leadership, the company has moved to moderate the effect of changes previously announced and build a more positive reputation in the industry. The major transitions of 2007 make it extremely problematic to describe accurately sales over the last two years. SirsiDynix reported more contracts signed for Horizon in 2006 (94) than for Unicorn (71). The contracts signed for Horizon in 2006 through early 2007 remain uncertain. Some of these libraries have elected to proceed with their implementation of Horizon, while many chose Unicorn, and others have gone to competitor systems. Fifteen sales of Horizon were made in 2007 prior to the product transition announcements. The 121 total contracts signed for Unicorn/Symphony reported for 2007 remain unverified and may include some business also represented in 2006, as the company develops new contracts for libraries that made recent Horizon commitments. The proportion of Horizon libraries that ultimately choose to adopt Symphony looms large. Defections will result in the diminishment of a giant; a high retention rate will foster continued growth. Even in difficult times, libraries have a propensity to continue with an incumbent vendor. A partial review of libraries signing for Horizon in 2006 shows about one-third with Unicorn implementation underway or complete, many with a completed Horizon implementation and no immediate plans to migrate, and a minority exploring other options.Other business and product transitions
Changes at OCLC resulted in a more unified global organization. OCLC completed the purchase of OCLC Pica, of which it already owned two-thirds. Overall, OCLC was reorganized to represent its international presence better, and the entire organization now operates under the OCLC name. In early 2008, OCLC purchased EZproxy from Useful Utilities, a small company based in Peoria, AZ. EZproxy, installed in over 2400 mostly academic libraries, aids those institutions in providing access to their subscriptions of e-content to off-site users. Cambridge Information Group(CIG), parent company of ProQuest, continues to position itself as a top competitor in library automation and related services, in addition to its major role as a publisher of electronic content. Serials Solutions is the main automation-related CIG company and offers a complete suite of products to help libraries manage all aspects of their e-content collections. Just acquired by ProQuest in February 2008, WebFeat will be merged with Serials Solutions to give CIG a commanding presence in this arena. CIG also owns Syndetic Solutions, the dominant provider of book jackets, tables of contents, and other enriched content layered into library catalogs. In June 2007, CIG subsidiary R.R. Bowker acquired the Amsterdam-based creator of AquaBrowser, Medialab Solutions, giving CIG an immediate position in the hot market of next-generation library interfaces. LibLime, a 2005 start-up specializing in open source software services, acquired the Koha division of Katipo Communications, Ltd. Katipo created the original version of Koha in 1999 for a small consortium of libraries in New Zealand. LibLime, though still a small company, gains a presence in the Australasia region and the ability to tap the expertise of Koha's original developers.A new generation of interfaces
Ever-growing dissatisfaction with older model catalogs has mandated new library interfaces incorporating Web 2.0 features such as RSS feeds, user tagging, and reviews. Behind-the-scenes ILS operation matters less than the patron's experience. This new genre of products enables libraries to make drastic improvements to their online presence in less time and at a lower cost than a complete ILS replacement. These products sync with any major ILS but require a certain amount of effort to integrate fully into the library's technology infrastructure. These new interfaces attempt to provide a single point of access to all library content, including subscribed e-content products, through an integrated federated search component or through harvesting of metadata into local indexes. These products enable libraries to break away from outdated interfaces and deliver library content and services on a par with other destinations on the web, like relevancy-ranked search results, faceted navigation, visual appeal through book jacket images, and good graphic design. AquaBrowser pioneered the replacement interface genre. Beginning in 2004, developer Medialab struck a deal with The Library Corporation (TLC) to market its product in the United States and Canada, and, in 2005, TLC became its exclusive distributor. By June 2007, TLC sold AquaBrowser to more than 120 libraries. With Bowker's acquisition of AquaBrowser, TLC lost its exclusive deal, prompting the development of its own next-generation public library interface, Indigo, a graphically attractive interface dubbed “library positioning software.” Ex Libris completed initial development of Primo, its product for “discovery and delivery,” which launched for live use at several libraries by year-end. Designed for large academic libraries and consortia, Primo's complex architecture includes integrated link resolver, federated search, and many features geared toward delivery of electronic content. In Primo's first year, Ex Libris signed 12 contracts, representing 77 libraries. Encore, the next-generation interface from Innovative Interfaces, was designed for both public and academic libraries. Innovative developed the product with a large group of libraries prior to its public debut in 12 customer sites in October 2007. By year-end, Innovative had made 72 sales of Encore. Its fast-paced development and warm reception in terms of sales counter the conservative stereotype sometimes associated with Innovative. VTLS introduced Visualizer, its next-generation interface, in early 2008. This product emphasizes “total exposure,” providing libraries with a tool for delivering access to all collections, the online catalog, institutional repository, local digital collections, or other collections of interest. SirsiDynix announced in November 2007 that it is developing its next-generation search product based on technology from Brainware, also owned by its parent company. This replaces its partnership with Fast Search and Transfer (FAST) for a new search platform. In addition to commercial products, a number of library-built open source projects have emerged, such as VUfindcreated at Villanova University. The University of Rochester's eXtensible Catalog received a new round of funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to work toward an open source next-generation library interface.Managing e-content
Library investments in e-content continue to rise in tandem with patron expectations for immediate access to authoritative information. Link resolvers and federated search platforms have become necessities for any library with a growing collection of electronic subscriptions, while electronic resource management (ERM) systems help libraries automate internal processes such as selection, licensing, and procurement. Ex Libris, which pioneered link resolving in 2000, holds the lead with 1,646 installations of SFX. Serials Solutions' 360 Link has only 806 installations but added 122 new libraries in 2007 compared to 61 new sales for SFX. Serials Solutions has had some success in convincing libraries to switch from SFX, among them the State University of New York, a major Ex Libris account. Another contender in the link resolver business is Innovative's WebBridge, which gained 58 new sites, bringing the total installed to 340. Libraries of almost all types see federated search tools as an essential part of their offerings for patrons. It's unrealistic to make patrons search the many content packages individually. WebFeat, which dominates the federated search business, was acquired by ProQuest/Serials Solutions in early 2008. Serials Solutions gained another 252 clients for 360 Search, offered exclusively through Software as a Service (SaaS), for an accumulated total of 426 libraries. Ex Libris's internally developed MetaLib for federated search garnered 30 new sales in 2007, bringing installations to 1,325. Innovative developed Research Pro internally, though it incorporates components of MuseSearch technology. With 66 additional adoptions in 2007, installations rose to 187. Index Data, an open source development and support vendor, developed a new open source federated search environment called MasterKey and partners with multiple companies, including LibLime and CARE Affiliates, for marketing and support. MuseGlobal provides the technology for federated search and content integration products offered by a number of companies involved in library automation but increasingly in other industries as well. It maintains a fairly low profile in library automation. ERM systems provide automation for the internal management of a library's e-content subscriptions. This genre has been evolving since 2002, with Innovative's initial launch of Electronic Resource Management. In 2007, Innovative made 39 sales, lifting its installation base to 235 and preserving its overall lead. Ex Libris made 36 sales of Verde and Meridian, and Serials Solutions 72 of 360 Resource Manager. Though Serials Solutions is a relative newcomer in some of these product categories, it has become a formidable competitor. Its SaaS approach has strong appeal for many libraries, and its KnowledgeWorks database of e-journals has earned a reputation for accuracy and completeness.Focus on patron services
