Received the following email this AM:
Dear EBSCO Customer,
We are pleased to announce EBSCO Discovery Service, which will harvest metadata from internal and external sources,
creating a centralized pre-indexed service of extraordinary size and speed. It will provide libraries with a single,
simple entry point for research and launch users into the entire array of a library’s collection. The new service will
enable users to search a wide-ranging collection of metadata and link quickly to the content to which they have rights.
EBSCO Discovery Service will be the world's highest quality, most comprehensive locally indexed front end discovery tool. Other newly announced discovery tools are marketing products that will harvest content from far fewer partners. For example, one other recently announced service is marketing a system that currently has fewer than 100 content participants listed. Meanwhile, EBSCO Discovery Service already has 410 content participants signed up for “local” access – and this is in addition to the availability of 300+ locally loaded databases via EBSCOhost. The comprehensive collection will include journals from databases, e-journals from publishers, and non-journal content, including but not limited to: WorldCat (130 million books, videos and music CDs), NewsBank, Readex, Alexander Street Press, etc.
In addition to the locally indexed content in EBSCO Discovery Service, libraries will have the ability to search the content of databases on remote services through EBSCOhost Integrated Search, EBSCO’s comprehensive federated search solution.
EBSCO Discovery Service will provide libraries with unprecedented customization options. In order to create a starting point geared to their users’ needs, libraries will be able to adjust branding components, including: colors, logos, search pages, and even the name of the service itself (e.g., “Springfield University’s Online Resources”).
The planned release dates are as follows:
EBSCOhost Integrated Search: June 2009
EBSCO Discovery Service: December 2009
In addition to the locally indexed content in EBSCO Discovery Service, libraries will have the ability to search the content of databases on remote services through EBSCOhost Integrated Search, EBSCO’s comprehensive federated search solution.
EBSCO Discovery Service will provide libraries with unprecedented customization options. In order to create a starting point geared to their users’ needs, libraries will be able to adjust branding components, including: colors, logos, search pages, and even the name of the service itself (e.g., “Springfield University’s Online Resources”).
The planned release dates are as follows:
EBSCOhost Integrated Search: June 2009
EBSCO Discovery Service: December 2009
Emphasis added by me. Reminds me of the truck attack ads I saw a while back where Howie Long is making fun of the other truck 'cause it has features for girly-men. Well, it's not quite the same, but interesting to see one vendor attacking another. Do you think EBSCO is maybe talking about Summon?
And with this type of new coming fast and furious (off to go read about yesterday's OCLC announcement) I've got a new catagory here on the blog: Discovery.
