By LJ Staff

This year there were 57 libraries, a relatively high number, that automated for the first time.

Company Profiles
Auto-Graphics, Inc.
3201 Temple Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768
800-776-6939
www.auto-graphics.com

Auto-Graphics is a publicly held company with interests in both library automation and resource sharing and publishing, although according to its recent SEC filings, 'the Company is focusing on its core library services business and not soliciting new publishing customers.' In 2003 Auto-Graphics reported six contracts for AGent Library Automation, down significantly from the 19 in 2002. The company saw an overall reduction in work force of 7%. The company's revenues, in the $5-$10 million range, are consistent with the previous two years. A modest proportion of its income comes from the sales of AGent Library Automation (15%). Auto-Graphics derives most of its income from large--often statewide--resource sharing systems. One quarter of its overall revenues in 2002 came from a single contract with Texas to provide resource sharing to all K-12 public schools. Technological advancements in 2003 include enhancements to AGent to support the ISO 10160/10161 ILL protocol. Successful testing of ILL transactions with the Library and Archives of Canada was announced in November 2003. Major contracts include a group of four Michigan library cooperatives that will implement AGent Library Automation for 15 libraries and use the AGent Portal as a resource sharing system that includes other automation systems. The State of New Jersey selected the AGent Portal and Authentication modules to provide statewide access to 25 subscription databases.

BiblioMondo Inc.
3600 Thimens
Montreal, QC H4R 1V6, Canada
514-337-3000
www.bibliomondo.com

BiblioMondo was created in 2000 through the acquisition of the Canadian-based Bestseller and the UK ALS International with the backing of three venture capital firms. BiblioMondo offers two distinct library automation systems, Concerto and Portfolio, which since the acquisition have not sold beyond their traditional markets in Europe and Canada, respectively. The company has developed a new product called ZONES Library Portal that operates with both Concerto and Portfolio to provide a web-based interface. It also incorporates metasearch and LDAP authentication functionality. There were 14 new contracts for Portfolio, all to new-name clients (only two in the United States), sharply down from the 40 contracts in 2002. The five contracts for Concerto, all European, were down dramatically from the 20 in 2002. While the numbers of contracts are low, they are relatively high in value with an average of $400,000 each. The company saw a net expansion in personnel of 10%. BiblioMondo is a company to watch. Its web site states that 'BiblioMondo Y2003 revenues are projected at $14M. BiblioMondo is raising $15M in Series B financing to expand into the United States by acquiring a strategic competitor.'

Book Systems, Inc.
721 Clinton Ave., Suite 11
Huntsville, AL 35801
800-219-6571
www.booksys.com

Book Systems saw 954 sales of its Concourse product, 713 to new customers. Over the last three years, the number of sales stands at less than half the numbers sold in 2001. All but three sales were to U.S. libraries. The company downsized personnel by 33% relative to 2002. Concourse targets school, small public, and special libraries. The average contract value is about $2000. Concourse is a PC-based automation system, and the company plans to release a centralized SQL-based system in 2004.

CASPR Library Systems, Inc.
PO Box 246
Saratoga, CA 95070
800-852-2777
www.caspr.com

CASPR offers LibraryCom, a low-cost ASP library automation service; LibraryWorld 3.0, a PC-based library automation system for Windows and Macintosh; and Library.Net, a web OPAC server for LibraryWorld. CASPR reported a total of 400 sales, including 203 sales of LibraryWorld; 30 of LibraryNet; and 167 of LibraryCom. Almost all were to new clients. Sales are down 33%, and the average contract value was $1000.

Civica
103 Hoddle St.
Collingwood, Victoria 3066, Australia
+61 3 9411 3300
www.civica.com.au

Civica reported 21 sales of its Spydus automation product, all to libraries in Australia and New Zealand. This is down 58% from the 50 contracts signed in 2001 and roughly equal to sales in 2002. The majority of sales of Spydus (67%) are to public libraries.

COMPanion Corp.
1831 Fort Union Blvd.
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
801-943-7277
www.goalexandria.com

Companion offers Alexandria, a PC-based library automation system for both Windows and Macintosh. Alexandria targets K-12 school libraries. Companion sold 1,538 licenses to Alexandria in 2003, almost identical to the number sold in 2002. In 2004, the company released version 5.44 of Alexandria, which includes a number of new features and a completely new web interface. In addition to the Alexandria automation system, COMPanion offers netTrekker, a search engine that assists students in searching the Internet for high-quality age-appropriate resources.

