[WEB4LIB] RE: Vendors Who Borrow from One Another

[Oberg, Steve]

ExLibris was first to the game with its proprietary OpenURL solution, which it calls SFX.  Endeavor (and perhaps other vendors) has developed it's own OpenURL-enabled functionality with its LinkFinderPlus product.
 
It seems that there also needs to be some clarifications made about terms and products.  One is that SFX does NOT equal OpenURL or, to put it another way, OpenURL does NOT equal SFX, although it has unfortunately become somewhat synonymous with that protocal in the minds of some librarians, kind of like the term Kleenex (a proprietary product brand name) has become the generic name for facial tissue.  Another point is that SFX is NOT the equivalent product to Endeavor's ENCompass.  They are two completely different animals.  One is simply a linking system, the other is a comprehensive digital content management system.  I'm not as familiar with ExLibris's offerings but I do know that version 2.0 of ENCompass (digital content management system) incorporates LinkfinderPlus (their linking solution).
 
And while ExLibris was first to market with it's OpenURL linking solution, Endeavor was first to market with a comprehensive, production system for e-content and digital collection management.
 
Steve
 
-----Original Message----- 
From: John Creech [mailto:John.Creech at cwu.EDU] 
Sent: Mon 7/29/2002 12:39 PM 
To: Multiple recipients of list 
Cc: 
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: Vendors Who Borrow from One Another



	When I was at CSU Monterey Bay in 1995 we went with Endeavor as our ILS
	vendor.  I believe they predate SFX by some time.
	
	John Creech
	Electronic Resources & Systems Librarian
	Central Washington University Library
	400 E. 8th Ave. | Ellensburg, WA 98926 |
	office - 509-963-1081 || fax - 509-963-3684
	creechj at www.lib.cwu.edu
	
	On Mon, 29 Jul 2002, Drew, Bill wrote:
	
	> The real question is now:
	>
	> Which came first, ExLibris or Endeavor?
	>
	> which one laid the rotten egg?
	>
	> I know that SFX has been available for a quite awhile.
	>
	> Bill Drew
	>