COLUMBUS, OH --Sept. 11, 2009-- LibLime, the leader in open-source solutions for libraries announced today the launch of a new hosted, subscription-based Koha ILS service: the Koha Express.

LibLime's Koha Express is a full-featured integrated library system, distributed via Software as a Service on LibLime's cloud computing platform. This subscription-based, turnkey solution offers the award-winning Koha ILS at a fraction of the cost of a traditional commercial solution. It lets small libraries stay within budget without sacrificing features.

The hosted solution is a flat $299/year and includes software installation and hosting by LibLime.

Koha Express is a community-focused solution that runs official Koha Project releases (currently 3.0.2). Koha Express libraries can take advantage of the extensive Koha community resources--including real-time chat, mailing lists and the comprehensive documentation contributed to the community by LibLime. It is ideal for small public, school, and special libraries.

"At $299 per year, Koha Express drastically reduces the barrier for libraries worldwide who need an enterprise-class, web-based integrated library system," says LibLime CEO, Joshua Ferraro.

"We've been hearing from libraries for some time that there is a need for a solution at this price point," continues Ferraro. "Thanks to LibLime's new cloud computing platform, we are finally able to offer a product to the most budget-conscious libraries that is economically sustainable for the company as well."

With over 1,000 Koha libraries worldwide, community-backed support finally represents a viable alternative for libraries who do not need or can't afford traditional commercial Koha support from a vendor.

"This solution lets libraries collaborate on a level they are very comfortable with: supporting one another. At the same time, it puts the most technically challenging aspects of running an ILS into LibLime's expert hands," explains Ferraro.

Koha is currently in production on six continents and has been translated into dozens of languages. With Koha Express, LibLime is poised to expand its user base beyond North America.

How Koha Express Works

Signing up for Koha Express is entirely automated and libraries can purchase the solution from LibLime's secure e-commerce Website. After purchase, login information for the library's Koha installation is delivered to the library administrator's email within 24 hours. From there, the library can utilize documentation and community support to proceed with data migration and configuration of the new system.

LibLime offers three additional add-on packages for Koha Express for libraries that would like assistance with Data Migration, Training and OPAC Customization.

To find out more about Koha Express, visit: http://www.liblime.com/products/koha/koha-express

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.

Press Contact:

Tina Burger
Vice President Marketing, LibLime
(888) Koha ILS (564-2457) ext. 705

tnb@liblime.com

LibLime and the LibLime logo, Koha and LibLime Enterprise Koha are either registered trademarks or trademarks of LibLime. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

COLUMBUS, OH --Sept. 11, 2009-- LibLime, the leader in open-source solutions for libraries, announced today the launch of LibLime Enterprise Koha.

LibLime Enterprise Koha is built on over two years of completed customer-sponsored development, including several highly-anticipated academic and consortia features. This Software as a Service offering on LibLime's new cloud computing platform will also feature regular monthly releases as additional customer-sponsored development is completed. Starting in October, LibLime will begin the rollout of this solution to Koha ZOOM Hosted customers.

A public software release of each version of LibLime Enterprise Koha will occur periodically, after the sponsoring library and LibLime's customers have had adequate time to ensure that the codebase is of sufficient quality and stability to be contributed back to the Koha Community. LibLime Enterprise Koha software releases will be available from the download page of LibLime's Website.

LibLime Enterprise Koha represents a business process change for LibLime and is an adaptive response to balance customer requirements and business sustainability. LibLime will now be focusing all development efforts on the LibLime Enterprise Koha codebase. All custom sponsored development projects will now fall into a single release schedule, overseen by LibLime.

"Just to make one thing crystal clear: All of LibLime's development efforts will be available to the library community under an open-source license," says LibLime CEO, Joshua Ferraro. "These are process changes, not philosophical changes. As the leader in open-source solutions for libraries, LibLime is 100% committed to the open-source movement."

"We've seen an explosion of growth over the past two years in both LibLime's customer base and interest in Koha," says Tina Burger, VP Marketing for LibLime.