Corporate Networks-Insignia Solutions
Suite 1430, 10020-101A Ave.
Edmonton, Alta. T5J 3G2, Canada
866-428-3997
www.corpnet.ca

Corporate Networks plans continued marketing and support of the Insignia Solutions product line (Library Automation System, Insignia Student Information System, and the Insignia Media Manager) that it recently acquired. Insignia provides software designed to provide information management software for K-12 schools and small to medium-sized public and specialty libraries. Over 300 libraries in North America use the Insignia Library System, with about 30% in the United States. Recent sales for Insignia Solutions include a districtwide contract for the Halifax School District encompassing 150 individual libraries and the Thompson Public Library in Manitoba. In 2003 the company sold Insignia to 197 libraries, including one U.S. library.

CyberTools, Inc.
Blanchard House, 249 Ayer Rd., Suite 302
Harvard, MA 01451
978-772-9200
www.cybertoolsforlibraries.com

CyberTools is a small company that produces CyberTools for Libraries, an automation system specifically for medical libraries. The company signed 27 contacts for its CyberTools, all to new clients. New sales in 2003 were up slightly from the 26 made in 2002. The installed base for CyberTools for Libraries is 69.

Dynix
400 W. Dynix Dr.
Provo, UT 84604
801-223-5200
www.dynix.com

The company began the year by changing its name from epixtech, inc. to Dynix, leveraging the name of the library automation system that led the company to major success. The company also simplified the names of its products, focusing on the Horizon brand. Horizon Sunrise became Horizon; iPac became Horizon Information Portal; DititaLink became Horizon Digital Library. In 2003, Dynix led the industry in numbers of overall sales with a total of 168 contracts signed and ranked second in new-name sales at 77. Both new-name and total sales were up sharply from 2002. Of the 137 Dynix sites that migrated to a new system in 2003, 91 went to Horizon (66%), the remaining 46 chose a competing system. Dynix is a leaner company than it was in 2002, with a 15% reduction in personnel. On the technology front, the company released Horizon 7.3 with improvements that many users wanted to see before they migrated from the Dynix legacy system. Horizon Information Portal 2.1, a major upgrade from previous versions, provides web-based searching across databases. Dynix delivered 14 other major releases throughout its product line in 2003. Major contracts include the 79 libraries in the Southeastern Libraries Cooperating, Rochester, MN; Arrowhead Library System, Mt. Iron, MN; and the Dayton Metro Library.

Endeavor Information Systems
1310 E. Touhy, Suite 200E
Des Plaines, IL 60018-4505
847-296-2200
www.endinfosys.com

Endeavor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elsevier, markets the Voyager library management system to academic libraries. Endeavor's 35 sales were all to new clients since it has no legacy system. The number of sales is down for the second year running; over the last two years sales have dropped 30% from the 50 sold in 2001. The company expanded personnel by 4%. The average contract value in 2003 was over $250,000. Endeavor, with a specialization in academic libraries, has been selected by 36 of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. Among these, UCLA and University of British Columbia signed contracts to migrate to Voyager. Endeavor also signed 25 contracts for LinkFinderPlus, an OpenURL-based reference linking product; 40 contracts for the ENCompass digital library product; and 36 contracts for ENCompass for Resource Access, a metasearch and portal environment. Some of the product development accomplishments include incorporating Unicode support into Voyager and ENCompass and integrating the FAST Data Search technology into ENCompass, significantly extending its search and retrieval capabilities. The technology was facilitated by an existing relationship between FAST and Elsevier. A Linux version of ENCompass was developed in partnership with Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. Another focus of Endeavor is integrating ENCompass with courseware products such as WebCT Vista and Blackboard Learning System. The company forged partnerships with Luna to integrate its Insight image management system into ENCompass and with Virage to provide links to its digital video systems.

EOS International
2382 Faraday Ave., Suite 350
Carlsbad, CA 92008
800-876-5484
www.eosintl.com

EOS International specializes in software for corporate and other special libraries. In 2003 the company sold 209 GLAS systems and 54 Q Series. The company did not previously disclose sales figures. Last year EOS developed its new EOS.Web product, a multitier library automation system built on a SQL relational database. In its first year, EOS made 18 sales of this product. EOS. Web incorporates RetrievalWare search technology from Convera. Optional modules include the EOS.Web Indexer and EOS.Web Knowledgebuilder that allow an organization to manage unstructured business documents in their native formats such as Word, Excel, and PDF. The product is available as a locally installed system or as an ASP-hosted subscription.

