BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, U.S.A., Sept. 22, 2006 - EBSCO is pleased to announce the release of its updated SUSHI server, now in production within EBSCOhost^® Electronic Journals Service (EJS). A partner in the development of this NISO standard, EBSCO is one of the first to offer technology compliant with NISO Z39.93, the designator for SUSHI (Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative) released September 21 as a Draft Standard for Trial Use.

EBSCO's SUSHI server facilitates automated data retrieval from EJS in compliance with the new NISO standard. SUSHI builds on the work of Project COUNTER by allowing completely automated request and delivery of COUNTER compliant usage reports. With SUSHI, usage reports are automatically retrieved on a monthly schedule for all the COUNTER-compliant vendors with which a library does business.

A founding member of SUSHI, EBSCO recognizes the inherent value of Web services - which provides a standards-based architecture for seamless integration and interoperability between systems - and its practical applications for library automation.

Yesterday's release of the NISO draft standard will be followed by a NISO Managing Electronic Collections Workshop on September 28 in Denver. Oliver Pesch, SUSHI initiative co-chair, member of NISO's board of directors and EBSCO's chief strategist of e-resources, will co-present at the workshop, which will introduce the initiative to a larger community of stakeholders. More information on the initiative can be found at http://www.niso.org/committees/SUSHI/SUSHI_comm.html.

"We are pleased to offer this emerging technology to our customers on the outset of its official adoption by NISO," said Pesch. "The live integration of SUSHI 1.0 with EBSCOhost^® Electronic Journals Service will enable the efficient collection of COUNTER-compliant usage statistics, providing our customers with invaluable usage reports to help them tailor their collections."

About NISO
NISO, the National Information Standards Organization, a non-profit association accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), identifies, develops, maintains and publishes technical standards to manage information in our changing and ever-more digital environment. NISO standards apply both traditional and new technologies to the full range of information-related needs, including retrieval, re-purposing, storage, metadata and preservation.

Founded in 1939, incorporated as a not-for-profit education association in 1983, and assuming its current name the following year, NISO draws its support from the communities it serves. The leaders of more than 70 organizations in the fields of publishing, libraries, IT and media serve as its voting members. Hundreds of experts and practitioners serve on NISO committees and as officers of the association.

Throughout the year, NISO sponsors cutting-edge programs on standards issues and exploratory workshops on emerging topics. These discussions often lead to the formation of committees to develop new standards.

NISO recognizes that standards must reflect global needs. Designated by ANSI to represent U.S. interests to the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) Technical Committee 46 on Information and Documentation, NISO is well positioned to bring together all interested parties wherever they are based.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services is the leading service provider for e-journal, e-package and print subscriptions, a suite of e-resource management tools, full-text and secondary databases and related services for all types of libraries and research organizations.

As the "e" agent of the industry, more than half of the subscriptions handled by EBSCO have an electronic component. EBSCO's comprehensive solutions include proven systems to consolidate ordering, invoicing, claiming and renewals as well as assistance with licensing and registration requirements for our e-journal and e-package customers worldwide. EBSCO's 32 Regional Offices, located in 21 countries around the world, serve customers in more than 200 countries and are staffed by information professionals who speak the local language and understand the particular challenges faced by librarians in their areas.

In its seventh decade of business, EBSCO upholds relationships with more than 78,000 publishers globally. These publisher relationships uniquely position us to streamline many aspects of the e-resource life cycle. EBSCO maintains a Dun & Bradstreet financial strength rating of 5A1, the highest awarded, which underscores the importance placed on providing outstanding, ethical service.