Book Digitization: i2S Acquires Kirtas Technologies

From the Kirtas Web Site:

[France-based] i2S announces that it has entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire a majority interest in Kirtas Technologies Inc, based in Rochester, New York, USA. The world leader in robotic bound-document digitization systems, Kirtas will complement the i2s Scanning unit product line, its distribution network, its customer profile and its strong presence in the US market.
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With an installed base of over 200 units in 35 countries, Kirtas represents nearly 70% of the world market for robotic scanners. In 2010, Kirtas sold over 40 units of its robotic digitization systems.
Kirtas has been at the forefront of the digital revolution and has gained experience managing several major scanning projects: beginning in 2006 the company was selected by Microsoft for the “Live Book Search” project, whose goal is to scan works from U.S. public and university libraries, including Yale and Cornell Universities, in strict compliance with copyright laws. Kirtas carried out the digitization of 150,000 books between 2006 and 2008.
KirtasBooks.com has distribution agreements with a number of university libraries, making more than one million titles available via their Digitize-on-Demand model and has republishing relationships with institutions such as Boston Public Library and with Barnes & Noble.
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i2S is the world’s leading producer of scanners for bound documents and large formats. The group relies on an indirect network of 40 distributors throughout the world, with 1,600 scanners installed in 80 countries. The Group addresses three market segments: Cultural Heritage, Self Service and international service provision (Global Services).

Learn More About i2s
See Also: New York Public Library and Kirtas Technologies Partner to Make 500,000 Public-Domain Books Available to the World (10/2009; via LibraryTechnology.org)
See Also: LexisNexis Selects Kirtas Technologies for High-Speed Digital Book Scanning Equipment (12/2007; PR Newswire)

Filed under: Digital Preservation, Libraries, News, Public Libraries