Archive: 2005

 24/10/2005 - Inmagic Genie Version 2 - Now Available!

Inmagic, Inc has just released Version 2.0 of Inmagic Genie. Genie is Inmagic's Web-based library automation solution designed to meet the expanding needs of the information centre where the focus is on managing and providing effective access to both traditional and non-traditional library materials. It is based on Microsoft® SQL Server and .NET technologies.

Some of the key features included in Genie v2 are:

  • Significantly enhanced support for multi-branch libraries.
  • The ability to manage specific items (e.g. multiple copies) with much more efficiency.
  • All modules are now available through the Web (Catalogue, Borrowers, Loans, Serials, Suppliers, Orders, Inter Library Loans, etc.).
  • Significant improvements in the Acquisitions workflow, allowing users to receive orders much more quickly.
  • Improved system configurability. Configuration of the system and many core components now provides unprecedented flexibility to our customers.
  • Improved support for images and documents. Images and documents can now be added to the system, catalogued and full text indexed - all through the Web interface.
  • Many reports have been added to the system including printer-friendly web reports, and book and spine label printing from the web.
  • Security has been significantly enhanced, providing more roles and improved integration with Windows authentication.

Introduced in 2004, Inmagic Genie is now in use at approximately 100 client sites around the world. If you haven't reviewed Inmagic Genie and its capabilities, the release of Version 2 is a great time to take a look.

 21/10/2005 - DB/TextWorks & WebPublisher PRO v9 - Coming Soon!
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Inmagic's popular DB/TextWorks and WebPublisher PRO software products are being enhanced. Based on input from customers, version 9 includes a significant set of new features. V9 is scheduled for commercial release by early December.

Some of the key enhancements in this release include:

DB/TextWorks

  • Support for PDF files as a standard image type has been added; this means you no longer have to launch the Adobe reader in order to view or print a PDF.
  • Support for GIF images has been added; this means GIF images can now be viewed and manipulated just like any other image format supported by TextWorks.
  • Data entry for documents and images has been simplified as the ability to browse and select a file name (similar to Windows Explorer) has been added.
  • Installation has been simplified by providing the ability to run Setup Workstation using SMS.
  • Batch Modify is now more powerful - with support for special characters such as line breaks and entry delimiter and the ability to add text to the beginning or end of an entry.

WebPublisher PRO

  • Browsing long validation lists is now much faster with support for paging the validation list (as offered when browsing the index during searching).
  • Web-based data entry is now more robust with the ability to browse the link field (in a secondary textbase) while editing.
  • Support for exploded sorts, so Web reports are now more robust.
  • You have more control over the look-and-feel of your intranet with the ability for users to change the text on the Browse Choices button.
  • The XML interface is more robust by handling certain characters unacceptable to XML.
  • Improved Inmagic XML tutorial, providing improved documentation for using this standards-based interface.

To receive these enhancements, users must have a valid maintenance contract. If your current products are not on maintenance, please contact us to purchase a maintenance contract. If you have a valid maintenance contract, you will receive an email from Inmagic when they release v9.

Remember, if you own both TextWorks and WebPublisher PRO, you need to keep both products on the same version. These products are designed to work together and therefore these products have interdependencies. So please upgrade both TextWorks and WebPublisher PRO to ensure that they work correctly.

Some additional notes for Content Server customers: Content Server version numbering will be synchronized with DB/Text version numbering with the Version 9 release. So Content Server maintenance customers on CS v1.3 , will be upgraded to v9. The Content Server v9 release will occur in early 2006. Content Server v9 will contain the above features as well as a number of additional enhancements related specifically to the Content Server environment and MS SQL Server.

 20/10/2005 - Inmagic Maintenance Update
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Don't miss out on the new product features that Inmagic are making available. A maintenance agreement with Inmagic provides you with any available product upgrades throughout the year. This ensures that you are using the most up-to-date version of your Inmagic products at no additional cost beyond your maintenance agreement.

Starting in January of 2006, Inmagic will be changing its maintenance non-renewal pricing. Inmagic will no longer be able to offer maintenance non-renewal pricing on products that are significantly out of date. Starting Jan 1, 2006, the non-renewal pricing (which is twice the normal annual maintenance fee) will only be available to customers that have been on maintenance within the last two years. In 2006, if you wish to renew your maintenance agreement and you have not been on maintenance within the preceding two years, you will need to discuss your situation with us, call Alan Matthews on +44 (0)870 9506087.

This new policy is in keeping with the rapid changes that are taking place across the software industry. For example, Microsoft is introducing new operating systems on regular basis (such as XP, 2003, and the upcoming Vista [formerly known as Longhorn]), and also retiring older operating systems (such as Windows 95, NT and Win 2000). These new operating systems allow Inmagic to take advantage of new features or require that Inmagic enhances the software to be fully compatible. Given the speed of these changes, Inmagic want to reward and encourage clients to stay current with Inmagic software. This helps Inmagic provide you with the most up-to-date features available.

So, if you are currently using an older version of the software or are not currently on maintenance, call Soutron and discuss getting back on maintenance and receiving v9 when it ships. Remember that you need to act in 2005 to take advantage of the current non-renewal policy.

 18/07/2005 - *NEW* Content-Capable Infrastructure White Paper
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Content-Capable Infrastructure: A Bold New paradigm for Information Professionals

"Right now, the online world belongs to an information elite. We need information leaders to champion awareness of the various information tools and how the use of them relates to organizational goals." Betty Eddison, founder, Inmagic, Inc.

About The White Paper
This paper will explore the forces that are driving changes in the nature of the information center and how creating a Content-Capable Corporate Infrastructure can channel these forces into a unique opportunity. It will discuss the steps needed to effect this change and create a pathway that elevates the role of the information center and the information professional to become key strategic resources for the organization and its stakeholders.

To receive a copy of this white paper please email lucy.mann@soutron.com.

 06/06/2005 - Soutron and Inmagic, Inc. collaborate on Inmagic Genie v2
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Derby, United Kingdom: Soutron Limited, a long established provider of library management systems, and Inmagic, Inc., the leading provider of advanced content catalogue solutions, deepen their partnership to provide Inmagic® Genie, a fully web-based Library Management System, to the Special Libraries market in the United Kingdom and Ireland. As part of this partnership, Soutron and Inmagic will collaborate on the development of Inmagic Genie to meet the global demands of clients who now seek totally web-based applications.

"We are committed to bringing highly customisable, flexible solutions to clients in special libraries and are now delighted to work in partnership with Inmagic, Inc. to bring about a new approach to library automation leveraging Microsoft .NET technologies and SQL Server," says Graham Beastall, Managing Director, Soutron Limited. "When Inmagic, Inc. first released Inmagic Genie last year, we had already embarked on Soutron.IMS, our own library management application developed in Microsoft .NET using Inmagic® Content Server. This partnership allows us to incorporate our Soutron.IMS product vision and development resources into Inmagic Genie to provide greater flexibility for clients, deliver features faster and better support special libraries in the UK and beyond. Inmagic Genie v2.0, due for release later in the year, will have a very flexible architecture that is aligned with our own philosophy."

Phil Green, CEO, Inmagic, Inc., says "Our goal is to meet the immediate and long term needs of special libraries where content cataloguing is at the heart of applications. We are convinced that Inmagic Genie is a major step forward in giving clients complete flexibility in how they might deploy their library management application. In Soutron, we have a partner who clearly understands the needs of clients and can implement systems to meet specific needs. Soutron's input into our development process and their expert support to clients in the UK and Ireland will help us meet our objective of providing users with the very best global library and content cataloguing systems".