Elsevier announces the rollout of Digi-EXPress®, a patented cloud-based workflow solution for the acquisition and management of third-party permissions.
Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, has announced it has partnered with Firstsource Solutions to implement Digi-EXPress®, a patented cloud-based automated workflow solution and rights management system, for the processing, tracking, and management of all permission grant information from third-party rightsholders relating to Elsevier book products.
The Digi-EXPress® permissions database is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that will serve as Elsevier's central repository for all third-party permission information, including details of the Elsevier book product, the rightsholder's product, the specific material for which permission has been granted, any applicable restrictions to the permission grant, and any applicable permission fees, among other data.
"We partner with experts around the globe to develop world-class content, delivering it in multiple media formats," said Linda Belfus, Senior Vice President General Manager of Content at Elsevier.
"As more of our products migrate from print to digital formats, ensuring rights compliance for all content is a top management priority, and Digi-EXPress Rights Management System is proving to be a valuable tool to support our compliance and 'due-diligence' efforts," said Mark Seeley, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Elsevier.
"By deploying Digi-EXPress®, Elsevier is able to enhance visibility and management oversight of the global rights we license and own, and to automate and optimize many of our rights management functions," said Natalie Qureshi, Global Permissions Manager at Elsevier.
The Digi-EXPress® permissions database will help Elsevier improve time-to-publication and production workflow by reducing delays caused by incomplete or outstanding permissions. User dashboards will display each user's active projects upon log-in along with the current status of each project, flagging any priority items that require follow-up such as a high permission fee, no response from a rightsholder, or a permission restriction or denial. Digi-EXPress® also provides automated data exchange capabilities allowing users to import Excel format permission logs provided by editorial staff, authors, and freelancers and to export permissions data for reporting on restrictions, fees, total usage per project and per rightsholder, and overall performance. Elsevier's Copyrights Team has processed permissions for more than 100 total projects containing more than 15,000 total permission items via the database since its launch in May this year.
"We work closely with Elsevier's team to provide secure hosting and complete training and support packages, including context-sensitive online help screens, webinars, and global help desk support through the resources of Firstsource® to facilitate staff development and optimization of Digi-EXPress features," said Dick Stahl, Managing Director, Digi-EXPress LLC.
James Hill, Vice President, Publishing for Firstsource, added: "We look forward to working with Elsevier to make this a successful partnership. Our publishing capabilities focus on delivering the latest in technological advancements to help publishers comprehensively manage rights and permissions and mitigate legal risks."
For further information, please visit www.digi-express.com.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, helping research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world leading provider of professional information solutions. The group employs more than 30,000 people, including more than 15,000 in North America. Reed Elsevier Group plc is owned equally by two parent companies, Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. Their shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RUK and ENL.(www.elsevier.com
About Digi-EXPress, LLC
Digi-EXPress, LLC is a global provider of consulting, systems automation and rights management services to the publishing industry. Digi-EXPress® is a patented suite of cloud-based software technologies and "best-practice" processes that deliver automated rights clearance and permissions processing, contracts and rights relational databases, enabling "real time" management oversight and team collaboration. The company's Digi-EXPress® platform has processed hundreds of thousands of licensing transactions by most of the world's leading publishers. With our partners Firstsource, Digi-EXPress offers a full suite of Rights and Permissions solutions and services including not only software but help desk and support outsourcing. (www.digi-express.com
About Firstsource
Firstsource Solutions (NSE:FSL, BSE:532809, Reuters:FISO.BO, Bloomberg:FSOL@IN) is a leading global provider of customized business process outsource services to the telecom media, banking financial services, insurance and healthcare industries as well as a certified service provider for Digi-EXPress. Its clients include Fortune 500, FTSE 100 Nifty 50 companies. Firstsource has a "rightshore" delivery model with operations in US, UK, India, Ireland, Philippines and Sri Lanka. (www.firstsource.com/Publishing_Partnership_with_Digi-EXPress.html
Contacts:
Media:
Elsevier
Hop Wechsler, +1 215-239-3520
Permissions Helpdesk Manager
h.wechsler@elsevier.com
or
Digi-EXPress
Stacey Mancuso, +1 720-810-1836
Media Support
Stacey.mancuso@digi-rights.com
or
Firstsource
Smita Gaikwad, +91 22-6666-0841
Global Head Corporate Communications
smita.gaikwad@firstsource.com
