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Peter Evans Published in: Biblio-Tech Review, July 2003  This is possibly the most important release in the history of Horizon. Dynix have addressed two key issues – the perceived lack of loved Dynix functions in Horizon and the difficulty of migration between the two products. Both of these were barriers to retention of customers and, by removing them, Dynix hopes to end the migration of their customers to other products. By way of demonstration of the ease of migration, Dynix offer the example of the Eastern Idaho Consortium which moved the consortium from Dynix "Classic" to Horizon and also merged two consortiums into one within 30 days. Utah State University upgraded their Horizon installation in 45 minutes. It is this sort of practical demonstration of capability that won Dynix many contracts in the past. Dynix Announces Availability of Horizon 7.3 Dynix has released Horizon 7.3 for new customers, and an availability date of July 31 for existing customers. The release adds about 100 new features to the information management system. In addition, Horizon 7.3 is fully integrated with Horizon Information Portal 2.1 and Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0, based around the new NCIP standard. Together, the products provide Horizon customers with a fully synchronized library management system, interlibrary loan, and library portal solution. The goal of each Horizon release is to extend staff efficiencies and optimise workflow. Horizon 7.3 allows the library to accomplish more in less time using fewer keystrokes. The additional functionality will benefit all libraries, and some features will be of particular interest to librarians of specific library types. New 7.3 features For consortia librarians, key additions to Horizon functionality in release 7.3 include the ability to create order blanks and session defaults in acquisitions and the ability to search acquisitions records and filter or suppress based on record status. Library staff will also be able to filter borrower search results at checkout according to the location they are logged into. Academic librarians will enjoy increased accuracy and efficiency through the software's new ability to map call numbers from bibliographic records into newly created copy and/or item records, and the Horizon Authority Loader guarantees accuracy and reduces staff time spent in managing authority-controlled MARC records based on the NACO standards. Public librarians will appreciate the ability to print workslips in acquisitions, duplicate user records, and group itemized block information into single summaries according to barcode. By way of other major new features, Horizon 7.3 also provides librarians with closed stack access functionality, helping library users find and library staff circulate material for which physical access is not possible during the search process. Horizon 7.3 also adds improved usage statistics by providing staff the ability to analyze usage from a bibliographic record perspective and the option to select start and end dates for statistical periods. Consortium-based libraries are able to choose their reporting methods and periods independent of other consortium members. Horizon 7.3 adds a transfer request queue to its feature set, providing library staff the means to transfer one bibliographic record to another. The new cluster holds feature improves circulation efficiency by allowing library staff to achieve specific material management through the use of circulation groups, through which specific materials can be reserved for specific clusters of users. Another integral aspect of the 7.3 release is the new Upgrade Launcher, which simplifies the process of upgrading from one version of Horizon to the next. The initial screen of the Upgrade Launcher asks for the required system login and password information and retains that information for the entire upgrade process. The system administrator can also see at a glance where he or she is in the upgrade process and can choose to run the steps one at a time or in a batch. Log files, which the Upgrade Launcher creates automatically, and documentation for each step in the upgrade process are immediately available through the user interface. Horizon 7.3 is engineered with NCIP 1.0 Responder code to achieve seamless communication with Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0. Installation to the middle-tier architecture of the software occurs during the setup process, providing for faultless integration of Horizon 7.3 with Horizon Information Portal 2.1 and Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0. Information Portal 2.1 Like Horizon 7.3, Horizon Information Portal 2.1 has been approved for general release for new customers and will be available to existing customers by July 31. Horizon 7.3 leverages the technology used with Horizon Information Portal and has integrated the request logic of both software sets. Horizon Information Portal 2.1 continues to support Horizon 7.03 and higher, as well as Dynix ILS 173 and higher. Horizon Information Portal 2.1 provides a new installation tool that quickly delivers or upgrades all middle tier components, and also moves the Renewmon program code from individual workstations to the software's middle tier architecture in order to achieve improve accuracy and stability and achieve a higher level of performance than previous releases of the software. Additionally, Horizon Information Portal 2.1 is also engineered with NCIP 1.0 Responder code to enable communication with Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0. Reciprocal Borrowing Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0 is an industry-first solution that allows "in person" interlibrary loans across a variety of vendors' systems by means of the new NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol (NCIP) standard. In March 2003, the Boston Library Consortium successfully tested the first NCIP-based interlibrary loan project and used Dynix technology to achieve communication between disparate ILS systems. To meet the demand of users who draw upon the resources of multiple libraries, Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0 enables libraries with reciprocal borrowing agreements to authenticate visiting users in real time, discovering their current status regarding blocks, fines owed, and expiration dates. Once a visiting user is authenticated, staff can use local patron types to add the user to the local database as either a temporary, one-time user, or as a barcoded, permanent user, all with a single keystroke. Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0 delivers significant cost savings to all libraries that provide interlibrary loan services and is the first solution of its kind in the industry. Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0 works with library automation systems that support NCIP, such as Horizon 7.3, but also with non-NCIP ILS systems, such as Dynix ILS 190. Non-NCIP systems are supported through the NCIP Gateway, a built-in function of the solution that converts NCIP messaging into scripts that can be read by character-based systems. Now in general release for new customers and by July 31 for existing customers, Horizon Reciprocal Borrowing 1.0 will be available both as an ASP service and as a licensed software solution. |
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