Ex Libris (USA), Inc.
1919 N. Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
773-404-5527
www.exlibris-usa.com

Ex Libris markets its ALEPH 500 system to large research libraries and consortia worldwide. Though the company entered the U.S. market relatively late in its history (about 1999), it now derives 40% of its revenues from U.S. libraries. In a short time the company captured 20 of the lucrative ARL libraries and this year added Duke (migrating from DRA Classic) and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (from Horizon). Worldwide, Ex Libris signed 51 contracts for ALEPH 500. The majority (44 out of 51) of the new contracts were outside the United States. Specializing in very large library implementations, contract values tend to be high; this year they were estimated at over $310,000. The numbers of new sales for ALEPH 500 are down for the second year--36% below the 80 contracts signed in 2001 and 12% below 2002 sales. Ex Libris also went through some management changes in 2003 (see p. 48 for details). In addition to its ALEPH 500 ILS, the company successfully markets its SFX reference linking application and MetaLib portal and metasearch interface, with 84 and 62 contracts, respectively. At 17%, Ex Libris derives a higher portion of its revenues from non-ILS sales than any competitor. The company successfully marketed SFX to not just its own customers but also to customers of other systems. Other large U.S. contracts won in 2003 include the 23 libraries in the Virginia Community College System and the South Dakota Library Network (102 libraries).

Follett Software Company
1391 Corporate Dr.
McHenry, IL 60050
815-344-8700
www.fsc.follett.com

Follett Software Company (FSC), one of the largest companies in the K-12 school automation market, is also used by small public and special libraries. While FSC specializes in library automation software, other divisions of this large and diversified company offer textbook distribution, college bookstore management, and more. Follett reports 37,273 libraries using its Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus software. In 2003 Follett sold its Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus software to 3040 libraries, down 26% from 2002 and 52% from 2001, epitomizing the trend away from standalone automation in schools. In response, Follett announced its new Destiny product that provides districtwide automation. Follett developed Destiny as a new web-based product from the ground up. The Destiny server is installed and managed in a central location, typically by the district's IT staff. Within each library, all the features of the system can be accessed through a web browser, avoiding the need to install and maintain software in each school library. In its first year, 25 school districts signed contracts for Destiny, representing over 500 individual libraries.

Fretwell-Downing, Inc.
7400 W. 132nd St., Suite 140
Overland Park, KS 66213
913-239-1200
www.fdusa.com

Fretwell-Downing's OLIB7 targets academic and special libraries. The company signed 46 contracts in 2003, none in North America. The company is known in the United States for its portal and resource sharing products. Its offerings include ZPORTAL for academic libraries and CPORTAL for publics. FDI signed ten contracts for these systems in 2003. The company offers VDX (Virtual Document eXchange), an interlibrary loan (ILL) and resource sharing system for use in regional and statewide consortia. VDX makes it possible for consortia to perform peer-to-peer ILL, increasing the ability to share resources and decreasing reliance on external systems such as OCLC. With built-in support of the ISO 10160/ 10161 ILL protocol, it provides interoperability with external ILL systems to satisfy requests that cannot be filled within the consortium. In the reference-linking arena, it won two contracts for its OL2 product.

Geac Software Solutions-Libraries Division
Needles House, Birmingham Rd.
Studley, Warwickshire B80 7AS, United Kingdom
+44 (0) 870 909 5152
www.library.geac.com

The Libraries Division of Geac is a very small unit within a much larger company. Geac, a public company (NASDAQ: GEAC, TSX: GAC), reported earnings of $504 million in FY03, though the Libraries Division is only a small portion of the revenues. This division was the only unit within the Industry Specific Applications side of Geac to report an increase in revenues ($100,000). Geac supports a large number of legacy systems that it has acquired over the last decade: Advance, PLUS, BookPLUS, and Vubis. The only automation system it sells is Vubis Smart, the next-generation advancement of the Vubis system acquired in 1995 from the Belgian-based ODIS NV. In 2003, Geac reported 54 contracts for Vubis Smart, up from 34 in 2002 and 13 in 2001. All contracts were to libraries in Europe. Geac does not market automation systems in the United States but does support a large but eroding customer base running its PLUS and Advance systems.

