WILL "Z TEXAS" FLY?

NOTES FROM TLA CONFERENCE VENDOR RESPONSE MEETING

4:00pm - 4:50pm
April 23, 1999
Dallas Convention Center

Z39.50
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Vendors Represented by Invitation

Innovative Interfaces (III) -- Stephen Silberstein
SIRSI -- Mark Moorhead
Autographics -- Albert Flores
Follett -- Toni Schiller, Bill Scarlett

Overall Assessment of the Z Texas Profile

III -- Great and long overdue; minimal subset; good explanation on holdings.

SIRSI -- Very pleased to see document; beefy -- puts vendors in challenged position.

Autographics -- Welcome specifications; Texas Library Connection, K-12 resource sharing compatible.

Questions from Bill Moen

Will the Profile help you make a business case for GRS-1 for holdings and other particular syntaxes?

• III -- Makes a business case; III uses a different option to pass holdings.

• SIRSI -- Makes an excellent business case; puts it on a single page; allows SIRSI to elevate development work by priorities.

• Autographics -- Z39.50 is critical for business; views this as critical in development and time saving.

• Follett -- Focused specifications help improve value to user and helps with business case.

Identify the most challenging part of the specifications and what commitment and timeline to support.

• III -- Can do most parts now; priority to implement using Alta Vista by the end of the year.

• SIRSI -- Server side will be compliant by the end of 1999; on the client side, will make some adjustments and be compliant by 1st quarter 2000.

• Autographics -- Holdings scheme by the end of 1999,  Server side by the end of 1999 and deliverable to TLC.

• Follett -- Server is compliant to Category I, Category II, and holdings.   There are some user delivery needs to be worked out.

Please summarize.

• III -- Suggest a test of compliance be developed to prove vendor is successful; creates welcome pressures.

• SIRSI -- Glad specification is tangible; makes it incumbent that upgrades are made; opens up resource sharing.

• Autographics -- Some concern with indexing requirements; creative and follows standard; sees great leap forward in services.

• Follett -- Good overlay for the server; it will impact web and OPAC products; open to beta testing.

Closing Comments by Bill Moen:

Thank you for attending.  The Texas Z39.50 Implementors Group will work toward demonstrable interoperability testing and revise the profile.  Customers should use the profile as part of an RFP in some checklist format.  All vendors stated that the more specific the specifications are, the easier their response.

--Tim Judkins

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