We have been around for a long time
Created as a management buyout in 1982, but with a history going back to 1970 as part of Plessey Data Systems, Axiell has a strong, stable customer base, predominantly in UK local government. Axiell customers include a third of the local authorities in the UK, corporate bodies such as Channel 4 and Sainsbury’s as well as institutions such as The House of Lords.
The UK business joined with the Axiell Group of companies in 2008, enabling the UK company to contribute to and benefit from shared resources, leading to faster developments and more advanced product innovations for the benefit of customers and end-users in the UK and the Nordic countries alike.
The resulting Group of companies aim to use its drive and ambition to ensure that its customers are visibly at the forefront of library and information service provision in the UK and around the world.
The two most prominent Nordic companies in the library IT sector, Axiell Biblioteksystem AB and BTJ System AB, merged to become Axiell Bibliotek AB and were later joined first by CSC's Consulting Group's Library Section and later in 2005 TietoEnator Library, with whom we es-tablished a joint venture and built the company TietoEnator Libraries Oy. In 2007 Axiell took over Finnish TietoEnator Libraries Oy, and obtained full control of the company, which now got the name Ab Axiell Kirjastot Oy. At the end of December 2007 Axiell and the Finnish company Akateeminen Tietopalvelu ATP OY joined forces, and the Finnish Axiell company Ab Axiell Kirjastot Oy got even more strengthened.
January 2008 a new corporate structure was made and Axiell Library Group AB was formed as a parent company. The company consists now of three business areas - Axiell Libra Nordic, Axiell Scandinavia and Axiell Western Europe - with the following operating subsidiaries: Axiell Bibliotek AB (Sweden), Axiell Libra Ab (will be formed in April 2009), Axiell Bibliotek A/S (Denmark), Ab Axiell Kirjastot Oy (Finland) and finally Axiell Ltd. (United Kingdom).
All in all - this has resulted in a company with more than 50 years of joint library experience.
Libraries are our speciality
Today we have more than 230 employees throughout the UK, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. We are devoted to producing the world's best library and archive systems; both technically advanced and user-friendly for customers and staff alike. We are aware that no two libraries or archives are the same. Customers differ, as do work procedures, technical requirements and environments. For this reason, development is always carried out in close cooperation with the customer. Many of our employees are librarians so there is a common language between provider and customer.
We know IT
We were one of the very first companies in the world to supply local library systems and our analysts and developers are all experts within their areas.
The first Swedish system, BIBS, spread rapidly and was the market leader in Swedish public libraries at the end of the 1980's. At the beginning of the 1990's, Axiell led the development of graphic applications in library systems, e.g. WebOPAC, graphic maps in the OPAC and graphic self service programs.
In 1996, Axiell was again one of the world’s first suppliers to launch a complete graphic local library system which implemented all of the established library standards.
And we are still around
Naturally, we continue to cooperate with the customer after the system has been implemented. Axiell also provides training, support and further development. Supplementary products can easily be ordered from our web shop. Axiell offers a wide range of consulting services - from IT project management to organisation to logistics – and we have successful Web and Internet portal programs.
We help libraries to give the best possible service
We have a system of self-service automats that helps relieve library staff of heavy workloads, enabling them to channel their strength and energy into providing borrowers with the services they require. The automats are able to handle all electro-magnetic security systems as well as RFID. Axiell has formed a new joint development company, Bibliotheca A/S, together with Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems. The purpose of this new company is to adapt the library management system, the RFID standard and the self-service automats to meet the special requirements of libraries in Scandinavia.
We are ahead of the field
As a result of the broad experience we have gained over the course of many years; we are the leading supplier of IT systems and services to European libraries. You will meet us at more than 700 municipalities in the Nordic countries and at 70 public libraries in the UK, which all are using Axiell's systems in their public libraries. Together with school libraries and special libraries Axiell's systems are used in more than 3000 different places and at around 400 archives and museums.
We continue to research and develop chip technology, smart mobile agents and E-books together with our international partners.
Axiell will continue to be a leading developer of Library, Archive and Museum solutions
