Relais International Inc.

Relais Product Comparison

Topic	Relais Express & Express PLUS	Relais ILL	Enterprise	Comment/Additional Information
Scanning & Delivery	Yes	Optional	Yes	The scanning component is inherent to the Relais Express and Enterprise systems. It is optional for the Relais ILL.
Full Request Management	No	Yes	Yes	Full Request Management is not available with Relais Express. Basic tracking of requests can however be done within Express.
Relais Access	Only with Express PLUS	Optional	Optional	The Relais Access module is the web interface for patrons - it allows patrons to keep track of their requests, enter new requests and send library staff messages. It is optional component for Relais ILL, Enterprise & Express PLUS only.
Library size	Any	Smaller (i.e. < 50,000 annual requests)	Larger (i.e. > 50,000 annual requests)	Relais ILL is geared toward smaller libraries and ILL departments.
Library size	Any	Smaller (i.e. < 50,000 annual requests)	Larger (i.e. > 50,000 annual requests)	For example, if you work with more than 50,000 annual requests (borrowing & lending) you may need to look at using Relais Enterprise. Relais staff can help you choose.
Number of branches	Not applicable	< 5 & centralized, otherwise discuss with Relais	Many branches	Overall, Relais Express is used for scanning and delivery by all different sizes of libraries. There are cases where there may be fewer than 50,000 annual requests but many branches. In some of these cases, the price for Relais ILL, following the "template" becomes unreasonable. Please use your judgment. If you are not certain, then contact Relais for the cases where there are fewer than 50,000 annual requests but more than 5 branches. We will either decide to work on the pricing, or refer them to Relais Enterprise, depending on the situation.
Installation	Straightforward	Easy to use, self run	Requires assistance by Relais staff	Relais Express installation can be done without Relais staff intervention. Relais ILL installation (server & client) is self-explanatory. Relais ILL can be installed by the customer, with no Relais staff required (although it is an option if desired).
Hosting	Not available	Available	Not available	Relais offers a hosted option for Relais ILL, whereby Relais will house & maintain the database in-house.
Administrative Knowledge	Basic knowledge	Basic knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Relais ILL comes pre-packaged and requires much less administrative knowledge in terms of the Database, Server, etc. whereas Enterprise requires special training and specialized support personnel. It should be ready to use, out of the box. Essentially, Relais has gone through & effectively chosen the most common settings for small libraries so that these libraries do not need to worry about all the administrative details.
Configuration	Minor - can be done by library staff	Configured by Relais	Special training & specialized support personnel	For example Relais ILL comes with 3 predefined request types (patron, regular & rush) and a predefined Request Flow, so unless you specifically require additions, the initial installation should already be configured with all that you need.
Networked Environment	Express - No Express PLUS - Yes	Yes	Yes	The only product that is not able to be networked in Relais Express.
Payment	Up front capitol cost	Annual subscription	Up front capital cost	Relais ILL is an annual subscription service which may be easier to budget than the up front capital cost associated with Enterprise.
Maintenance & Upgrades	25%/year	None	25%/year	Maintenance and upgrades are included in the annual pricing of Relais ILL.
Requests	Not applicable	Volume based	Number of workstations	Relais ILL is volume based so if you have a relatively low volume you can install it on many workstations.
Training	Optional	Optional*	Mandatory	Relais Express or Relais ILL does not require training.
Trial available	Yes	No	No	A trial version of Relais Express can be downloaded from our website.