The ESPERE project started in 1996 as part of the UK electronic Libraries Programme (eLib). The consortium partners were UK learned society publishers. In 1998 a new consortium of publishers was formed to continue the project as a self-funding consortium. The University of Nottingham Electronic Publishing Research Group has provided technical expertise to the project since March 1997.
The ESPERE software has been available to consortium members since May 2000 and a third version is under development. All the consortium members now use the system which is modified and extended as a result of their feedback. Implementation experiences are shared and the consortium provides an important support network.
The ESPERE software runs on a commercial server and the price includes hosting and maintenance. The software is being continuously developed and will be upgraded from time to time giving extra features. These features are discussed and demonstrated at user group meetings before they are implemented. There is no extra charge for upgrades and all extra features will be optional allowing your staff to develop and extend their online working gradually.
There is a standard annual charge, depending on number of journals and annual submission rate. There are no extra 'per manuscript' charges.