ESPOO, Finland, Sept. 24, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The 13 city libraries of the Tampere region and the Tampere City/Regional Library have signed an agreement concerning the most extensive common library system in Finland. The solution is based on TietoEnator's PallasPro library system. The new system will be implemented gradually, and the first libraries will join the common system during the fall of 2002.
The common system, called PIKI, will cover a total of 350,000 inhabitants of Hameenkyro, Kangasala, Kylmakoski, Lempaala, Nokia, Pirkkala, Toijala, Urjala, Valkeakoski, Vesilahti, Viiala, Viljakkala, Ylojarvi, and Tampere whose library has been using the PallasPro system for years.
The common library system includes, for instance, a common material and customer database that brings the collections of all of the above- mentioned city libraries into common use in a uniform manner. Library users will only have one library card, and one user ID will be valid for Intranet transactions in all of the specified libraries. This will significantly facilitate library use in the neighboring towns.
For the libraries and their employees, the common system not only means cheaper acquisition costs but also a reduction in overlapping work in, for instance, collection listing.
"Learning from each other and improving customer service are also important features of the new cooperation," stated Maija Kanerva, Vice Director of Tampere Library Services.
TietoEnator is the leading provider of library IT solutions in Finland, serving more than 250 libraries with a coverage of some 2.5 million users. 12 of the 20 Finnish regional libraries are TietoEnator's customers. TietoEnator is a leading provider of online library services, such as Internet-based and mobile solutions. Customers of the libraries that use the PallasPro system carry out more than one million web-based electronic transactions every month.
Further information:
Antti Soini, Director, TietoEnator, tel. +358 14 415 7529, GSM +358 40 515 5125, e-mail antti.soini@tietoenator.com. Maija Kanerva, Vice Director, Tampere City Library Services, Tampere City/Regional Library, tel. +358 3 3146 4044, GSM +358 400 831 796, e-mail maija.kanerva@tt.tampere.fi
With almost 12,000 employees and annual net sales of EUR 1.1 billion, TietoEnator is a leading supplier of high value-added IT services in Europe. TietoEnator specialises in consulting, building and hosting its customers' business operations in the digital economy. The Group's services are based on a combination of deep industry-specific expertise and latest information technology. www.tietoenator.com
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