Public libraries demand automation products designed with a narrow focus on service to library patrons. Larger publics require systems optimized to handle high-volume circulation. Publics of all types require web interfaces that maximize their collections and deliver personalized patron services. Innovative Interfaces won favor among many midsized to large public library systems. Some of the big wins include the Stark Library Consortium and the Akron–Summit County Public Library system, both in Ohio, and Lower Shore Library Consortium of Maryland. Polaris succeeded in attracting a full range of public libraries, including large countywide systems such as the 20 libraries of the Onondaga County Public Library System in upstate New York and the 23 libraries in Pennsylvania's Westmoreland County. Polaris also broke into the ranks of the municipals with contract awards from Phoenix, moving from a Carl system, and Dallas, replacing an aging DRA product. The six libraries in Howard County, MD, opted for Koha following a rocky experience with Horizon. Many smaller libraries cut deals for first-time automation or replacement of aging PC-based systems. States such as Kansas, characterized by large numbers of small rural libraries, exemplify this new front. Success in attracting these libraries involves low-cost offerings with minimal in-library technical requirements—a natural fit for SaaS. This subsector relies on a strategy that attracts larger groups of small libraries while maintaining lower costs. When dealing with typically underfunded rural libraries, companies realistically expect lower revenues per library automated. Many small libraries, or consortia of small libraries, selected Auto-Graphics' AGent VERSO and Koha from LibLime. The Central Kansas Library System opted for Koha with support from LibLime; the Southwest Kansas Library System gave the nod to AGent VERSO. Apollo from the new company Biblionix was the favorite among small libraries in Texas.Academics shore up e-content capabilities
Academic libraries in 2007 had to find better ways to manage burgeoning collections of e-content, improving interfaces for the web-savvy Facebook generation. Upcoming challenges include using technology to help better position library services on institutional courseware and e-learning portals. Although a number of academic libraries purchased a new ILS in 2007, other products generated a large portion of industry revenues. Academic libraries consider link resolvers and federated search products necessary to their infrastructure, while interest in ERM systems remains tentative. The initial round of replacement web interfaces this year forecasts a higher volume in 2008. Ex Libris stands as the largest company with exclusive focus on academic and research libraries. In the prestigious ARL ranks, Ex Libris captured the consortium of libraries that includes New York University (NYU) to replace its existing Infor Advance system with Aleph. NYU elected not to go forward with Virtua from VTLS. In 2007, Ex Libris focused much of its attention on Primo, marketing it to its own ILS customer base and beyond. Innovative, however, is a larger company overall and sold far more products to academic libraries than Ex Libris, with 79 new academic library customers selecting Millennium compared to 26 that chose Aleph. Innovative outsold Ex Libris in other categories as well, with Encore, Electronic Resource Management, and Research Pro outpacing comparable offerings from Ex Libris. While Serials Solutions has no involvement in the ILS business, it has become a major supplier of automation tools in other categories. Its 360 family of products have proven extremely attractive to academic libraries.Publics vs. K–12
School library automation faces significant change, both in terms of shifting technology and in product transitions. Schools today favor centralized web-based systems where a single installation can serve the entire district. Their needs go beyond the library—to managing inventories of textbooks and other resources and supporting required assessment programs. Follett Software Company (FSC) dominates the K–12 market with well over half of all U.S. schools running one of its products. The company offers a single integrated environment to manage libraries, textbooks, media resources, and other assets. Today, FSC characterizes its mission as more broadly focused on managing educational resources throughout a school district, rather than simply automating the school library. FSC acquired its main competitor, Sagebrush Corporation, in 2006. Now, transitions from these legacy products loom large. Accent has been withdrawn, with remaining sites receiving limited support. Winnebago Spectrum and Athena, the older PC-based systems from Sagebrush, receive support but are no longer sold. Sagebrush positioned InfoCentre as the migration path for Winnebago Spectrum and Accent. Although FSC produced a new release of InfoCentre in 2007, it's not a long-term contender. Follett's course is set on Destiny. It has created versions for both districts and individual schools. Destiny, with its more school-specialized features, will not necessarily appeal to the small publics that adopted its PC-based systems. In 2007, sales of Destiny overwhelmingly went to school libraries. Hundreds of small public libraries had adopted Winnebago Spectrum, Athena, and Circulation Plus; many have upgraded to InfoCentre. Even though these products were built primarily for schools, they allowed publics the opportunity to automate affordably. As public libraries migrate away from these three systems, they will gravitate toward lower-cost products specifically designed for public libraries. These public libraries represent new opportunities for companies offering such solutions.Knowledge management & special libraries
Automation in special libraries bears little resemblance to other library types. The products that serve these libraries function more as enterprise information management environments than traditional integrated library systems. The bulk of their activity involves serials and all kinds of electronic content. Special libraries often manage and distribute the reports and research created within the organization and provide global services. The top competitors for special libraries in corporations and law firms include EOS International, SydneyPLUS, Inmagic, and SoftLink. Keystone Systems specializes in libraries that serve persons with visual disabilities, and CyberTools for Libraries works primarily with libraries in the health profession. Key automation trends for special libraries involve greater deployment of SaaS offerings and transitions from desktop installations to web-based systems. The products in this area continue to shift further away from the traditional library automation models into the realm of knowledge management.Open source gains support
