Under the agreement, Atmire will take over management and support of all Open Repository customers effective from July 28th. The acquisition adds to Atmire's client base of institutions using DSpace (an open source repository software package typically used for creating open access repositories) and allows BioMed Central to focus on its core business concerns.
There will be no break in service for Open Repository customers, who will now have access to Atmire's support team.
Lieven Droogmans, CEO Atmire said:
“A full turnkey hosted DSpace solution like Open Repository perfectly complements our existing offering of DSpace services. It is an exciting opportunity to develop the future of hosted DSpace repository services based on the pioneering work of Open Repository in this area.”
Rachel Burley, Publishing Director BioMed Central said:
“Open Repository has gone from strength to strength, but as the volume of open access papers we publish increases we want to concentrate our efforts on our core business. We are certain that Atmire, as leading experts in DSpace services, are best placed to take Open Repository forward.”
While ensuring continuity in the support of existing Open Repository clients, Atmire is embarking on the largest technological upgrade of the Open Repository platform to date. With goals to improve the ease of use for end users and repository administrators, the company is committing to a substantial investment in the quality of the Open Repository product.