GIS Information Systems, Inc.
PO Box 4903
Syracuse, NY 13221
800-272-3414
www.gisinfosystems.com

GIS Information Systems markets its Polaris library automation system to public libraries. In a year of major corporate reshuffling (see p. 47 for details), the company reported 21 contracts for Polaris, up one from 2002 and eight from 2001. Among its competitors, GIS maintained the best ratio of sites to support staff, a remarkable accomplishment since the company experienced a 38% reduction in work force. GIS supports its legacy Galaxy system with a base of 134 sites. Of the 23 Galaxy sites known to have migrated, 13 went to Polaris while the remainder selected a competing system. Product developments accomplished in 2003 include the successful testing of NCIP support in Polaris. Major contracts awarded to GIS in 2003 include the Maricopa County Library District and Gila County Library District, both in Arizona, and Pierce County Library System, WA.

InfoVision Technology
2/899 Wellington Rd.
Rowville, Victoria 3178, Australia
61-3-9755-6200
www.amlib.net

We noted above that InfoVision Technology, the original developers of the Amlib Library Automation System, has assumed distribution of this product in North America from Brodart, the company that marketed and supported this product. The Amlib system targets small to medium-sized public libraries. In 2003 the company signed 58 contracts, down 58% from the 138 signed in 2002. In the United States there were 36 Amlib sales in 2001, nine in 2002, and six in 2003. At the end of 2003, about 100 libraries in the country had installed Amlib.

Inmagic, Inc.
200 Unicorn Park Dr., 4th fl.
Woburn, MA 01801
800-229-8398
www.inmagic.com

Inmagic provides software for corporate libraries. In 2003 the company continued its DB/Text for Libraries product, dropped BiblioTech PRO, and introduced a new set of products called Content Server. The DB/Text for Libraries automation system, based on its DB/TextWorks database application, provides traditional library automation functionality for corporate libraries with the flexibility to manage diverse types of resources. In 2003 the company licensed this product to 1,712 libraries, of which 254 were new clients. Sales in 2003 exceeded the previous year by 16% but were down 7% compared with 2001. At the end of 2003, Inmagic reported the software still in use with 7900 clients, of which 1,535 paid maintenance. Last year Inmagic discontinued marketing of the BiblioTech Pro library automation system that it acquired from Comstow Information Services in 1999. At the end of 2003 Inmagic reported BiblioTech PRO in use in 84 libraries, with 34 paying maintenance. The new Content Server products are built on a Microsoft SQL Server relational database management system and allow information centers to aggregate resources from a variety of sources and publish them for access throughout the company. The system interoperates with other applications through XML and web services. Inmagic sold Content Server to five libraries.

Innovative Interfaces, Inc.
5850 Shellmound Way
Emeryville, CA 94608
510-655-6200
www.iii.com

In its 25th year of operation, Innovative Interfaces led the industry in earnings, captured more new-name accounts than its competitors, and ranked second in overall sales. Innovative signed 144 contracts for Millennium in 2003 (up 6% from 2002 but down 8% from the 157 in 2001). When most companies slimmed down, Innovative grew by 6%. The company serves a diverse array of libraries--medium to large publics, academics, and consortia. Millennium continues as the product used by most ARL libraries, and recent sales to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wayne State University increased its ARL count to 36 out of a potential 123. Thirty-seven of the 134 members of the Urban Libraries Council, most serving populations well over 100,000, use Millennium. Innovative was the first company to offer an electronic resources management (ERM) system, and it is now in use at ten major research libraries. It can function as an extension of Millennium or as a standalone with other systems (which it does at Utah State University and the Library of Congress). Technological developments include support for the Linux operating system for Millennium servers. The Java-based Millennium client already supported Linux. E-commerce capabilities were added to the Millennium Web client for fees, fines, etc. Innovative licensed its AirPAC modules for wireless access to 20 libraries. Major contracts for 2003 also include the Minuteman Library Consortium, MA; San Francisco PL; Mountain Library Network, WV; and Orbis Cascade Alliance, OR.

Kelowna Software Ltd.
#202, 1980 Cooper Rd.
Kelowna, BC V1Y 8K5, Canada
800-667-3634
www.L4U.com

Kelowana Software offers the Library 4 Universal library automation system. The company provided no quantitative information.

Keystone Systems, Inc.
8016 Glenwood Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27612
919-782-1143
www.klas.com

Keystone produces automation for libraries that serve persons with visual disabilities. Its KLAS system is used in 54 libraries. In 2003 the company signed six new contracts, down from 13 last year but up from the six signed in 2001. Developments include KLAS v.7, which provides a full graphical environment and a number of new features in its staff and web OPAC modules. As a company that specializes in software for persons with disabilities, it develops its interfaces with special consideration to Section 508 guidelines.

