(Dear ISF Colleagues: Many thanks are due to Phil for passing along
this important news. By the way, if you haven't tried TechAtlas, you
can find it at <http://techatlas.org/tools/Default.asp>. Best regards
from Deborah)
-----original message-----
From: Phil Klein < phil%40penpixel.com">phil
penpixel.com>
Date: Mar 30, 2007 2:58 PM
Subject: [RIDERS-TALK] TechAtlas acquired by Gates Foundation for
OCLC, WebJunction
To: riders-talk%40npogroups.org">riders-talknpogroups.org, riders-news%40npogroups.org">riders-newsnpogroups.org
Hi Riders,
TechAtlas, the online tech planning toolset, has been acquired by the
Gates Foundation and is moving from NPower to WebJunction, the
technology support initiative at OCLC (the Online Computer Library
Center, the worldwide library cooperative). Nonprofit sector users and
partners will continue to have access to TechAtlas as when it was
hosted by NPower.
>From the press release:
OCLC Online Computer Library Center has acquired TechAtlas technology
planning software with a $1.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation. WebJunction, OCLC's online community where library
staff share ideas and use online resources to help them in their work,
will further develop this Web-based technology management and planning
tool with particular attention to helping public libraries create
E-Rate compliant technology plans.
With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, OCLC will now
take over ownership of the TechAtlas product, and WebJunction will
begin an intensive round of design and development work to extend
TechAtlas features, such as expanding the ability to allow consortia
to review and approve technology plans for their member libraries.
See the full release at OCLC.
TechAtlas has more than 15,000 nonprofit organization accounts and
more than 10,000 users at libraries. Library staff use Webjunction
TechAtlas for Libraries, and nonprofits use TechAtlas.org. Each of
these sites have some distinctive functionality, but both sites are
served on the same TechAtlas application platform. The TechAtlas for
libraries site has been growing rapidly, partly because the Gates
Foundation has been using TechAtlas as an integral tool in its funding
for technology at libraries. WebJunction and the Gates Foundation have
been using TechAtlas to provide highly targetted and informed funding
within a tool that also provides grantees with many features they need
for managing their technology. Over 20 thousand surveys have been
completed, over 100K computers have been inventoried in TechAtlas, and
the system is a rich repository of information about technology
practices.
OCLC is a large nonprofit enterprise that owns and manages numerous
high quality, highly scaled software products, and is also one of the
top 100 IT workplaces in the US, making it a great new home for
TechAtlas. I've been working closely with OCLC and Webjunction staff
during the transition, and foresee continued improvements ahead for
TechAtlas users. The transition is expected to occur in April 2007.
--hope to see you in DC at NTC,
Phil Klein
__________________________________
Phil Klein, Pen & Pixel www.penpixel.com
projects: www.penpixel.com/portfolio.htm
blog: www.cknowledgeworks.com/blog
phone: 206-683-5098
.
