Soon to be enabled for e-information of all kinds, Inmagic.NET's current version allows information professionals to order physical books directly from Baker & Taylor, barnesandnoble.com, Fatbrain.com, and a growing list of other information vendors. Purchases are enabled through a Web link to these vendors placed directly in DB/TextWorks. Those who order through Baker & Taylor have the ability to request that the company download core bibliographic data to Inmagic's servers, where it can be imported directly into the customer's DB/TextWorks database. From there, bibliographic data can be edited by the customer to meet individual preferences and needs.

"What Inmagic and our growing list of e-commerce partners are developing with Inmagic.NET is an evolving platform that our special-library customers can use to benefit from the fast-changing Internet and e-commerce world around them," said Phil Green, Inmagic's president and CEO. "By melding desktop computing, the Web, and e-commerce, we're providing information professionals with a comprehensive, Net-connected environment that will enable them to place the right information, in record time, into the hands of decision makers."

According to the announcement, Inmagic's e-commerce partners will utilize their participation in Inmagic.NET to help drive traffic to their Web sites, as well as provide services that are recognized as value-added by their special-library customers. Pamela Smith, senior vice president of Internet portals for Baker & Taylor, said, "Our participation with Inmagic's Inmagic.NET program will allow us to provide superior value-added benefits to special libraries that would be very difficult for us to implement on our own."

Inmagic.NET uses XML technology to enable the electronic tagging of information in the same way as that of a Web page. According to the company, tagged information, such as core bibliographic records or even financial data related to a transaction, can be downloaded in the format preferred by the customer, enabling the speedy updating of DB/TextWorks files.

Future plans include increasing the number of Inmagic.NET information vendors in North America and globally, and expanding beyond books to include the online acquisition of such e-information resources as serials, journals, newsfeeds, and other types of e-publications. In addition, Inmagic's other core product, BiblioTech PRO, will also soon be enabled for Inmagic.NET.

Green said: "We're committed to providing, under one platform, all information resources of importance to our customers. As just-in-time information delivery becomes a reality, Inmagic.NET will evolve with the industry to enable librarians to purchase and pay for online material only at the time of end-user access."

Source: Inmagic, Inc., Woburn, MA, 800/229-8398; http://www.inmagic.com.