Open Text Unveils myBASIS Portal for Knowledge Mgt

At the 91st Annual Conference of the Special Libraries Association, Open Text Corporation, a leading provider of collaborative intranet, extranet, and e-business applications, announced its strategy to take knowledge management to the next level. As a key part of this strategy, the Company announced the next evolution of BASIS and Techlib-the document collection and library automation components of the Livelink product family-myBASIS, the first-of-itskind collaborative portal interface.

The customizable portal framework of myBASIS allows users to organize multiple information sources. With the interface, library users can define on a single page, different areas to deliver internal news channels, external news feeds, content subscriptions and favorite URLS. myBASIS also provides search access to predefined resources like the organization`s Techlib library catalog, any BASIS or Livelink repository or content from b2bScene.com`s Content Services, www.b2bScene.com/contentservices. Users personalize their own page according to individual need and preference. The optional development toolkit can be used to configure new content choices for internal and external sources.

This announcement follows last year`s release of the Livelink Cataloged Library, an integration of the Techlib OPAC (Online Patron Access Catalog) with Open Text`s Livelink collaborative enterprise application. Continuing Open Text`s strategy to advance an organization`s ability to organize multiple information sources, a second-generation Web OPAC is planned. Available independently or as the Advanced Search option from the portal interface, this new OPAC uses Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) for data access and includes a fully standardized Java Development Toolkit (JDK) to support local extensions and customizations to integrate library collections with other enterprise information assets. "Personalization is the key," asserts Pamela Cibbarelli, Editor of the Directory of Library Automation Software, Systems, and Services. "Allowing library users to design their own personal workspace will enable them to work more efficiently by providing access to relevant information quickly and easily."

In a recent article in the Biblio Tech Review, www.biblio-tech.com, Peter Evans commends Open Text's library package. "Overall [Techlib] offers an impressive package when bundled with Livelink and this will give it the edge of many more traditional library packages for the corporate user. The Web interface has been well designed and it will sit nicely in the slickest of Intranets. And the Web technology means low IT management costs and easy integration and roll out with other systems." "Open Text`s goal is to empower special libraries to become an integral part of the enterprise knowledge architecture," said Andrew Pery, vice president of Global Marketing of Open Text. "As an important component of our strategy, myBASIS`s customizable portal framework increases both organizational and individual control over portal consistency and content selection, unifying and accelerating access to a critical repository of knowledge.

"Existing customers will preview myBASIS and the Java OPAC during the next six months to provide input on product features. According to Carol Knoblauch, BASIS and Techlib Product Manager, "We are anxious to learn how libraries will deploy the portal framework. A flexible online environment that users can personalize based on current projects and use as the hub for all of their work will improve their access to relevant knowledge and bring the library`s HTML resource list to life." Open Text will feature BASIS, Techlib and Livelink, along with a prototype of myBASIS at Booth 750/752 at the SLA exhibition.

About Techlib

Techlib is an integrated, modular library management solution for automating, cataloging, searching, circulation, serials control and acquisitions functions for books and other library materials. The corporate library of the future requires an infrastructure to manage digital documents, Internet resources, multimedia and traditional print materials. Techlib is a fully Web-based, integrated application for managing library resources including traditional and digital collections-and automating daily library operations. It provides the tools necessary to meet the rapidly changing requirements of the digital library.Techlib streamlines and facilitates the day to day operations of a corporate, government or organizational library. Comprised of a sophisticated set of modules, it provides patron access, cataloging and maintenance of library materials, circulation processing, management of serial publications, and administration of the purchasing process for published materials.

About BASIS

BASIS is a robust document collection and high performance search and retrieval solution that puts all of your corporate knowledge at your fingertips. Designed for comprehensive library control, BASIS provides an ideal solution for organizations and large e-communities that need access to hybrid document collections consisting of both documents and metadata. Used by major commercial and government information centers, BASIS provides library automation, research and records management, technical document publishing, legislative tracking, content archives, litigation support, and competitive intelligence. BASIS delivers Web-based document management, search and security functionality-fully integrated into an extended relational document database and optimized for managing large document collections.

About Livelink

Livelink is a highly scaleable e-business application. Its richly-featured enterprise services include virtual team collaboration, business process automation, enterprise group scheduling and information retrieval services, all tightly integrated into a solution that is easily customized and extended. Livelink is essential to the effective management and development of communities of interest that span organizations and industries. For everything from the creation of complex e-community relationships to the automation of simple e-business processes, Livelink delivers true dynamic collaboration between individuals, organizations, and large trading communities. Livelink servers are fully Web-based and open-architected to ensure rapid deployment and easy access to its full functionality through a standard Web browser.

About b2bScene.com

b2bScene.com, a division of Open Text Corporation, is a premier Online Solution Provider offering a suite of hosted services to stimulate and promote successful business-to-business interaction and collaboration between an organization's partners, customers and employees within public and private online business communities. By providing a collection of integrated community, content, collaboration and commerce services, our customers improve the quality, speed and efficiency of each transaction, process and interaction through deeper and stronger business-to-business relationships.

About Open Text

Open Text has pioneered the development of innovative intranet, extranet and e-business applications. Since creating one of the first search engines to index the World Wide Web, the Company has remained at the forefront of Internet-based technologies. Today, Open Text solutions allow individuals, teams, organizations, and global trading communities to collaborate on projects, share ideas and accelerate innovation to the fastest possible speed. We call it HyperInnovation and it is already a major factor in the success of leading Global 2000 organizations. Open Text has become the largest supplier of collaborative, Web-based e-business applications for the enterprise, with over 3.5 million users in 31 countries, speaking 12 languages throughout the world. For more information, visit www.opentext.com.

Contact Margaret E. Dobbin, Open Text Corporation, 519-888-7111, mdobbin@opentext.com