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Built from the ground up using advanced web-based technology, V4 captures the power, versatility, and experience of the world's most widely deployed 3.x generation library PC management solution coupled with the feedback and creative ideas from thousands of librarians from around the globe. After well over 9,500 library deployments, over 2,000 migrations from competitive solutions, and meetings with librarians from libraries of all types and sizes, the industry's largest self service development team set out to deliver on the promise of more, better, faster while ensuring that all of the great qualities that have made EnvisionWare THE choice for libraries remain in the core product. EnvisionWare understands libraries better than any company, partly because some of us are librarians, and partly because of our commitment to listen and learn from those we serve. This new generation is written from the ground up and designed to deliver all the current 3x generation features plus hundreds more in an exciting new, remarkably scalable architecture. The patron experience is 100% customizable, capitalizing on EnvisionWare's patent pending design for web-based customizable application workflow. Make the software look and work the way you want it to. The level of customization is dependent on your needs and product licensing. With minimal training, a library web developer could design a completely unique client. The entire user interface is delivered in a unique, cross-platform browser. Imagine having one look in Reference and a completely different, kid-friendly graphic design in the Children's Area. Standard customization includes text and Unicode language translation as well as style (CSS) and graphics. To protect against accidental alteration, the content system is encrypted. With the optional customization compiler, you can use Dreamweaver, Kompozer, Microsoft Expression, or any other preferred HTML editor to develop your own pages. You can control layout, content, and menu design. You can even change the workflow. Brand the system to fit your image. Choose from included styles or create your own. Style libraries will be offered iteratively over the multi-phase rollout. Language support will include English, US English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese with more languages to follow. Working in concert with Apple, EnvisionWare's product management and development teams have focused on delivering the same intuitive Windows workflow while benefiting from the rich Apple Experience. Your current PC Reservation 3.x installation can integrate the new V4 Client by simply installing the Client on the Mac. The new Windows Client can run side by side with existing Windows computers, making migraton possible by gradually adopting the new Client design on your schedule. Deliver rich, dynamic content using the built-in news and event manager or your library RSS feeds on the idle screen. Inform your users about library programs, computer status, and use policy. Offer a complete sign-up or reservation experience from any browser - inside or outside the library. Lock down the browser in a kiosk using EnvisionWare Launch Command Kiosk Edition. All configurations are centralized and dynamically updated. Manage by Computer, Area, Location, or System. Deliver the experience to an entire state of library systems when the complete Management Service is delivered. EnvisionWare created a new 3D (dynamic database design) architecture with our RFID product line that makes it easy for a system administrator to select his or her choice of a backend database. That same technology is at the core of the new Management Service under development so that you can choose Microsoft SQL, Postgres, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Lite, Jet/Access, or a variety of other db platforms. Pick the database engine you prefer with one setting and your system will use that database for your PC Reservation enterprise. |
Move over timer - Welcome Control Menu. The timer of the past has been replaced with a sleek new PC Reservation Control Menu that docks out of the way (but always visible). A progress bar displays the countdown, changing colors as warnings are issued. A single click of the Menu pops up the choices enabled by the administrator. Select Hide or End Session and Change Language in Release 1. More options will be added with each new update. The Hide feature has been enhanced at user request to provide a hide timeout until session end or for a specific interval. The delivery of on-screen information has been dramatically improved. Now you can create structured sentences with replaceable variables so that you can explain pending actions or warnings in easy-to-understand language -- "Your session will end in 5 minutes. Another warning will appear in 4 minutes." In keeping with the improved dynamic language designs available in other Next Generation products from EnvisionWare, you can switch languages on-the-fly on every screen. Let the patron select Chinese and when you are asked for help, you can switch to English and then switch back. With the 3x generation, gamers told us that popup messages in center screen affected their score. V4 delivers messages as a popup from the new Control Menu. Messages are visible but not intrusive. There's no local configuration on the Client - all settings stream down from the new Management Service. (In Release 1, the Management Service runs in tandem with your existing Management Console. As additional releases roll out, the Management Console will be completely replaced with the Management Service.) The new Booking or Reservation Station is a web page delivered from the Management Service to any Windows, Macintosh or Linux computer. Run it on an OPAC, at a patron's home, and in the Launch Command Kiosk menu to lock down a self service computer sign up station. Again, there's no local configuration and everything about the look and feel can be completely customized*. The new Client and additional components will be packaged with another new product, EnvisionWare System Monitor. For customers familiar with the former Diagnostic Tool, the new System Monitor is the next generation approach to diagnostics and maintenance. Invoke a command (without the need to unlock your patron desktop), type your staff password, and upload diagnostic files directly into a Support Case in the Customer Center. The diagnostic report will capture hardware and software information and gather logs for ALL EnvisionWare applications into a single zip file for upload. In addition to support for PC Reservation V4, the System Monitor continually monitors the health and operation of other EnvisionWare products and provides alerts related to issues that affect normal operation. Support has just taken on a whole new dimension. We designed a revolutionary rollout program. Phase 1 provides a new Client in which an existing 3x installation can be used in tandem with a new 4x Client. Phase 2 will offer new web-based Reservation Stations and Phase 3 will unveil some remarkable new capabilities. All of this means that you can adopt the 4x components gracefully and you can test the new look and feel on a selected portion of your public computers. With each new phase, new functionality will be incorporated into the new Management Service which operates in harmony with the current Management Console. In Phase 4 the migration to the new Service will be complete and the current Management Console application will be depricated. This strategy makes migration safe and easy and it permits continued refinements to the current system while the new architecture is being developed. As the releases unfold during the coming months we will update you on the latest and greatest features in the Customer Forum. Chances are, if you've thought of something you wish a computer management product had, you'll find it in V4. We believe that because we already serve more libraries than all other companies combined and because we listen and we care. We can be all things to all people provided you are "people" working in a library. PC Reservation V4 is the solution for all libraries. Fast, remarkably scalable, cross platform, intuitive, easy to manage and deploy, customizable, low maintenance, and best of all, affordable. From a one-click install to a complete customization of the user interface, you have complete control over your patron's experience.
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Some system components are under development. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Please contact your EnvisionWare Sales Consultant for details. Dreamweaver is a registered trademark of Adobe; Expression is a registered trademark of Microsoft. EnvisionWare and PC Reservation are registered trademarks of EnvisionWare, Inc. SpeedWring is a trademark of EnvisionWare. |
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PC Reservation® V4 has been ten years in the making.