Last year marked the launch of the open source ILS into the mainstream; it received major attention in the press and at library conferences. From a business perspective, open source ILS contracts represented a very small portion of the library automation economy. The success of early adopters' implementations has already diminished skepticism. Many indicators suggest that open source ILS contracts will displace larger percentages of traditional licensing models in each subsequent year. The sharply narrowing product options resulting from consolidation among the top commercial companies sparked interest in open source alternatives. This year's dislocations notwithstanding, the majority of companies in the industry have kept to their knitting, maintaining a high level of continuity in their products, support options, and new products in response to customer needs. The foundation of the library automation economy based on licensing of closed source software has cracked. Time will tell whether the fissure opened will remain narrow or whether the underpinnings of the industry have begun a permanent shift. As open source options gain wider adoption, the library automation economy will not likely shrink; the portion of revenues for services will increase as capital costs paid for licenses decreases. SaaS offers great advantages on the open source front. The conventional belief that libraries need more in-house technical support for an open source system evaporates when the vendor assumes responsibility for hosting and maintenance. The years leading up to 2007 can be characterized as the pioneer days of open source ILS. Early adopters developed systems anew, as Georgia Public Library Service PINES did with Evergreen, or extended existing systems, as Nelsonville Public Library, OH, did for Koha. Beginning this year, the paths have become more established, the products have matured, and a number of companies stand ready to assist libraries. Over 100 libraries committed to open source ILS implementations in 2007. A group of university libraries in Ontario, including Laurentian University, have plans underway to extend and implement Evergreen. The province of British Columbia in Canada will follow a phased, opt-in implementation of Evergreen, called Northern Pines. Libraries selecting Koha included the Crawford County Federated Library System in Pennsylvania, the libraries of the Indiana Shared Library Catalog, Howard County Library in Maryland, and Ashtabula County Libraries in Ohio. On the academic front, the Westchester Academic Library Directors Organization, NY, will be implementing a shared Koha installation for many of its members. The open source companies seem especially anxious to attract libraries affected by the narrowing product options. In early 2008, Equinox established a partnership with Alpha-G, a consulting firm with expertise with the SirsiDynix Horizon system. The initial collaboration between Equinox and Alpha-G involves the migration of Maryland's Kent County Public Library as it moves from Horizon to Evergreen.Looking ahead
In 2007, the companies involved with open source library automation software matured and proliferated. The slate of companies based on open source library automation software includes Index Data, LibLime, Equinox Software, and CARE Affiliates. At least in this early phase, open source library automation involves a smaller-scale economy. Revenues derive mostly from hosting, services, and custom development. The basic business model assumes the absence of the license fees collected by the traditional companies. For these firms to prosper, they must deliver the high-quality services libraries value and for which they will be willing to pay.| Company | System Name | Total Sales | New Customers | |||||||||
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Total Installed | ||
| Full-function multiuser systems: Public, Academic, and Consortia | ||||||||||||
| Ex Libris | Aleph 500 | 51 | 53 | 83 | 67 | 29 | 42 | 53 | 53 | 38 | 26 | 1,991 |
| SirsiDynix | Unicorn Library Management System | 124 | 134 | 91 | 71 | 121 | 46 | 74 | 56 | 45 | 51 | 1,704 |
| SirsiDynix | Horizon | 168 | 193 | 147 | 94 | 15 | 77 | 63 | 56 | 48 | 3 | 1,612 |
| Innovative Interfaces, Inc. | Millennium | 144 | 119 | 107 | 95 | 95 | 96 | 76 | 73 | 67 | 79 | 1,289 |
| Ex Libris | Voyager | 35 | 22 | 34 | 12 | 4 | 35 | 22 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 1,179 |
| VTLS Inc. | Virtua | 67 | 35 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 34 | 28 | 23 | 18 | 25 | 926 |
| The Library Corporation (TLC) | Library.Solution | 73 | 58 | 41 | 34 | 35 | 64 | 55 | 40 | 32 | 35 | 700 |
| Infor | Vubis Smart | 54 | 56 | 60 | 56 | 40 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 312 |
| Polaris Library Systems | Polaris Integrated Library System | 20 | 37 | 39 | 54 | 32 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 33 | 22 | 286 |
| Civica | Spydus 8 / MS | 21 | 16 | 50 | 56 | 51 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 25 | 252 |
| Auto-Graphics, Inc. | AGent VERSO | 6 | 23 | 15 | 54 | 47 | 4 | 20 | 15 | 54 | 44 | 173 |
| Talis | Alto | 10 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 111 | ||||||
| LibLime | Koha Classic | 26 | 29 | 13 | 29 | 85 | ||||||
| The Library Corporation | Carl.X / Carl.Solution | 1 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 21 | ||||||
| LibLime | Koha Zoom | 4 | 28 | 3 | 27 | 7 | ||||||
| InfoVision Technology | Amlib Library Management System | 58 | 38 | 42 | 58 | 38 | 27 | |||||
| ISACSOFT | PortFolio | 14 | 18 | 5 | 16 | 14 | 6 | |||||
| ISACSOFT | Concerto | 5 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||||||
| Automation Systems for Centralized School Districts | ||||||||||||
| Surpass Software | Surpass Library Automation | 152 | 167 | 152 | 2,100 | |||||||
| Follett Software Company | Destiny Library Manager for Districts | 25 | 143 | 424 | 480 | 639 | 10 | 71 | 273 | 389 | 606 | 1,608 |
| Softlink America Inc. | Softlink Oliver | 20 | 68 | 213 | 157 | 610 | 20 | 46 | 115 | 52 | 76 | 1,045 |
| Book Systems, Inc. | Atriuum | 30 | 45 | 75 | 159 | 13 | 25 | 42 | 139 | 299 | ||
| Mandarin Library Automation | Mandarin Oasis | 2 | 150 | 107 | 2 | 50 | 55 | 255 | ||||
| Follett Software Company | Sagebrush Accent | 5 | 55 | 32 | 5 | 32 | 32 | |||||
| Automation Systems for Individual Schools | ||||||||||||
| Follett Software Company | Follett Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus | 3,040 | 1,618 | 465 | 387 | 174 | 1,354 | 990 | 365 | 345 | 149 | 26,306 |
| COMPanion Corp. | Alexandria | 1,538 | 1,085 | 502 | 872 | 980 | 682 | 432 | 232 | 872 | 980 | 11,477 |
| Book Systems, Inc. | Concourse | 954 | 627 | 506 | 268 | 214 | 713 | 497 | 385 | 241 | 175 | 9,920 |
| Follett Software Company | Winnebago Spectrum | 2,150 | 1,399 | 325 | 68 | 27 | 1,290 | 496 | 183 | 56 | 25 | 7,227 |
| Follett Software Company | Sagebrush Athena | 1,787 | 575 | 298 | 131 | 35 | 1,072 | 522 | 270 | 126 | 30 | 5,182 |
| Follett Software Company | InfoCentre | 3,541 | 2,759 | 43 | 170 | 450 | 35 | 4,709 | ||||
| Mandarin Library Automation, Inc. | Mandarin M3 | 231 | 104 | 470 | 640 | 231 | 104 | 270 | 490 | 3,853 | ||
| Follett Software Company | Destiny Library Manager for Schools | 44 | 373 | 476 | 721 | 40 | 261 | 339 | 368 | 1,455 | ||
| LibraryWorld, Inc. | LibraryWorld | 203 | 89 | 55 | 72 | 55 | ||||||
| LibraryWorld, Inc. | LibraryCom | 167 | 195 | 204 | 167 | 195 | 204 | |||||
| LibraryWorld, Inc. | LibraryNet | 30 | 5 | 28 | 5 | |||||||
| Softlink America Inc. | Softlink Alice | 398 | 417 | 900 | 398 | 385 | 900 | |||||
| Automation Systems for Special Libraries | ||||||||||||
| Inmagic, Inc. | DB/Text for Libraries | 1,712 | 500 | 100 | 254 | 130 | 10 | 17,000 | ||||
| Softlink America Inc. | Liberty | 135 | 137 | 177 | 302 | 432 | 109 | 117 | 172 | 284 | 405 | 1,080 |
| EOS International | EOS.Web | 18 | 157 | 196 | 257 | 146 | 15 | 42 | 49 | 61 | 83 | 609 |
| CyberTools, Inc. | CyberTools for Libraries | 27 | 73 | 44 | 31 | 27 | 73 | 44 3 | 1 | 286 | ||
| Inmagic, Inc. | Genie | 100 | 150 | 20 | 100 | 250 | ||||||
| Keystone Systems, Inc. | KLAS | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 95 |
| *Where there are blank spaces, no data was available or companies provided aggregated figures SOURCE: LJ AUTOMATED SYSTEM MARKETPLACE 2008 | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | ||||||||
| Company | Development | Support | Sales | Admin | Other | Total | 2006 Total | % of Change |
| Auto-Graphics | 9 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 32 | 11% |
| Book Systems | 16 | 22 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 57 | 50 | 12 |
| Care Affiliates | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||
| Civica | 17 | 336 | 17 | 9 | 379 | 322 | 15 | |
| COMPanion Corp. | 67 | 65 | 3 | |||||
| CyberTools | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | |
| EOS International | 15 | 27 | 25 | 4 | 11 | 82 | 82 | 0 |
| Equinox Software | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Ex Libris | 129 | 187 | 53 | 49 | 418 | 393 | 6 | |
| Follett Software Company | 58 | 181 | 115 | 50 | 0 | 404 | 370 | 8 |
| Infor Library Solutions | 14 | 18 | 18 | 5 | 20 | 75 | 77 | -3 |
| InfoVision Technology | 40 | |||||||
| Inmagic | 18 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 50 | 40 | 20 |
| Innovative Interfaces | 73 | 181 | 27 | 29 | 0 | 310 | 295 | 5 |
| ISACSOFT | 95 | |||||||
| Kelowna Software | 4 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 30 | ||
| Keystone Systems | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 13 | 19 |
| LibLime | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 57 | |
| LibraryWorld (was CASPR) | 11 | |||||||
| The Library Corporation | 64 | 82 | 26 | 13 | 6 | 191 | 210 | -10 |
| Mandarin Library Automation | 20 | |||||||
| Polaris Library Systems | 26 | 31 | 11 | 1 | 69 | 66 | 4 | |