The Library Corporation, TLC/CARL
Research Park
Inwood, WV 25428
800-325-7759
www.tlcdelivers.com

The Library Corporation (TLC) markets Library.Solution to small to medium-sized libraries and school districts and supports the Carl.Solution system for large municipal libraries. TLC signed 73 contracts for Library.Solution, up slightly from the year before, but down 8% from the 79 systems contracted in 2001. The company expanded personnel in 2003 by 3%. The average value for the Library.Solution contracts is estimated at just over $70,000. TLC signed 15 libraries migrating from Dynix to Library.Solution. In a market where new library automation implementations are relatively rare, TLC provided first-time automation systems to 24 libraries. TLC launched a new service called Online Selection Assistant (OSA) to aid in the selection and procurement of materials. This web-based hosted service requires no local installation of software. Orders placed through OSA can be easily integrated into a library's local catalog through the transfer of MARC records with item and order data. The business model for OSA relies on subscription fees paid by libraries and commissions assessed to publishers and wholesalers. Some of the major TLC contracts include the Dallas Independent School District and the nearby Richardson School District in Texas, Omaha Public Schools, and Jackson-George Regional Library, FL.

Mandarin Library Automation, Inc.
PO Box 272308
Boca Raton, FL 33427
800-426-7477
www.mlasolutions.com

Mandarin Library Automation was significantly restructured (see p. 47 for details). The company offers the Mandarin M3 library automation system primarily in K-12 (69%) and special (10%) libraries. Mandarin was one of the few companies that experienced an increase in sales relative to the past two years. The 231 contracts signed in 2003 rank 3% above that of 2002 and a dramatic 75% higher than the 132 sales made in 2001. The company did not report its overall personnel numbers but stated that 21 FTE staff are devoted to customer service. In 2003 the company released a completely new version of its web OPAC, which has optimal support for enhanced content from Syndetic Solutions. The Mandarin M3 system was certified as compliant with the School Interoperability Framework (SIF) application product standard--a critical feature for systems in the K-12 market. SIF allows a library automation system to exchange data with other administrative software in a school, such as applications that manage grades, attendance, etc. In addition to the roster of single-library sales of Mandarin M3, the company signed a contract with the Toronto-based Southern Ontario Library Service for its 750 members.

New Generation Technologies Inc.
Dept. 844, PO Box 34069
Seattle, WA 98124
800-661-7112
www.librarysoft.com

New Generation Technologies offers the PC-based LIBRARYSOFT library automation system for small libraries. According to the company's web site, the system is priced in the $495-$595 range. The company had 796 sales, up 57% from the 337 sales in 2001. The company employs 12 FTE, down from 18 in 2002. New Generation reports an installed base of 2300 libraries using LIBRARYSOFT.

Open Text, Inc.
6500 Emerald Pkwy., Suite 200
Dublin, OH 43016
614-761-8083
www.opentext.com

Open Text offers the Techlib automation system used primarily by corporate and other special libraries. The company made ten sales of Techlib in 2003, down only slightly from the 14 sold in 2002 and down 30% from the 20 sales in 2001. The division that produces Techlib is a small division within a large publicly held company with revenues of over $177 million. Financials and other business performance data regarding individual divisions are not reported separately.

Sagebrush Corporation
3601 Minnesota Dr., Suite 550
Minneapolis, MN 55435
800-533-5430
www.sagebrushcorp.com

Sagebrush offers a number of products and services, all related to the K-12 school sector. In addition to its library automation activities, it offers textbook and data services. Sagebrush has three automation products. Winnebago Spectrum and Sagebrush Athena are for single library automation, and Accent is for centralized districtwide implementations. There were 2150 sales of Winnebago Spectrum, down 10% from the 2,388 in 2002 and down 12% relative to 2001. Athena was sold to 1,787 libraries in 2003, down 10% from 2002 and 14% from 2001 levels. The sales of both Winnebago Spectrum and Athena reflect the diminished interest in single-building school systems. The company also offers Accent, a version of Sirsi's Unicorn for school districts. Five contracts for Accent were sold in 2003, a quarter of the 20 contracts signed last year, and just over half the nine sold in 2001. At the end of 2003 Accent installations totaled 80. Sagebrush does not report revenues or personnel figures but disclosed that 34 FTE are dedicated to development and 74 to customer support. The company also launched Pinpoint, a metasearch interface designed for schools that searches content in the library's catalog and licensed resources and on the web.

