BIRMINGHAM, Ala., U.S.A.-- EBSCO Industries Inc. has completed acquisition of Network Support Inc. (NSI), an Ottawa software development company. NSI, producer of imaging, workflow and management products for document supply and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) purposes, will be renamed Relais International to reflect development of their lead product line.
Relais' product line grew from development of the IntelliDoc system for the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information's (CISTI) need for expanded document supply operations. Success of the IntelliDoc project led to development of the Relais product line based on these ideas. Customers of Relais products include universities, libraries and document delivery companies.
Relais products allow organizations to automate the receipt, distribution, processing and delivery of requests for documents while improving the quality and turnaround time for the end user. Decreased costs, comprehensive management data and increased user satisfaction are noticed by organizations using the products. Relais systems also facilitate resource sharing and improve ILL management.
Advanced document supply technology is the basis of Relais' operating system. The system uses client/server architecture founded upon Windows NT and Microsoft SQL Server. The system employs the Z39.50 standard, which allows improved and faster matching to library holdings for more rapid and accurate sourcing of documents.
The Relais scanning workstation is a unique application of technology designed to meet the needs of document suppliers. Simultaneous scanning of both text and graphics to produce high-quality images is achieved. Basic to its design is a customized, ergonomically designed workstation based on a Fujitsu 3096EX scanner with modifications which turn it into a flat-bed scanner ideally suited for handling bound documents. Built into the system are a bar code reader, a foot pedal and a touch-screen monitor for maximum efficiency and accuracy.
Other Relais products are available to meet a wide range of needs in organizations of many sizes. One of the more basic products is Relais Express -- a scanning workstation designed for the conversion of documents into an electronic format for electronic delivery.
"This partnership with EBSCO increases our capabilities to serve our customers and broaden our existing customer base," said Clare MacKeigan, general manager of Relais International. "Renaming NSI to Relais International reflects our commitment to keep the Relais product line at the forefront of product development."
Sam Pointer, vice president and general manager of EBSCO Document Services, said, "Completion of NSI's acquisition demonstrates EBSCO's dedication to providing a broad range of document supply and information services. EBSCO is already a leader in document delivery. With Relais International as a partner we can further the document delivery services we provide to the library community, corporations and others while offering software solutions for ILL and document supply."
EBSCO Industries Inc., a global corporation based in Birmingham, Ala., has sales, service and manufacturing subsidiaries at work in 20 countries around the world. EBSCO's business interests include: information management services, journal and periodical subscription services, fishing lure manufacturing, custom printing, looseleaf binder and information packaging manufacturing, specialty office and computer furniture sales, and distribution and merchandise display rack design and fabrication, among others.
Released: February 1998
