Katipo Communications, Ltd. was commissioned by Horowhenua Library Trust in 1999 to write the original version of Koha--the first open-source ILS-- and has been supporting and promoting Koha since its release in early 2000. LibLime has been providing commercial support for Koha since early 2005. The acquisition will significantly strengthen LibLime's in-house development and support capacity, enabling the company to handle a growing demand for open-source automation solutions in the library market. LibLime also plans to actively expand its support offerings to the Australasia region.
"We've had a long-standing partnership with Katipo," explains Joshua Ferraro, President, Technology of LibLime and Koha Project Release Manager. "This arrangement strengthens our ability to provide the outstanding support services that constitute the core of our business." The increased staff capacity and multiple timezones will allow LibLime to offer around-the-clock operating hours, including 24/7 support.
"We're especially thrilled to welcome Chris Cormack--the original author of Koha--to the LibLime team," says Ferraro.
The acquisition also highlights one of the unique features of an open-source business and development model: "Katipo's Koha customers don't need to worry about switching to a new ILS," explains Rachel Hamilton, Director of Katipo Communications. "With open source, switching vendors doesn't mean switching software. I'm confident that LibLime will provide our Koha libraries with the professional service they have come to expect." No vendor lock-in means that Koha users can choose what level of commercial support, if any, they require.
About LibLime
LibLime is the global leader in open-source solutions for libraries, with a mission to make open source accessible to libraries. Rather than sell software licenses for static, hard-to-customize software products, LibLime educates libraries about the benefits of open source, enabling them to make choices about how best to provide their communities and staff with better technology services. LibLime then facilitates implementation of open-source in libraries by providing outstanding development, customization, support and training solutions – solutions tailored to each library's needs. For more information, see http://liblime.com.
About Katipo Communications, Ltd.
Katipo Communications is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and is an established independent web development firm. Their multi-faceted team works closely together to provide products that are both visually appealing and technically sound. Katipo authored the original version of Koha in 1999 for Horowhenua Library Trust and has been supporting and promoting Koha since its release in early 2000.
About Koha
Since it was first put into production in early 2000, Koha has enabled new realities of open access, affordability, and free innovation for hundreds of libraries around the world. Koha has lived up to its name, which means ‘Gift' in the Maori language of New Zealand. From the outset, many libraries understood the power of this gift. They downloaded it, they installed it, they changed it, and they contributed their solutions back to the library community.
Several companies around the world support Koha, providing libraries with a full array of services including installation, migration assistance, data integrity testing, staff training, software maintenance, support and customization. To learn more about what services are available visit: http://koha.org/support/.