| Serials Solutions | 37 | 33 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 102 | 78 | 24 |
| SirsiDynix Corporation | 104 | 290 | 68 | 29 | 491 | 629 | -28 | |
| Softlink | 22 | 45 | 27 | 13 | 8 | 115 | 104 | 10 |
| Surpass Software | 10 | |||||||
| SydneyPLUS | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 60 | 60 | 0 | |
| Talis | 30 | 26 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 84 | 83 | 1 |
| VTLS | 26 | 36 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 86 | 75 | 13 |
| *Where there are blank spaces, no data was available SOURCE: LJ AUTOMATED SYSTEM MARKETPLACE 2008 | ||||||||
| Company | Product Name | New Name | Existing | Total Contracts | U.S. Sales | Non-U.S. Sales | Installed | Installed w/Maint |
| SYSTEMS FOR ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES | ||||||||
| Ex Libris | Aleph 500 | 26 | 3 | 29 | 3 | 26 | 1,991 | |
| SirsiDynix | Unicorn | 51 | 70 | 121 | 68 | 53 | 1,704 | |
| SirsiDynix | Horizon | 3 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 1,612 | ||
| Innovative Interfaces | Millennium | 79 | 13 | 95 | 70 | 22 | 1,289 | 1,289 |
| Ex Libris | Voyager | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1,179 | |||
| VTLS | Virtua | 25 | 5 | 30 | 1 | 29 | 926 | 926 |
| TLC | Library.Solution | 35 | 35 | 34 | 1 | 700 | 700 | |
| LibLime | Koha Classic | 29 | 29 | 23 | 6 | 340 | 85 | |
| Infor Library Solutions | Vubis Smart | 9 | 31 | 40 | 40 | 312 | 312 | |
| Polaris Library Systems | Polaris | 22 | 10 | 32 | 31 | 1 | 286 | 272 |
| Civica | Spydus 8 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 25 | 184 | 184 | |
| Auto-Graphics | AGent VERSO | 44 | 1 | 47 | 70 | 173 | 162 | |
| Talis | Alto | 2 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 111 | 111 | |
| Civica | Spydus 8 Managed Service | 17 | 9 | 26 | 1 | 25 | 68 | 68 |
| TLC | Carl.X and Carl.Solution | 21 | 21 | |||||
| LibLime | Koha ZOOM | 27 | 1 | 28 | 27 | 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Biblionix | Apollo | 23 | 23 | 23 | ||||
| ISACSOFT | Portfolio | 16 | 16 | 16 | ||||
| SYSTEMS FOR SPECIAL LIBRARIES | ||||||||
| Inmagic | DB/Text Products | 10 | 90 | 100 | 40 | 60 | 17,000 | 5,000 |
| SoftLink | Liberty | 405 | 27 | 432 | 205 | 227 | 1,080 | 1,074 |
| EOS Intl | EOS.Web | 83 | 63 | 146 | 118 | 28 | 609 | 609 |
| CyberTools | CyberTools for Libraries | 31 | 31 | 31 | 286 | 286 | ||
| Inmagic | Inmagic Genie | 100 | 50 | 150 | 110 | 40 | 250 | 250 |
| Keystone Systems | KLAS | 4 | 4 | 99 | 95 | 95 | ||
| Inmagic | Presto | 15 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
| SYSTEMS FOR SCHOOLS | ||||||||
| Follett | Circulation Plus | 149 | 25 | 174 | 127 | 47 | 26,306 | |
| COMPanion | Alexandria Library Automation | 980 | 832 | 158 | 11,477 | |||
| Book Systems | Concourse | 175 | 38 | 214 | 212 | 2 | 9,920 | 8,766 |
| Mandarin Library Automation | Mandarin M3 | 490 | 250 | 3,853 | 3,853 | |||
| Kelowna Software Ltd. | L4U Platinum | 272 | 512 | 784 | 612 | 1,929 | 2,541 | 1,896 |
| Surpass Software | Surpass Library Automation | 167 | 2,100 | |||||
| SoftLink | Oliver | 76 | 524 | 610 | 38 | 572 | 1,045 | 1,032 |
| Book Systems | Atriuum | 139 | 20 | 159 | 158 | 1 | 299 | 299 |
| Mandarin Library Automation | Oasis | 55 | 52 | 107 | 255 | 255 | ||
| Follett | Athena | 30 | 35 | 5,182 | ||||
| Follett | Destiny Library Manager for Districts | 606 | 124 | 639 | 690 | 40 | 1,608 | |
| Follett | Destiny Library Manager for Schools | 368 | 353 | 721 | 557 | 164 | 1,455 | |
| Follett | InfoCentre | 35 | 8 | 43 | 43 | 4,709 | ||
| Follett | Winnebago Spectrum | 25 | 2 | 27 | 23 | 4 | 7,227 | |
| *Where there are blank spaces, no data was available SOURCE: LJ AUTOMATED SYSTEM MARKETPLACE 2008 | ||||||||
| Company | Supported Systems | Installed Sites | Support Staff | 2007 Ratio | 2006 Ratio |
| Innovative Interfaces | Millennium, Innopac | 1304 | 181 | 7.2 | 7.1 |
| TLC | Library.Solution, Carl.Solution, Carl.X | 721 | 82 | 8.8 | 8.3 |
| Polaris Library Systems | Polaris, GALAXY | 287 | 31 | 9.3 | 9.6 |
| VTLS | VTLS Classic, Virtua | 354 | 36 | 9.8 | 9.4 |
| SirsiDynix | Unicorn, Horizon, Dynix, DRA Classic, MultiLIS | 4041 | 290 | 13.9 | 8.7 |
| Ex Libris | ALEPH 500, ALEPH 300, Voyager | 3153 | 187 | 16.9 | 19.5 |
| Auto-Graphics | AGent VERSO | 173 | 9 | 19.2 | 10.6 |
| Infor Library Solutions | Vubis Smart, Advance, PLUS, Vubis Original | 417 | 18 | 23.2 | 37.8 |
| Keystone Systems | KLAS | 95 | 4 | 23.8 | 12.8 |
| SOURCE: LJ AUTOMATED SYSTEM MARKETPLACE 2008 | |||||
| Company | Product Name | New Name | Existing | Total Contracts | Installed |
| NEW GENERATION INTERFACES | |||||
| Ex Libris Group | Primo | 7 | 5 | 12 | 77 |
| Innovative Interfaces | Encore | 72 | 81 | ||
| SirsiDynix | SchoolRooms | 12 | 16 | ||
| TLC | AquaBrowser Library | 42 | 13 | 55 | 128 |
| VTLS | Visualizer | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| LibLime | YakPac Kid's OPAC | 6 | 1 | ||
| OPENURL LINK SERVERS | |||||
| Serials Solutions | 360 Link | 122 | 55 | 177 | 806 |
| Ex Libris Group | SFX + LinkFinderPlus | 61 | 20 | 81 | 1,644 |
| Innovative Interfaces | WebBridge LR | 58 | 340 | ||
| Infor Library Solutions | V-link | 4 | |||
| ELECTRONIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | |||||
| Ex Libris Group | Verde + Meridian | 12 | 24 | 36 | 174 |
| Innovative Interfaces | Electronic Resource Management | 39 | 235 | ||
| Serials Solutions | 360 Resource Manager | 30 | 42 | 72 | 167 |
| FEDERATED SEARCH | |||||
| Serials Solutions | 360 Search | 174 | 90 | 164 | 635 |
| Innovative Interfaces | Research Pro | 66 | 187 | ||
| Ex Libris Group | MetaLib + ENCompass | 30 | 23 | 53 | 1,325 |
| LibLime | Masterkey Metasearch | 7 | 1 | 7 | |
| Infor Library Solutions | V-spaces | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
| Softlink | Quest | 14 | 5 | 19 | 36 |
| Auto-Graphics | AGent Search | 3 | 3 | 49 | |
| TLC | WebFeat | 4 | 1 | 5 | 16 |
| Total WebFeat | WebFeat | 330 | 16,500 | ||
| Repository/Local Digital Collections Management | |||||
| Auto-Graphics | AGent Digital Collections | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Innovative | Interfaces Symposia | 7 | |||
| Ex Libris | Group DigiTool | 5 | 7 | 12 | 121 |
| LibLime | Kete Digital Archive | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| VTLS | VITAL | 5 | 1 | 6 | 33 |
| Resource Sharing | |||||
| Auto-Graphics | AGent Resource Sharing | 3 | 5 | 294 | |
| TLC | Library.Request | 5 | |||
| Talis Information Limited | Talis Source | 2 | 67 | 69 | 209 |
| *Where there are blank spaces, no data was available SOURCE: LJ AUTOMATED SYSTEM MARKETPLACE 2008 | |||||
| Author Information |
| Marshall Breeding (staffweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/breeding) is Director for Innovative Technology and Research, Vanderbilt University Library, Nashville |
Company Profiles
Auto-Graphics, Inc. Pomona, CA; 800-776-6939 www.auto-graphics.com Auto-Graphics specializes in library automation and resource sharing products for public libraries and ranks as one of the few public companies in the industry. Established in 1950 to provide services for the publishing industry, the company now focuses exclusively on library automation. Auto-Graphics increased its workforce in 2007 by 11%. It takes a large number of ILS sales to small libraries to result in significant revenues. The company reaps much larger revenues from its large-scale resource sharing contracts. It provides more statewide resource sharing environments than any of its competitors. Product News The company released Version 3.0 of AGent VERSO in 2007. VERSO saw strong sales, primarily to small public libraries, including the 32 libraries of the Southwest Kansas Library System. This year's sales of AGent VERSO also included some small academic libraries. The company favors Software as a Service (SaaS), with about 95% of sales going to this model. Book Systems, Inc. Huntsville, AL; 800-219-6571 www.booksys.com Book Systems, a midsized, privately owned company, increased its workforce in 2007 from 50 to 57 personnel, a 12% increase. The company made 159 sales of its web-based Atriuum automation system to a mix of school libraries (64%), small publics (30%), academics (4%), and special libraries (3%). School districts selecting Atriuum this year included those in Little Rock, AR; Baldwin County, AL; and Sumner County, TN. The 214 sales of its more established Windows-based Concourse system went primarily to special libraries. Product News This year Book Systems introduced Atriuum Version 3, WebOPAC Version 6.1, and version 3.0 of the company's BookTracks textbook management system. CARE Affiliates Blacksburg, VA; 866-340-9580 www.care-affiliates.com CARE Affiliates was formed in June 2007 to support open source library software. The company