PTFS' ArchivalWare Now Supports Open Architecture Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting.

BETHESDA, Md. -- Digital Archiving Software Aims to Facilitate the Efficient Dissemination of Content

PTFS, Inc., a leader of comprehensive archiving solutions that includes digital archiving and asset management software systems, and digitization and content conversion services, announced today that ArchivalWare(TM) is now Open Archives Initiative (OAI) Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (PMH) compliant. ArchivalWare acts as a repository and is a network accessible server that can process OAI-PMH requests and exposes metadata (a description of the information within an archive, e.g. title, authors and abstract of a research article) to harvesters, or client applications that issues OAI requests.

The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) has developed standards to allow all kinds of content to be accessed with ease. The OAI gives technical recommendations for archives that, when implemented, will allow archive metadata to become available via its inclusion in search engines and recommendation services. The protocol provides a means for repositories to expose their metadata for harvesting by search engines and portals.

"The support of the OAI is consistent with our policy of promoting technology that improves access to content," says John Yokley, CEO of PTFS. "The addition of OAI in ArchivalWare gives our customers an additional tool needed in efficiently share access to resources."

"OAI is very important to us because we want to be able to share our metadata with other digital projects, for example, with the National Science Digital Library (www.nsdl.org)," said ArchivalWare customer, Jim Rible, Science Librarian at Southern Oregon University. "We are pleased to see PTFS incorporating this into ArchivalWare."

About PTFS, Inc.

PTFS' digital archiving solutions offer advanced, affordable tools and services to manage and keep pace with valuable and rapidly expanding digital collections. PTFS is a leading provider of comprehensive archiving solutions and digital asset management that include digital archiving software systems, digitization, and systems integration. The company has already provided digital archiving systems and information systems services to more than 250 government, commercial, academic, union, association and not-for-profit clients. PTFS is a privately held company headquartered in Bethesda, MD. For more information about PTFS, please visit www.ptfs.com.