Voyager Product Update
Mike Dicus
Voyager Product Manager, Ex Libris
As might be expected, Mike a) reassured attendees that Voyager is here to stay, as they have development plans through version 9.0 and forward, and b) encouraged customers who have not done so to upgrade to version 7. Voyager has 1360 worldwide customers; approx. 500 are live with version 7. Ex Libris has been engaging with the IGeLU and ELUNA Voyager Product Groups to test and report on the version 7 upgrade and the service packs that follow. Those reports are available on SupportWeb.
Showed several examples of what libraries are doing with Web Voyage version 7 (also called Tomcat Web Voyage):
-Colorado School of Mines: an example of a typical out-of-the-box interface
-Indiana State University: uses a customized version of the available splash screen (other customizations from this site, too, in a separate presentation by the ISU developer)
-Tarrant County College: chose to embed the search in a library Web page; also added breadcrumbs, search spell check, and book covers (this site also had an ELUNA presentation).
-Lakehead Universiity: added options in the item results screen to print, email, or export a record to RefWorks. Also customized their browse facets.
-CSU Monterey Bay: added texting from the catalog, purls to records, LTFL
-University of Richmond: added Syndetics
Hopefully some of these customizations will be available from the customers in EL Commons.
Looking ahead with Voyager:
-Still in active development
-Now under a major/minor/service pack release strategy. Major releases include new functionality and may require database changes (as Voyager 7 did); minor releases include enhancements and bug fixes, but no database changes; service packs include cumulative bug fixes only and are easily installed. This model delivers more enhancements over the life of the version and allows more flexibility for customers.
-Working with user groups for collaboration on enhancements; now accepting enhancement requests via eService (the CRM); also working with the ELUNA Product Group on a new enhancement request system.
The product release schedule (major releases in even years; minor releases in odd years):
-7.0 released June 27, 2008; 7.1 Q2 2009 (late May); 7.2 Q4 2009
-8.0 planned for 2010, with 8.1 in 2011
-9.0 planned for 2012
-and so on...
Version focus:
-7.1 (available late May 2009):
Integration with Rosetta (Ex Libris's digital preservation product), course reserves in Primo, Web Service for universal borrowing (already available via EL Commons), a real-time availability Web Service (currently live in Primo), support for Firefox 3, more fixes to Self-Check, ability to pay fines and fees via e-kiosks (with options for credit and debit cards).
-7.2:
Introducing Linux server option (Red Hat Enterprise Linux), with continuing support for current platforms; a package of Web Services to support the ILS-DI initiative; enhance the OPAC functions available in Primo; roll out a Voyager Install Kit for menu-driven upgrade and service pack functions; handling of NCIP messages.
-8.0:
Focus will be on Global Data Change.
-9.0:
Focus is yet to be determined.
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