ARGUS Online

Shares knowledge across the organization

Our core platform, ARGUS is designed to integrate information about collections so that knowledge can be shared across the organization and with the visiting public. Its ability to integrate and provide access to the details of collection management is unrivalled, but its robust underlying relational database and simple interface make it both dependable and easy to use.

Flexible: ARGUS was the first collection management system on the market that did not rely on a single brand of Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). With ARGUS you have a choice of database management tools so that you can work within your existing technology architecture, scale your automation project to the size of your collection, and accommodate the constraints of your budget. With ARGUS you can plan for growth with confidence that your technical foundation can expand with your knowledge resources. Information in ARGUS is always accessible to other applications used in your organization, so collection information can be shared in a networked environment.

Integrated: ARGUS not only stores and remembers everything, making collection managers more productive; it also enriches and extends information by linking catalog and transaction records to images, sound, video, and HTML. Using the ARGUS Web Module, organizations can now share their information at will with other members of staff and the public to support research, education, and community-building.

Universal: Our ARGUS Web Access Module allows you to make your collection information accessible via a Web browser. Your staff and end users can now view and research collection information without actually logging onto the ARGUS application. The same technology can be used to run on-line exhibits on the Internet, or give the general public access to collection images or labels. Collection management information no longer has to live in isolation from other aspects of your organization's life and work. For example, object information and label copy can be exported to desktop publishing software in the publications office; names and addresses can be used by the membership office; and financial information is accessible to accounting software.

Customizable: With ARGUS, you can catalog your collection exactly as you please, and you can use it to manage the administration of your databases in ways that conform to all your requirements. We can promise this because we invite you to easily configure the software precisely to your needs, using our training and documentation.

Staff can browse and retrieve information via your Intranet; the visiting public can be introduced to the collection at a kiosk; or an international public can see exhibits and explore the collection on the Internet. Like ARGUS itself, the Web Access Module can be configured by your staff to suit your organization’s needs. Show only those aspects of the collection that you select for display, and adapt the look and feel to conform with the style of an existing website.