focused on start-up activities, especially on forming partnerships with like-minded companies. CARE Affiliates so far has not attached itself to any of the open source ILS products but has focused on services related to federated search, based on the MasterKey technology developed by Index Data. The company launched the OpenTranslators initiative, partnering with Index Data and WebFeat to offer a hosted subscription service providing access to the translators required for federated search, essentially decoupling the translators needed for the internal operation of a federated search environment from the search technology and front-end interface. People CARE Affiliates was cofounded by Carl Grant and Lou Leuzzi. Grant most recently served as president and COO of VTLS and was previously president of Ex Libris (U.S.A.); he also held executive positions at Ameritech, Innovative, and DRA. Product News The company recently debuted two services, both related to helping libraries use open source software. FaStart focuses on establishing a digital repository using Fedora, DSpace, or EPrints. CrOSS is the company's general package of services providing support, training, hosting, maintenance, and custom development for library initiatives based on open source software. Civica Pty Limited Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; +61 3 8676 4400; www.civica.com.au Civica, a well-established company in Australia and the UK, revamped its U.S. presence by establishing an office here in December 2007. The company offers products and services to a wide range of industries, including local government, housing, police and security, healthcare, corporations, and libraries. The company's library division increased its workforce from 322 to 379. Division revenues fell in the $20–$25 million range, with only 2% derived from U.S. libraries. The company's stronghold lies in the Asia-Pacific region. It dominates new sales in the Singapore library market. Since its entry into the UK library market in 2005, it has won contracts for public libraries in 14 governmental authorities; two of those were awarded in 2007. In step with the broader trend, an increasing number of libraries are choosing to run Spydus through the SaaS model, with 46% selecting its Managed Services option. In 2007, only one Spydus contract involved a U.S. library. Though not especially well known here, Civica is one of the most successful international providers of library automation software. COMPanion Corp. Salt Lake City, UT; 801-943-7277 www.goalexandria.com COMPanion ranks as a distant second to Follett in the K–12 school automation sector. The company employs 67, up two from last year. The company made 980 sales of Alexandria in 2007, more sales to new customers than any year since its founding in 1987. A total of 11,477 libraries use Alexandria, one of the few library automation products that runs on both Windows and Mac. In addition to Alexandria, the company also offers its Textbook Tracker product for textbook management; KeepnTrack to aid in monitoring visitors and volunteers on school premises; Big6 Turbo Tools, a package to help schools measure information literacy performance; and eLunchroom for cafeteria management. CyberTools, Inc. Harvard, MA; 978-772-9200 www.cybertoolsforlibraries.com CyberTools for Libraries is a small private company, employing five. The vast majority of the its clients are medical libraries, with academic libraries representing a growing minority. Revenues fell in the $1–$2.5 million range, with 98% derived from U.S. clients. The company made an additional 31 sales of CyberTools for Libraries in 2007, increasing its installed base to 286: 265 special and 21 academic libraries. Product News In 2007, the company developed tools to assist libraries in the integration of online content into their search environment, allowing CyberTools to serve as a single portal for library content. The approach involves loading bibliographic records representing these online resources into the OPAC. EOS International Carlsbad, CA; 800-876-5484 www.eosintl.com EOS International, a private company established in 1981, focuses on special libraries, mostly those in Fortune 500 corporations and law firms. In 2007, a number of libraries in health-care organizations, historical societies, and museums adopted EOS.Web. The company won 146 contracts for its EOS.Web product, 83 to new accounts, increasing its installations to 609. All sales for the year went to special libraries. The company did not reveal its revenues for 2007. Product News In 2007, the EOS.Web product was certified by a U.S. government agency as compliant with Section 508 requirements to make the product accessible to those with disabilities. The company also added the ability to deliver results through RSS and developed a web-based reporting module. Equinox Software Norcross, GA; 877-673-6457 www.esilibrary.com Equinox Software was established in early 2007 primarily to support the Evergreen library automation system originally developed by the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS). The company mostly employs former GPLS staff, who now support the Georgia PINES implementation of Evergreen as an independent contractor. The company also offers support services to any library interested in adopting Evergreen. Equinox established a partnership with Alpha-G Consulting to facilitate the conversion of libraries using Horizon to Evergreen. People Brad LaJeunesse heads the company as president. Robert E. Molyneux, formerly with SirsiDynix, joined Equinox Software in November 2007. Ex Libris Group Jerusalem, Israel; +972-2-6499100 www.exlibrisgroup.com Ex Libris Group specializes in developing automation products for academic and research libraries as well as large consortia. The company came under the ownership of private equity firm Francisco Partners in July 2006. Endeavor Information Systems joined the fold through its November 2006 acquisition from Elsevier. In 2007, the company increased its workforce from 393 to 418, a net increase of 6%. Product News The company has responsibility for two automation systems: Aleph, its core product, and Voyager, acquired from Endeavor. While the company has accelerated the development of Voyager, its marketing efforts focus on Aleph. Ex Libris made 29 sales of Aleph in 2007 compared to four for Voyager. Worldwide installations of Aleph totaled 1,991 at the end of 2007 compared to 1,179 installations of Voyager. A key strategic effort for Ex Libris in 2007 involved its next-generation interface, Primo, which it positioned as a discovery and delivery platform for patrons; Primo saw general release in May 2007. Seventy-seven libraries have signed contracts for Primo. The company also continued development on MetaLib for federated search, Verde for electronic resource management (ERM), and SFX for Open URL; it maintained its lead in SFX, with 1,644 combined installations for its own SFX and Endeavor's LinkFinder Plus. The company developed an environment for digital preservation in partnership with National Library of New Zealand. The National Library Board of Singapore signed on as an early customer. People Robert Mercer replaced Dan Trajman as president of Ex Libris North America. Matti Shem Tov continues as president and CEO of Ex Libris Group. Follett Software Company McHenry, IL; 815-344-8700 www.fsc.follett.com Follett Software Company (FSC), a business unit of Follett Corporation, offers a variety of products related to educational resource management. Revenues of the parent company total $2.37 billion. FSC now focuses broadly on automation products and services for schools. The company increased its workforce from 370 in 2006 to 404 at year-end 2007, an 8% increase. By far, FSC ranks as the largest provider of automation products to school libraries, six times the size of its nearest competitor; its products are in over half of school libraries in the United States. In 2006, FSC acquired the automation products of its rival Sagebrush Corporation, including Athena, Winnebago Spectrum, and InfoCentre. Challenges for 2007 included shepherding the transition of libraries using these products to Destiny Library Manager for Schools as well as from its older PC-based Circulation Plus. The company continues to provide support for all its legacy products. FSC made sales of Destiny Library Manager for Schools to 721 libraries and Destiny Library Manager for Districts to 639 accounts. Product News FSC released Version 8.0 of Destiny in 2007. Consistent with broad industry trends, FSC began offering an option for Destiny as a hosted service. Major contracts for Destiny included Norfolk Public Schools in Virginia and Douglas County Schools in Colorado. FSC also released a new version of InfoCentre in 2007, a