I have written several times about the issues of long term storage of digital content. Now ProQuest and Iron Mountain have partnered to add a new offering for libraries.
The following press release was written by ProQuest, the company that offers HeritageQuest Online:
ANN ARBOR Mich., September 6, 2006—ProQuest Information and Learning is partnering with Iron Mountain Incorporated, the global leader in information protection and storage services, to introduce the PAL Archive Program. Through this initiative ProQuest will deposit its Perpetual Access Licensed (PAL) content offsite in Iron Mountain’s specialized vaults to serve PAL customers who seek the security of a third-party storage option.
“ProQuest is a partner in the library’s mission to ensure the long-term availability and protection of valuable content,” said Rod Gauvin, senior vice president of ProQuest Information and Learning, “and every purchase agreement with ProQuest assures this protection. On perpetual access content, some customers prefer the additional security of a third-party provider, and we are pleased to facilitate that process with Iron Mountain. This agreement allows ProQuest customers to further safeguard their investments and purchase new Perpetual Access Licensed content with confidence.”
ProQuest will deposit all perpetual access content -- including images, ASCII, and metadata -- in Iron Mountain vaults via the Company’s Intellectual Property Management services. ProQuest will deposit all existing PAL content and will make regular deposits of new content.
ProQuest PAL customers can participate in this third-party archive by contacting their ProQuest sales representative, who will guide them through Iron Mountain’s simple enrollment process.
About ProQuest Information and Learning
ProQuest Information and Learning is a world leader in collecting, organizing, and publishing information for researchers, faculty, and students in libraries and schools. It is widely known for its strength in business and economics, general reference, genealogy, humanities, social sciences, and STM content. The company develops premium databases comprising periodicals, newspapers, dissertations, out-of-print books, and other scholarly information from more than 9,000 publishers worldwide. Users access the information through the ProQuest® Web-based online information system, Chadwyck-HealeyTM electronic and microform resources, UMI® microform and print reference products, eLibrary® and SIRS® educational resources, and Serials Solutions e-resource access and management solutions. ProQuest® Smart Search was named "Best Specialist Search Product" by the International Information Industry Awards in late 2005. For more information about ProQuest Information and Learning, visit www.il.proquest.com.About Iron Mountain’s Intellectual Property Management Services
Iron Mountain is the leading global service provider of intellectual property management services. These services are designed to protect and manage intellectual property through technology escrow and domain name records management. As the founder of the industry, Iron Mountain has the integrity, reputation, resources, and experience to ensure intellectual property is properly managed and protected. Iron Mountain's Intellectual Property Management service has set the industry standard by providing quality customer service and unmatched solutions to 75% of the FTSE 100, all major financial institutions and three quarters of the Fortune 500.About Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM) helps organizations around the world reduce the costs and risks associated with information protection and storage. The Company offers comprehensive records management and data protection solutions, along with the expertise and experience to address complex information challenges such as rising storage costs, litigation, regulatory compliance and disaster recovery. Founded in 1951, Iron Mountain is a trusted partner to more than 90,000 corporate clients throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.ironmountain.com.
