Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C., Oct. 20, 2009 – Transtech Information Co. Ltd. announces the 25th customer in Taiwan for the Next Generation Library System ToREAD!. The company holds more than 50% of the market share in Taiwan and is the co-developer of the system that introduces today the concepts of the future library systems: Library 2.0, Web 2.0, FRBR, and Consortium etc.
The China University of Science and Technology is the 25th customer for ToREAD! in Taiwan that making ToREAD! a respected brand locally. And, the tender was the 16th attended by Transtech since October 2008 (one year range) for complex library projects out of which ToREAD! had won 15 projects.
The Future Is Now: Transtech Provides the Solutions of Library System Trend Features Including Library 2.0, FRBR and Consortium
ToREAD! is a Next Generation Library System introducing and porting the state-of-art technologies of the moment into the library domain. The classical "5 modules" functions are extended by this web-based application (Web 2.0 platform, components and tools) with a fresh approach according to Library 2.0 principles and current innovations in the informational science. Each module includes the traditional functionality and also extends it in the proper way to bring-up the latest achievements referred lately as the "next generation" functions.
The success of the system is a result of this fresh approach that enables libraries to re-define their role on the Internet "battlefield". An illustration of this assumption is the WebOPAC module which includes classical functionality and also the "next generation" tools and features such as: ranking, hints, did you mean?, faceted searches, tag cloud, hot searches, frequently used keywords, related terms, content enrichment, review/ranking by patron, video streaming, digital library, RSS feeds integration with Twitter, Hi5 and other 50 social-networks, Mobile/PDA devices interfaces, GSM integration etc.
The successful story of ToREAD! is completed by the same innovative high standards applied for all other modules. FRBR, Multiple/Generalized MARC formats are just punctual (by module) enhancements but the most powerful of all innovations is the Consortium mode of operation. If other systems can offer shared Cataloging or (partial) shared Circulation, ToREAD! offers full shared mode of operation among complex library organizations/networks for all 5 modules (including Acquisitions and Serials). This is one of the main reasons why National Taichung Library (NTL) had purchased ToREAD! from a wide range offer of all major vendors in Taiwan including Ex Libris and Innovative Interface in December 2008 in order to manage a national wide system that will finally include 310 libraries.
Transtech is co-developing ToREAD! together with its partner IME Romania Ltd (Information Management and Engineering) and is extending operations to China starting with Q1 / 2010. Recently, the company has opened offices in Beijing and Shanghai.
About TRANSTECH
Transtech is a leading provider in strategic technology solutions for libraries in the Great China Region. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, the company specializes in developing software solutions that meet public services and consumer needs. Best known for ToREAD! and TOTALSII, the company’s technologies have been used by hundreds of organizations in Taiwan and Great China area. The management team is a thought leader in the industry and has been internationally published.
Collaborating with International Technology Partners, Transtech dedicates to develop and integrate comprehensive solution suite to address specific local libraries' requirements.
About IME ROMANIA
IME Romania is a company dedicated to provide turn-key solutions for libraries. The company, founded in 1995, initially distributed and then co-developed TinLIB integrated library system. Since 2002 IME Romania developed its own genuine product: ToREAD! a state-of-art system that was selected in 2005 for the National Collective Catalog of Public Libraries in Romania – an USAID project by US Embassy in Romania – requiring all the newest technologies (IT and library specific technologies) to be included in the system. In the same year the system was selected for the National Shared Catalog of Moldavia - SIBIMOL.
IME developed partnerships with Oracle, 3M and IBM and managed large scale complex national/international projects for libraries cooperatively working in Consortium networks. IME provided also services and expertise for The Library of Congress which were appreciated by Vice-president Anton R. Pierce as „the excellent Technical Support and expertise of IME Romania … in a fairly complex client/server environment … that greatly impacted our productivity".
IME Romania and Transtech are strategic Technologies Partners and are committed to provide one of the most modern library management systems: ToREAD!