InfoTech: ProQuest Buys WebFeat
Michael Rogers -- Library Journal, 2/14/2008 11:29:00 AM
- Will be merged into Serials Solutions under Jane Burke
- Burke: WebFeat has “wonderful technologies” that complement Serials Solutions’
- Two companies share many customers
ProQuest gave itself a large Valentine’s gift, announcing February 14 the purchase of WebFeat, which will be merged with its Serials Solutions unit under general manager Jane Burke. ProQuest said a new platform incorporating the respective strengths of both “will debut early in 2009.” 
Burke told LJ that she’s looking forward to working with WebFeat’s “wonderfully talented” staff. While federated search has problems, Burke says, “It has become a necessity.” As libraries buy more databases they need a tool that lets them find out what’s inside. “Today, good federated search is what you need to do that,” she said. “The WebFeat staff understands this space, understands this problem.”
She added that WebFeat has developed “wonderful technologies” that complement Serials Solutions’ own. “When we looked at the two product lines side by side, we felt we really have the opportunity to meld these two into a best-of-breed platform,” she said. She offered the example of Serials Solutions 360 Search, which has good results handling, while WebFeat has “wonderful systems for setting up and administering these things,” and WebFeat also “has been really serious” about usage statistics. “We have the ability here to get some complementary functionalities together,” Burke said.
Lastly, Serials Solutions is looking forward to working with WebFeat customers, many of whom already are Serials Solutions users. “This is a chance to broaden our reach in those libraries,” said Burke. “Some of these customers are large consortia or statewide deals, which for the most part has not been where we’ve put 360 Search, so that’s good too.”