strong mark of support for the libraries using this former Sagebrush product. Index Data West Hartford, CT; 866-489-1568 www.indexdata.dk Index Data has been involved in developing and supporting open source software for libraries since its founding in 1994 but has stayed out of the ILS arena, except to provide many internal components used by other companies. Headquartered in Denmark, with U.S. and UK offices, Index Data follows a business model that involves the development of open source software available without licensing fees and engages in consulting projects involving implementation, support, and custom development. Product News One of Index Data's major accomplishments in 2007 was the development of Pazpar2, a high-performance federated search middleware product capable of searching up to 100 targets simultaneously. This is the basis for the MasterKey federated search platform, which has also been marketed by CARE Affiliates and LibLime. People Lynn Bailey joined Index Data in December 2007 as CEO. Sebastian Hammer, who cofounded Index Data, serves as president, focusing on software development and technology strategies. Infor Library and Information Solutions Framingham, MA; 800-825-2574 www.vubis-smart.com Infor Library and Information Solutions carries on the legacy of Geac, one of the pioneers of the library automation industry, and operates as an independent business unit of Infor, a large company involved in providing enterprise business applications for many industries. Infor Library employs 75, a slight decrease from the 77 reported for 2006. The company's flagship automation system, Vubis Smart, has seen strong success in parts of Europe and in the UK but has not been widely adopted in North America. The company launched its V-spaces federated search platform in late 2006 and made a number of major sales in 2007, including the Arachne Virtual Catalog, a consolidated search environment for public libraries in Flanders, Belgium. In 2007, Infor made sales for the Vubis Smart automation system to libraries in Belgium, France (60 branch libraries in Paris), and the UK. Infor made no U.S. sales for Vubis Smart; it sold V-spaces to two libraries in the United States and Canada. As Infor's position strengthens in the Europe and the UK, it may gain momentum in North America. People In January 2007, Infor appointed Ann Melaerts, previously general manager for its Southern Europe division, as its managing director, following the departure of Eric van Lubeek, who became director of operations and services for OCLC Pica. Infovision Williamsport, PA; 800-849-1655 www.infovisionsoftware.com Infovision, based in Australia, offers content management and library automation products to libraries worldwide. Amlib, the company's library automation product, has been widely adopted in many regions by public, school, and special libraries. Brodart distributed Amlib from 2000 to 2003; since that period, Amlib has had its own U.S. sales and support office. Inmagic, Inc. Woburn, MA; 800-229-8398 www.inmagic.com Inmagic specializes in products for corporate and other special libraries. These include Inmagic Presto for enterprise research asset management, as well as Genie and DB/TextWorks for automation of special libraries. Inmagic derives 40% of revenues from non-U.S. libraries. The company increased its staff 20%, from 40 at the end of 2006 to 50. Among the companies focused on special libraries, Inmagic ranks third behind EOS International and SydneyPLUS. In 2007, Edison Venture Fund invested $5 million in Inmagic, giving the company additional resources for software development, marketing, and operations. The firm plans to increase staff and accelerate its ability to deliver new products. This venture capital investment doesn't amount to a change of ownership, though Edison gains two seats on Inmagic's board of directors. People Paul Puzzanghera continues as the company's president and CEO. Wally McKenzie joined the company as chief client officer, Mike Cassettari came in as VP of sales, and Andy Park was promoted to CTO. Product News The company released version 2.0 of Presto, which includes features such as syndication of content through RSS and the ability for users to set alerts for notification when content of interest becomes available. Innovative Interfaces, Inc. Emeryville, CA; 510-655-6200; www.iii.com Innovative Interfaces ranks as the second largest company in the industry. Still independent and owned by original founder Jerry Kline, it has avoided the private equity firms that have gained control of other companies in the industry. Innovative continues its trajectory of steady growth, adding a significant number of new customers each year, continually enhancing its core products, and developing new offerings. In 2007, Innovative gained more new customers than any of its competitors, with 79 contracts for Millennium to new accounts and 95 overall. Innovative's products are used primarily by academic and public libraries, as well as law and medical libraries. This year, 63% of Millennium contracts went to academic libraries. Innovative increased its workforce 5%, boosting the 295 personnel at the end of 2006 to 310 by the end of 2007. The company reported sales in the $70–$80 million range and does 30% of its business outside the United States. Product News Encore headlined Innovative's progress in 2007, as this new discovery services platform saw initial release and implementation in 14 libraries, with dozens more scheduled in the early months of 2008. Most libraries adopting Encore use the Millennium platform, but the product has also attracted those using Aleph, Voyager, and Unicorn. Work on Encore 2.0 is underway, with 31 libraries collaborating as development partners. Innovative also launched ArticleReach in 2007, a new product that provides the same kind of resource sharing for articles among a group of libraries as INN-Reach does for books. The company renamed its Self-Check software Express Lane, enhancing the product to allow patrons to manage their holds and to check items in, and improved its e-commerce features for payment of fines and fees. The product now supports RFID. Other product news includes the enhancement of ERM with support for the SUSHI protocol to retrieve and process usage statistics automatically. The company made improvements to its Content Access Service, a product to help libraries manage e-journals through a knowledgebase of holdings, an A–Z list of journals, and delivery of MARC records. ISACSOFT Inc. Montreal, Quebec; 514-282-7073, x252 www.isacsoft.com ISACSOFT, a public company, focuses on library automation products sold primarily in Canada and France. The company was assembled in 2004 through the acquisition of BiblioMondo and a number of other companies to form a business involved with training, e-learning, smart cards, and library automation. The company began a review of strategic alternatives in February 2007, resulting in a new focus on the library automation portion of its business and the sale of its training division. In February 2008, ISACSOFT announced its intention to pursue a transition to a private company, controlled by company founder Ronald Brisebois, also its largest shareholder. The company signed 16 contracts for its Portfolio automation system in 2007. It employs a total of 95 and earned revenues in the $10–$15 million range. Kelowna Software Ltd. Kelowna, BC; 800-667-3634; www.L4U.com Kelowna Software, a privately owned company in operation since 1985, offers the L4U Platinum automation system. The company also sells a media booking module for L4U, designed to help central offices within a school district manage the booking and shipping of resources in response to requests in each school. Kelowna made 272 sales of L4U to new clients out of a total of 784 overall, bringing the number of installations of the software to a total of 1,896. Seventy-three percent of sales went to school libraries. The company employs a total of 30 and derives 70% of its revenues from U.S. libraries; most other sales are to libraries in Canada. Product News In 2007, the company enhanced L4U to provide access to all modules through a web browser. Keystone Systems, Inc. Raleigh, NC; 919-782-1143; www.klas.com Keystone Systems is a private company in business for over 20 years; it offers the KLAS automation systems designed especially for special libraries that serve remote patrons. Many of the company's clients are libraries for the blind or Talking Book libraries where the workflow emulates a central warehouse distribution center more than the typical public library in-person borrowing model. KLAS excels at compliance with the Section 508 requirements for persons with disabilities. Keystone made four new sales of KLAS in 2007, increasing