EMERYVILLE, Calif. March 22, 2021 – Innovative, a ProQuest company and leading global provider of library software, today announced the Vega Library Experience (LX) platform along with a series of product announcements at the Innovative Users Group (IUG) annual conference. The announcements include:
- Syndetics Unbound is now included in every purchase of Vega Discover
- Vega Connect will be included with any Vega module
- The Vega Universal Messaging Service
The Vega LX platform offers libraries a unified solution for building ongoing relationships with their community and communicating with users across multiple channels, all while keeping patron data, communication history, and analytics in one place for library staff. The Vega LX platform includes six products: Connect, Discover, Interact, Promote, Program, and Analyze.
Built from the ground up using cloud computing, Vega employs the latest technologies and services that allow for speed, scale, and longevity. With extensive user testing and library input, Vega is designed to provide a better experience for all users: library staff, patrons, donors, and citizens.
“Experiencing the library digitally and virtually – through the web, an app, or any modern communication channel – should be as thrilling as walking in the library’s front door and taking in all the possibilities,” said Yariv Kursh, General Manager of Innovative. “The full library experience is made up of all these moments where the community experiences the library in-person and online and builds an impression of the library over time.”
Within the Vega platform, three modules (Interact, Promote, and Program) are highlighted as the Vega Engagement Suite. The suite allows library staff to easily communicate and manage the full range of materials, programs, and services available to their community and personalized for their patrons. The suite will include individualized communication channels such as SMS, voice, chat, chatbots, social media and messaging apps as well as broad communications such as newsletters, campaigns, and event management tools.
Vega Discover is available today and additional Vega modules will be available in July 2021.
Syndetics Unbound is included in every purchase of Vega Discover
Syndetics Unbound will now be included in every purchase of Vega Discover. Libraries will receive Syndetics Unbound’s wealth of enrichment content and metadata from the Syndetics service will be integrated into the Vega Context Engine, providing richer opportunities to organize, display and explore the library’s holdings and services.
Libraries often have to weave together provider content and complicated integrations to try to provide a quality patron experience. With Vega Discover, every library has visually appealing, compelling content that is synced with the library’s catalog data through the Vega Context Engine. Vega Discover delivers a discovery solution with enrichment content from day one of implementation, enabling libraries to focus more on patron services and less on discovery maintenance.
Libraries who purchase Vega Interact, Promote, or Program will be able to use available images from Syndetics Unbound in their email communications. Syndetics Unbound content is available now for Sierra libraries and in July for Polaris libraries.
Vega Connect included with any Vega module
During 2021, new Vega customers will receive Connect at no charge with the first purchase of any Vega module. This includes Connect’s easy-to-use email designer and automated email service that covers registration and welcome emails, courtesy notices, renewal reminders, and anniversary emails. Also included with Connect is an initial set of statistics to understand user engagement with the communications.
“We believe these types of communication tools with enrichment content should become standard functionality for libraries, the same way we all expect the ILS to have cataloging and acquisition capabilities,” said Toni Minick, Vice President of Product Management. “Libraries are now competing with big technology companies who focus their resources on improving user experiences and journeys to match what we have all come to expect. Our goal is to give libraries scalable tools that better help them offer patrons the same personalized and effortless experience as other consumer companies.”
Vega Universal Messaging Service
Vega’s new modern messaging service will allow libraries to manage all of their communications, messaging and conversational channels in one place. In addition to email and SMS, options will include Facebook Messenger and other social media messaging channels, chat and voice channels such as Alexa or Google Voice, push messaging to Discover and mobile, and messaging services such as WhatsApp.
The service integrates messaging performance and channels with other information from Vega to provide a full picture of library and patron interactions and identify trends and opportunities. The services that exist in Sierra and Polaris today will begin to utilize VUMS in 2021.
To learn more about the Vega Library Experience platform, visit the Innovative website.
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ABOUT INNOVATIVE INTERFACES INC.
Innovative, a ProQuest company, provides leading technology solutions and services that empower libraries and enrich their users worldwide. Innovative offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of library automation products on the market today, serving academic, public, national, corporate and special libraries and consortia. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, Innovative has a global presence—serving thousands of libraries in 66 countries and offices worldwide.