Microsoft forms agreement with Kirtas Technologies as part of its Live Book Search portal initiative

M2 Best Books, Oct 18, 2006

M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Software company Microsoft Corp (Nasdaq:MSFT) has announced that it has entered into a digitisation agreement with Kirtas Technologies, a provider of digital scanning.

The deal reportedly enables Microsoft to continue with its Live Book Search portal, a tool that will provide out-of-copyright scholarly material from educational establishments, as well as in-copyright material that Microsoft receives from publishers or authors. Microsoft's Live Book Search portal is scheduled to launch early in 2007.

On Tuesday (17 October) Cornell University Library announced that it had joined the libraries of the University of Toronto and the University of California in signing up to the programme.

According to The Guardian, Microsoft's agreement with Kirtas aims to speed up the digitisation process through the use of Kirtas' robotic scanner, which allows for up to 2,400 pages to be digitally scanned and stored per hour.