its installations to 95. The company employs 16, up from 13 reported for 2006, a 19% increase. LibLime Athens, OH; 888-564-2457 www.liblime.com LibLime was established in early 2005 to support the Koha library automation system and other library-oriented open source applications. The company has seen steady growth both in terms of libraries contracting for its services and in adding staff; the acquisition of the Koha division of Katipo Communications strengthens the company's resources. Still a small company of 14, it increased its workforce 57% in 2007. People In February 2007, LibLime announced that industry veteran Marc Roberson, former VP of strategic accounts at SirsiDynix, will serve as VP, Library Partners. The Library Corporation Inwood, WV; 800-325-7759 www.tlcdelivers.com Founded in 1974, The Library Corporation (TLC), a private, family-owned company, provides automation products for public libraries. It employs 191, a 10% reduction in force. Its 2007 revenues fell in the $30–$35 million range. This was a challenging year for the Carl side of the business, which focuses on large municipal systems and consortia. The combined Carl.Solution and Carl.X installations dropped from 22 to 21 (Phoenix PL moved from Carl to Polaris). In the sector served by Carl, each contract can represent significant revenue—the equivalent of dozens or hundreds in the small library sector. Sales of Library.Solution, which TLC offers for all but the largest class of libraries, continue at a strong level, with 35 contracts in 2007, lifting the number of installations to 700. The company had an especially good year in the K–12 school arena with eight sales of Library.Solution to school districts, including Jefferson County School District, CO, with 140 libraries serving 85,000 students. Product News In February 2008, the company released a new version of its CircIT self-checkout software. Library.Request never took off as a major product for TLC, with Louisiana as its sole adopter, while the company's TechLogic division expanded, opening an office in Melbourne, Australia. In response to Bowker's acquisition of AquaBrowser, which represented significant revenue, TLC began aggressively to develop its own next-generation interface, dubbed Indigo, expected for release in 2008. TLC made 55 sales of AquaBrowser, including Oklahoma State University, one of the few large academic libraries to implement this interface. People Simon Marcus joined the company in 2007 as COO, and Joshua Bloom came on board as CTO. Both Gar Snydor and Tim Heishman moved up. Trish Culkin, one of the principal developers of Carl, retired, and Carl executive project manager Paul Leppert is taking charge of the company's Denver operations. LibraryWorld, Inc. San Jose, CA; 800-852-2777 www.libraryworld.com LibraryWorld, formerly known as CASPR, offers its hosted LibraryWorld service as a low-cost option for library automation. Libraries can use LibraryWorld for 30 days cost free. After the initial free trial, the price is $395 per year. The number of libraries using LibraryWorld totals over 1000. The company indicates that 55% of LibraryWorld customers are school libraries, 33% special libraries, 9% academic, and 3% public libraries. Mandarin Library Automation, Inc. Boca Raton, FL; 800-426-7477, x0 www.mlasolutions.com Mandarin Library Automation (MLA) offers Mandarin Oasis, a centralized web-based system geared toward school libraries. The company had 55 new sales of Oasis in 2007, increasing its total installations to 255, and it began offering Oasis as a hosted service. The company offers its previous system, Mandarin M3, under a different model. Libraries can download the software from Mandarin's web site and use the basic features without cost but may choose to purchase support services and optional modules. The free version of M3 includes the circulation, cataloging, and reporting modules but doesn't include the web OPAC, the textbook module, authority control, or the serials and acquisition module. MLA reported 490 new Mandarin M3 sales in 2007, with a total number of libraries purchasing maintenance at 3,853. As a result of a major stock purchase, company executives acquired 50% ownership from EGEG holdings, which previously held all shares in the company. MuseGlobal, Inc. San Francisco, CA; 415-896-6873 www.museglobal.com MuseGlobal produces technology components widely deployed in the library automation arena as part of other federated search environments sold to libraries. In most cases, MuseGlobal doesn't market directly to libraries. Components of MuseSearch operate within products from a wide range of vendors, including SirsiDynix, Innovative Interfaces, Mandarin, Transtech, Softlink, and a number of international vendors. MuseGlobal's technology also works within the search and portal environments of publishers such as CSA MultiSearch, SwetsWise Searcher, and Ovid Technologies. Its non-ILS partners include Endeca, FAST, Intellisearch, Groxis, Jones e-Global, Newstex, MarkLogic, BlackBoard, and Microsoft's SharePoint. Product News In early 2008, MuseGlobal launched News Hound and Blog Hound, targeted at the business enterprise and consumer markets to search and aggregate diverse types of content. OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. Dublin, OH; 800-848-5878; www.oclc.org OCLC, a nonprofit membership organization, offers many different services to libraries, including a number of automation products. In recent years, OCLC has evolved from a focus on bibliographic services to a much broader agenda and increasingly overlaps with the companies involved in library automation after acquiring several of them. In FY06/07, OCLC collected $235 million in revenues. The organization's involvement in library automation has grown steadily in the last two years. In Europe, OCLC Pica has offered two automation systems for many years, one oriented toward consortia as well as a more traditional ILS. OCLC has acquired a number of companies offering library automation components, including Sisis, Fretwell-Downing Informatics, Openly Informatics, and DiMeMa. In early 2008, OCLC acquired EZproxy from Useful Utilities. In the next-generation library catalogs arena, OCLC's WorldCat Local directly competes with products like Encore, Primo, AquaBrowser, Endeca, and Visualizer. Polaris Library Systems Syracuse, NY; 800-272-3414 www.polarislibrary.com Polaris Library Systems is a midsized private company primarily focused on automation systems for public libraries. The company employs a total of 69, a 4% increase since 2006. Polaris had 32 sales in 2007, including 22 to new customers, to bring total installations to 286. The company won fewer contracts in 2007 than it has in recent years but captured some very large accounts such as Phoenix PL, Dallas PL, and Pinellas Library Cooperative in Florida. While the number of contracts signed is down, the 168 library facilities involved are significantly higher than the 93 reported in 2006. Polaris continues to find acceptance of its automation system by ever larger libraries. Though principally focused on public libraries, the company picked up a few midsized colleges migrating from its legacy Galaxy product. Product News Product developments included the release of Polaris 3.3, adding AJAX technologies for a smoother user experience, enriched content options such as book jacket images, “did you mean” suggestions, relevancy-ranked results, and faceted navigation. These features bring into the native Polaris OPAC much of the functionality offered in the next-generation catalog products being offered to replace other ILS catalogs. Serials Solutions Seattle, WA; 866-737-4257 www.serialssolutions.com Serials Solutions, while not in the ILS part of the library automation arena, offers products in almost all other product categories. It is a division of ProQuest, part of the Cambridge Information Group family of companies, which also owns R.R. Bowker. In 2006, Bowker acquired AquaBrowser from Medialab Solutions. Serials Solutions employs a total of 102, up 24% from the 78 reported for 2006. The company earned revenue in the $15–$20 million range; non-U.S. libraries constitute 19% of business. In February 2008, ProQuest acquired WebFeat, a widely adopted federated search product, which will be merged into Serials Solutions under general manager Jane Burke. (See separate entry on WebFeat.) Product News The Serials Solutions strategy, dubbed Electronic Resources Access and Management Services (ERAMS), revolves around its knowledgebase of e-content holdings, which it recently branded as KnowledgeWorks. In 2007, the company rebranded most of its products: ArticleLinker became 360 Link, AMS became 360 Core, Central Search became 360 Search, and ERMS became 360 Resource Manager. The company