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News
Somerset, NJ -- December 10, 1998 - As booksellers prepare
for the busiest season of the year, they are increasingly using the BookEasy Internet
inquiry and ordering service to place orders, in addition to accessing real time updates
on price and availability. BookEasy, a subsidiary of VISTA Computer Services, announced today that the
value of orders placed via the service was up 200% in the quarter ending November over the previous quarter.
Overall usage of the service was up 100% in the same period.
"Indications are that booksellers are leveraging the
BookEasy Internet service as a more efficient way of reaching publishers during the busy
holiday times," says Peter Clifton, Chief Executive Officer of BookEasy.
"Booksellers can check price and availability, place orders directly to any
participating Affiliate or via EDI on the Whitaker central bibliographic facility. They
can also check the status of orders with all Affiliate publishers and distributors, rather
than placing separate calls to each."
Usage patterns demonstrate that booksellers are tailoring
their usage to their particular needs and trading patterns. Some log-on six or seven times
a day, others once or twice for multiple operations. The approximately 700 users are based
in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia. The service, which is free to
booksellers, is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, allowing booksellers to
minimize time spent away from the shop floor during business hours.
One year after its launch, BookEasy Affiliated US companies
include the Von Holtzbrinck Publishing Services companies (Henry Holt, Farrar Straus &
Giroux, St. Martin's Press, and Tor, among others), National Book Network, and Broadman
& Holman, trade publishing subsidiary of Lifeway Christian Resources. In the UK,
BookEasy partners currently include Macmillan Distribution, The Book Service (Random House
UK, Little, Brown, and Grantham Book Services), Marston Book Services, Bookpoint and Exel
Logistics. HarperCollins UK and Wiley UK sites are scheduled for launch in early 1999.
BookEasy is a subsidiary of VISTA Computer Services, with
offices in Somerset, NJ, White Plains, NY and Northwood, England. VISTA Computer Services
is the worldwide leader in information systems for the book, reference and journal
publishing industry. BookEasyTM was designed and developed by VISTA in
partnership with Whitaker as central site bibliographic and TeleOrdering service
providers. Early in 1999, the site branding will change to PubEasy.comTM and
the current BookEasy services will be available at a new URL: www.PubEasy.com/books. This
development will enable PubEasy.com to build an expanding Internet community offering a
range of enhanced services. |