"This rapid growth necessitated close examination of the company's business processes to ensure LibLime's future sustainability as a company and ongoing customer success," she continues. "Since open source is still an emerging business model in libraries, we looked carefully at successful open-source communities in other industries to formulate our plan for future growth. LibLime Enterprise Koha blends the best practices of the most successful open-source communities."

Features currently available in LibLime Enterprise Koha include:

Support for the MARC21 Holdings standard
GetIt Acquisitions
‡biblios.net Cataloging
Patron Proxies
Call Slips
Hourly Loans
Permission granularity
A new reporting interface
ISBN-13 support
Email Checkout Slips
Enhanced consortia support

Features in the pipeline for LibLime Enterprise Koha include:

Browse Indexes
Global Update Tool
Barcodeless Checkouts
Multiple Copy Holds
and more

The solution is backed by LibLime technical support and includes access to a new LibLime Customer Website which features: Customer Wish Lists, a Software Roadmap, LibLime-specific Documentation Center and other support information.

For more information about LibLime Enterprise Koha or to obtain pricing information, visit: http://www.liblime.com/products/koha/liblime-enterprise-koha

About LibLime Enterprise Koha

LibLime Enterprise Koha couples the award-winning Koha Community baseline with the latest enterprise enhancements sponsored by LibLime customers. Backed by LibLime support and documentation, LibLime Enterprise Koha represents the most advanced and comprehensive open-source ILS solution available to libraries.

For more information, visit http://liblime.com.

To try out LibLime Enterprise Koha for yourself, visit LibLime's demos:

http://liblime.com/demos

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.

Press Contact:

Tina Burger
Vice President Marketing, LibLime
(888) Koha ILS (564-2457) ext. 705

tnb@liblime.com

LibLime and the LibLime logo, Koha and LibLime Enterprise Koha are either registered trademarks or trademarks of LibLime. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

September 8th, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Brendan Gallagher
(203)823-5847
info@bywatersolutions.com

ByWater Solutions and BibLibre Welcome Nicole C. Engard

ByWater Solutions and BibLibre, both open source community supporters and Koha support companies, announced today that they have jointly hired Nicole C. Engard to work with both companies on their Koha Projects and to continue her documentation work on behalf of the Koha community.
Nicole joins ByWater and BibLibre from LibLime where she served as 'Open Source Evangelist'. She has been a pillar of the Koha community since 2008 and acted as document manager for the project: she will continue to play that important role in her new position. Nicole is well known outside of the Koha community as a speaker, teacher and writer. She has also been recognized as one of Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers for 2007.

As Nicole states; "For me open source is all about community and I am so excited to get to continue this community work under the support of two amazing companies.”

Brendan Gallagher CEO of ByWater Solutions stated: “We are extremely exited that Nicole will be working with both companies and we applaud BibLibre’s dedication to the community in co-sponsoring this venture. Nicole will be continuing and advancing the documentation and training needs for the Koha community. We are also proud to form another alliance in the community of support vendors, this time internationally.”

Nicolas Morin, CEO of BibLibre commented: “BibLibre has been working within the Koha community since 2002 and we always felt, as a company, that to be able to harness the full power of the Koha Open Source Community we needed to devote time and resources to the community: we are successful because of the community, not despite the community. So we're very happy to have Nicole at our side to help us make the documentation of Koha better and do what she's so good at: promoting the Koha project and the values it represents.”

About ByWater Solutions
With over 10 years of experience, ByWater Solutions offers customized hosting, data migration, configuration, installation, training, support options and development of enterprise class open-source library systems such as Koha and Evergreen. Offering a 24/7 technical helpline, ByWater Solutions’ clients have the support system they need to make their software work for them. Check us out! http://www.bywatersolutions.com

About BibLibre

BibLibre is the leader of Open Source solutions for Libraries, based in Europe. Koha was created in 2000 as the first Open Source Integrated Library System: our early involvement with the project gave us an extended knowledge of librarianship and the needs of librarians in the age of omnipresent internet and open data. Building on this expertise, we now provide a range of services to libraries: we develop, host, support open source software for libraries worldwide.
To learn more, see http://www.biblibre.com/english