launched 360 Counter, an assessment tool to gather and present usage statistics from publishers for a library's subscribed content. All the products of Serials Solutions follow the SaaS model. In 2007, Serials Solutions gained responsibility for Ulrich's Web and Ulrich's Serials Analysis System, a shift within the larger corporate structure. SirsiDynix Huntsville, AL; 256-704-7000 www.sirsidynix.com SirsiDynix ranks as the largest company in the library automation industry, a consolidated company that hosts the remnants of many earlier firms, including Sirsi, Dynix, DRA, Ameritech Library Services, epixtech, MultiLIS, and INLEX. In 2007, ownership transferred from Seaport Capitol to Vista Equity Partners. The company employs a total of 491, down 28% from the 629 reported in 2006; the premerger June 2005 head count was 789. The company made more ILS sales than its competitors in 2007, with 121 total contracts for the year, 51 of which were to new accounts. Some 180 libraries joined consortia using a SirsiDynix ILS, representing a significant increase in business that isn't necessarily captured in the basic sales statistics. Major contracts announced include State Library of Tasmania, which provides automation for 240 libraries and moved from a Geac PLUS system; and in the UK, the 15 libraries of the Warrington Borough Council and 14 libraries of the St. Helens Council moved from Dynix. The San Diego Public Library purchased SchoolRooms. Product News Products released in 2007 include Symphony 3.2, the initial release of the company's flagship ILS; Horizon 7.4.1, an incremental upgrade; and a browser-based staff client for K–12 schools. The company announced the development of a new discovery interface based on Brainware technology, expected for release in 2008. People Gary M. Rautenstrauch was installed as the company's CEO in June 2007. The company built a new senior management team, which includes Keith Sturges as president of SirsiDynix International, Matthew Hawkins as COO, and Douglas R. Maughan as CFO. Talin Bingham continues as CTO. Softlink America Inc. Los Angeles, CA; 877-454-2725 www.softlinkint.com Founded in 1983, Softlink International is a global company based in Australia whose library automation products are used in 108 countries; it claims the distinction of being the only company with its ILS installed on all seven continents. Softlink America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Softlink International. The company offers two automation systems: Oliver, a centralized web-based system for schools, and Liberty, a web-based system for special, public, and academic libraries. Prior to its rebranding, this product was known as Liberty3. The U.S. market remains a fairly small portion of the company's business in the school sector but represents about half of its new business for Liberty, sold primarily to special libraries. Of the 610 contracts for Oliver, 38 were in the United States, and 205 out of 432 contracts for Liberty were to U.S. libraries. Of Liberty contracts to U.S. libraries, 95% involved SaaS implementations. Softlink increased its staff 10% to 115 from 104 reported in 2006. Product News The release of Liberty this year included significant enhancements to its serials management and a completely reworked interface. Surpass Software Calhoun, GA; 706-625-5399 www.SurpassSoftware.com Surpass, a small private company in business since 1985, offers Centriva, its centralized system for school districts and multibranch libraries, introduced in 2005. Centriva follows a mixed model with a web-based OPAC and Windows-based staff software. Surpass also offers an SaaS option. Centriva is one of the lower-cost systems available; average pricing is about $3000 per library plus $1,695 for the central server. The company reports a total of 2100 supported customers, with sales of 167 in 2007. School libraries and media centers comprise the largest share, though it is also used in small publics. Surpass reported an increase in staff in 2007 but did not provide specific personnel counts. Product News In 2007, Surpass introduced Searchpoint, a federated search platform based on WebFeat. SydneyPLUS International Richmond, BC; 604-278-6717 www.sydneyplus.com SydneyPLUS, like other companies focused on the corporate and legal library sector, has shifted its emphasis from traditional models of library automation to knowledge management. The company's core products now include Information Manager, a content management system for the web; SydneyPLUS KmBuilder, a tool kit for constructing customized web-enabled databases; and the Library and Knowledge Management System, a more traditional library automation system for corporate and special libraries. SydneyPLUS reported a total of 60 personnel, the same number as last year. Talis Information Limited Birmingham, West Midlands, UK; +44 (0) 870 400 5000; www.talis.com Talis continues to focus its business exclusively in the UK, though the company promotes Web 2.0 concepts in the United States. Talis employs a total of 84, a slight increase from 2006. Talis Alto ILS saw sales to two new UK accounts, increasing the total installed to 111. Talis Source, a resource sharing and interlibrary loan system, gained 69 libraries, upping total participants to 209. The company focuses strongly on helping libraries integrate their systems with that of their parent organizations, such as business systems of the local government authority or university campus, through a program called Talis Additions Partnership Program. VTLS Inc. Blacksburg, VA; 540-557-1200 www.vtls.com A midsized company specializing in automation solutions for complex library environments, VTLS stands as a veteran of the industry in operation since 1984. In 2007, the company increased its staff from 75 to 86 and reported that its revenues were strongest since its founding. The company opened a new office in the UK, expanded its office in Malaysia, and plans to open an office in Australia in 2008. VTLS landed a few major contracts for Virtua, including the National Library of Ireland. Much of the firm's business involves large-scale projects requiring custom development rather than off-the-shelf ILS implementations. Product News In early 2008, VTLS launched Visualizer, its entry into the next-generation interface competition. In 2007, it released a newly architected consortial version of Virtua that includes both a union catalog and discrete library catalogs through a single centralized installation; it provides an alternative to an earlier approach that required distributed installations of Virtua in each library in addition to the centralized union catalog. The RERO consortium in Switzerland selected the new product following a competitive procurement process. VTLS also developed a new product called Virtua Archive Management System to help libraries handle archival data, providing a cataloging workflow environment optimized for these materials. VTLS signed a number of additional contracts for its VITAL institutional repository product based on Fedora. WebFeat Old Brookville, NY; 888-757-9119 www.webfeat.org The big news about WebFeat came in early 2008, with its acquisition and merger into Serials Solutions (see Serials Solutions profile). WebFeat focuses its energies exclusively on its federated search product and has established itself as the leader in this sector. The company reported 55% growth in revenue for the 2007 fiscal year, with upward of 300 new clients. In 2007, the total number of libraries taking advantage of WebFeat's federated search products totaled 16,500, which includes individual libraries within large statewide or regional database services powered by WebFeat. Larger contracts won in 2007 include NC Live, providing access to a large collection of resources to library patrons throughout North Carolina; a customized federated search environment for the New York Public Library; and a statewide federated search project for library users in Pennsylvania. Product News New products launched in 2007 include the Enterprise Administration Manager, which simplifies the implementation of WebFeat within a multilibrary network or consortium, adding the ability to define discretely authentication and resource and presentation profiles and track usage for each participating library. The company also released SMART Usage Tracker 2.0, which has a number of enhancements that enable libraries to obtain information about usage of each resource accessed through WebFeat federated search products. In 2007, the company established a partnership with Index Data and CARE Affiliates in a program called OpenTranslators, making its library of connectors to search targets available to other federated search platforms.
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