The following two reports complete the returns from the 26 vendors identified by the editors as actively promoting software or turnkey systems for integrated library automation in North America during 1983. Items on the activities of the other 24 vendors were included in the April issue of LSN.
As of the end of 1983, the 26 vendors were supporting more than 614 operational sites worldwide and another 75 systems were awaiting installation, Of the total of some 690 sold systems, 190--more than a third of the total--had been purchased in 1983.
Among the turnkey vendors, two companies--CLSI and Geac--reported gross sales in excess of $15 million, and Data- Phase reported the next highest figure -- between $5 and $9 million. CLSI also led the turnkeys with the largest number of installed and accepted systems (209), with DataPhase and Geac tied for second place (65 each). CLSI reported the highest number of new system sales (29) during 1983, followed by Geac (21) and a new entrant, 00W Inc. (16). The other turnkey vendors reporting ten or more new systems sales in 1983 were Data Research Associates, and Dynix. It appears that the most active suppliers of software was Systermhouse Inc., which markets the MINISIS package (30) and VTLS, with 16 sales during 1983.
Virginia Tech reports that by the end of 1983 there were 50 installations of the VTLS software. During 1983 16 systems were sold. [In responding to the survey, Virginia Tech pointed out that its policy is to install the software within three weeks of hardware installation. Hewlett Packard requires approximately three months to deliver the hardware.] Gross sales figures were not available. However, the software sells for $60,000 which would suggest a 1983 income of just under $1 million. To compare this revenue with that of the turnkey vendors, the volume of hardware sales needs also to be considered; the average hardware costs are reported as being $200,000 per system. Modules operational at all user sites are: circulation, local cataloging, interlibrary loan, materials booking, OCLC interface, and the MiniMARC interface. Some libraries are also using the hardware to support word processing on software supplied by Hewlett Packard.
[Contact: Center for Library Automation, 416 Newman Library, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.]
Systems Control, Inc. reports that it was supporting 4 SCICON installations by the end of 1983, one of which was a multiprocessor configuration. One system was upgraded during the year, and none were awaiting installation at the end of the year. The library division of the company had gross sales of less than $1 million and did not make an after tax profit for 1983. The modules which were operational at the end of the year were: circulation, local cataloging, global authority control and the OCLC interface.
[Contact: Systems Control, Inc., Commercial and Industrial Systems, P.O. Box 10025, Palo Alto, CA 94303.]
