Whether you manage your PC's with a clipboard or one of the legacy automatic time systems, patrons don't like to waste time waiting in line. EnvisionWare's unique Intelligent Scheduling Architecture (ISA) gives patrons the ability to make choices about their use while enforcing your library's computer policy.
The process involves a simple 3 or 4-click wizard that guides a user in the selection of a resource. This isn't a traditional day-timer approach or a simple queue, it's a sophisticated software application that provides the most intuitive patron sign up process in the industry for over 5,000 libraries.
PC Reservation® allows patrons to validate their library card directly against your existing patron database, an independent database, or an auto-expiring unique guest ID system. The user then selects the AREA such as Children's, Internet, Word Processing, or "Any." PC Reservation automatically locates the next available PC matching the user's AREA choice and gives him or her a specific time to use a computer. If there's a wait, the patron is free to browse your new books or grab a quick cup of coffee and then return at the assigned time to use the PC. While that provides added convenience for most patrons, others will appreciate the additional ISA features. During operation, as users sign in and out of the system, the unique adaptive logic provides other options automatically. If a patron doesn't want to wait the amount of time required for a "full session," the system can also provide the choice for a shorter session for immediate use - automatically. Of course, the queue model is still supported and patrons can either start a session early at their assigned PC, or sit at an unused seat and allow PC Reservation to automatically swap the assigned full session later for whatever time is available 
now at that PC. You can even set a policy to exempt short sessions from the user’s total session limits. All of this happens without the inherent problems associated with a dynamic queue that forces patrons to wait in line or potentially lose their turn because they didn’t wait and watch the queue. The sign at the right is from a library that had so many patron complaints from lost turns that they converted from their queue-based system to EnvisionWare, took down this sign, and received high praise from their user community.
The exclusive Rules Wizard allows you to decide in advance who can use what resource, how filtering is managed by age or patron type, and whether someone can sign up if he or she owes fines. Nearly every system setting is customizable to the area level so that end of session warning messages in reference can be traditional "Your session is about to end in 5 minutes" and children's messages can say "Tick tock - Tick tock, Time's almost up." You can customize all the words on every screen and you can do it in multiple languages that the patron can select on-the-fly.
EnvisionWare's exclusive distributed processing architecture ensures that no single device can create a system-wide outage, each component can act independently, and network bandwidth isn't significantly impacted by the new system. Although distributed, the system can easily be managed centrally from EnvisionWare Central Management-enabled administrator PC’s. The input of over a thousand librarians is evident in the incredible customization capability, all of which happens with the click of a mouse. Change setttings easily to experience different behavior and then restore your default configuration with one click. Manage the system yourself, our use EnvisionWare's optional managed service.
EnvisionWare is the only developer to adopt the Agile process which ensures rapid delivery of new features in a well tested system. Users often see their suggestions implemented in just 30 days after submission. Our new test-driven approach is an industry first in the library community. We write tests for each code function and then write the code. As a change is made or new feature is added, all prior tests must pass. Tests are run every 10-15 minutes during development.
Working in partnership with a global sales team of over 50 professionals and a support team that includes 35 developers and field engineers, EnvisionWare has the technical and pre-sales resources to sustain rapid growth and to continue providing the highest level of personalized service.
The PC Reservation design places equal emphasis on patron time, staff time, and resource utilization. The result is a balanced system that reduces staff involvement in public PC management, provides the freedom and consideration of patron's valuable time, and ensures that all of your PC’s are in use all the time. Couple PC Reservation with EnvisionWare's LPT:One™ for print management, and Launch Command® for desktop application launching and metering, and you have One Suite Solution. Add EnvisionWare’s BarcodePlus® payment system and web-enabled credit card services for an integrated payment system. Or, you can purchase a la carte to obtain the products that deliver the right features to match your needs and your budget.
Check out our commitment to the open publication of information on this website, or join the open user list serve. This story continues by selecting the link below.
