Dear SERIALST Subscribers:  I wanted to briefly respond to recent posts
about
Ingenta and our subscription activation process.

Typically, the activation process for IngentaConnect is straightforward:
customers register with us online then claim access to their online
subscriptions via our activation form, or ask their agent to do this
activation
on their behalf.  We then cross-check with the publishers' records and
activate
access.

Once access is activated it is automatically renewed each year, unless we
are
notified by the publisher or agent of a cancellation.  We incorporate a
three
month gracing period at the start of each year to allow for late renewals,
and
publishers are able to extend this gracing period if they are not in
possession
of complete renewal information at the end of March.  We strongly encourage
publishers to extend gracing periods where necessary, as we realize that
cutting
off access in error causes major problems for librarians.

Problems do sometimes occur when publishers' subscription records do not
match
those provided by a library or its agent.  In these instances our customer
services team is available to assist in resolving discrepancies, and we are
also happy to talk with your subscription agent (we are in regular contact
with
all the major agents to try and improve the complex flow of subscription
information). And, of course, Ingenta will make the occasional error, which
we
try to correct to our customers' satisfaction.

IP address conflicts sometimes happen if an institution has been registered
in
the past and a new contact at the institution attempts to re-register the
same
IP addresses.  Again, our customer services staff should be able to resolve
these issues.

I also welcome any of Ingenta's customers to contact me directly should they
feel they're not receiving proper assistance.  My contact information
follows.

Thanks - Jeff

Jeff Downing
Library Relations Manager
Ingenta, a division of Publishing Technology
875 Massachusetts Ave., 7th Floor
Cambridge, MA  02139
jeff.downing@ingenta.com
1-214-641-2859 (cell)
1-617-354-6875 (fax)
www.ingenta.com