Sirsi Corporation
101 Washington St. SE
Huntsville, AL 35801
256-704-7000
www.sirsi.com

Sirsi was one of the top three sales performers, ranking third with a total of 124 contracts signed during 2003. The 46 new-name contracts were down for the second year, capturing less than half the number signed in 2001. The total number of contracts signed in 2003, including both new-name accounts and migrating customers, was 124, a significant drop from the 207 in 2002. This year Sirsi migrated 42 existing DRA Classic customers to Unicorn, though at least 34 went elsewhere. Sirsi captured higher percentages of its INLEX/3000 (nine out of 12), Taos (six out of nine), and MultiLIS (22 out of 28). This drop in sales over a three-year period was unexpected since the company expanded through the DRA acquisition over the same period. In addition to major enhancements to its core Unicorn and WorkFlows automation software, Sirsi developed and created a new product: Sirsi Rooms. Dubbed a 'context-management solution' it enables libraries to create sophisticated guides to web-based resources, organized into topical groupings that follow consistent presentation templates. Sirsi Rooms provides a web-based interface that allows libraries to create Rooms without knowledge of HTML or other technical expertise. Other technology advancements include the creation of an OpenURL-based link resolver based on technology licensed from Openly Informatics and Version 2 of its Metasearch technology called Sirsi SingleSearch. Some of the major contracts won in 2003 include Kitsap Regional Library System, WA; Atlanta-Fulton Public Library; and Cincinnati-Hamilton County.

Softlink America Inc.
5482 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1540
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-935-6222
www.softlinkamerica.com

Softlink offers the Softlink Alice and Liberty3 library automation systems, used primarily by school and small academic libraries, and the Softlink Library Corporate product. The company is based in the UK but has a U.S. office. Sales for Softlink Alice have been declining, with 398 sales in 2003, compared with 650 in 2002 and 1,006 in 2001. This year there were 129 sales of Liberty3, a dramatic increase over the 22 sold in 2002, with 24 sales in the United States. The Softlink Library Corporate product also enjoyed increased sales, with 132 contracts (21 in the United States) compared with 45 in 2002 and 33 in 2001. This was the inaugural year for the Softlink Liberty3 ASP service, which saw six subscriptions, all in the United States.

Surpass Software
517 Oothcalooga St., Suite C
Calhoun, GA 30701
706-625-5399
www.SurpassSoftware.com

Surpass offers its Surpass library automation system for K-12 school libraries and other small libraries such as those in churches. The company did not provide detailed information but indicated that it had 148 new sales in 2003 and has about 1000 customers overall. The company also sees a decline in standalone school systems and is developing a product for 2004, called Centriva, for centralized automation.

SydneyPLUS International Library Systems
5138-13562 Maycrest Way
Richmond, BC V6V 2J7, Canada
604-278-6717
www.sydneyplus.com

SydneyPLUS, a Canadian company based in the Vancouver area, offers a library automation system for corporate libraries. The company declined requests for detailed information.

VTLS Inc.
1701 Kraft Dr.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-557-1200
www.vtls.com

In 2003 VTLS won a total of 57 contracts for Virtua, just under the 60 in 2002 and significantly more than the 37 in 2001. Thirty-three were VTLS classic sites migrating to Virtua, and 34 were new contracts. The average contract valuation is estimated at $35,000. The company underwent some management changes (see p. 48 for details) and increased personnel by 4%, maintaining a respectable 8.5 sites per FTE customer support ratio. VTLS did extremely well in maintaining the loyalty of migrating customers. Of the 34 VTLS Classic sites known to have migrated, 26 went with Virtua. We see a steady erosion of the VTLS Classic installed base, with a slower adoption rate of Virtua, resulting in a net loss in market share over time. VTLS, however, has built new business activities and increased its marketing presence. Since 2000, the company has been active in delivering RFID technologies for libraries and recently created a division named VTRAX, dedicated to RFID products. The company goes further than just reselling RFID products; it has developed software for the integration of RFID into automation systems and offers an array of RFID products and services. In 2003 the company signed at least four contracts to provide RFID products. VTLS also has a division dedicated to digital imaging and other multimedia technologies. The company announced a new product called VITAL, an institutional repository application based on the open source Fedora developed by the University of Virginia and Cornell. VTLS will provide installation, training, and support for libraries that want an institutional repository but lack the technical expertise. The company also announced VORTEX, an application that works with a library automation system to implement the Metadata Harvesting Protocol of the Open Archives Initiative.