Common Questions

Vernon CMS is a modular desktop collection management system that handles all types of collections. It is a comprehensive system which manages all common collection processes, including acquisitions, loans, exhibitions, conservation, rights, public access and deaccessions. Multi-user access can be controlled through the security and data auditing features, making it particularly suited for organisations with a collection management team.

Content in Vernon CMS can be shared in many ways, including through the Vernon Browser web module, programming interfaces and data exports to eHive or 3^rd party systems. You can read about the online collection options on our public access page.

eHive is a web-based cataloguing system used by hundreds of small museums and private collectors to catalogue objects, store images and manage acquisition information. Many larger institutions have also chosen to use eHive as an online publishing platform. Each eHive account has a unique username which can be used simultaneously by multiple users.

Sharing collection records on the public eHive.com site is as simple as ticking the ‘Publish to eHive’ checkbox. eHive includes features for publishing collections to WordPress and partner sites such as the National Library of Australia’s Trove website and Digital NZ. Vernon Systems manages the software, servers and backups, leaving you to focus on your collection. Similar collections can be grouped together by forming communities within eHive.

The two systems can also be combined to provide a cost effective and tailored solution to meet your institutions’ collection management requirements.

Yes. Many clients have legacy data to migrate. We offer complimentary consultation and data analysis in order to prepare an accurate quote for data migration to Vernon CMS or eHive. The time required can vary greatly depending on the volume, complexity and consistency of your existing data. We’re often able to improve the quality of the data during the migration into our systems.

For eHive we also provide the eHive import spreadsheet for offline data entry and as a stepping stone between other systems and eHive. For more information, get in touch with us.

eHive accounts are available on an annual subscription basis covering use of the software, storage and ongoing development. The amount of storage you use determines the level you need to purchase. For example, the $US 200 per year account includes 1 GB of disk space which will store approximately 2,000 web-sized images. See the eHive Pricing page for more details.

Other work is charged on hourly or daily rates, including data migration and custom website development.

eHive is used worldwide by a diverse range of cultural institutions, clubs and societies, and private collectors. Example users include Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Mataura Museum, Museum of Barnstable and North Devon, New England Regional Art Museum, and Randolph College Department of Biology Natural History Collections. Art, social history, natural history, photographic, archive and reference library collections are all catalogued within the system.

You can see a full list of organisations that have public collections on eHive’s Explore Collections page

Object records and images can be shared on the public eHive.com website. There is also the option of publishing to your own custom website or 3^rd party applications through the eHive application programming interface (API). You can read about these options on the eHive Developers website. We’re also partners with larger projects such as NZMuseums, Digital NZ and the National Library of Australia’s Trove website.

eHive can be used as a low-cost option for public access to data in Vernon CMS.

Getting an accurate quote is an important part of the process. We offer initial consultation and data analysis for no charge. Get in touch with us if you’d like a formal quote.

The key factors are your feature requirements and what collection data you need to migrate.

Support and software upgrades are included in your annual licence fee, which is 20% of the total value of your licences.

For more detail, see our pricing page.

Our products are used internationally. If you’re looking at implementing a collections management system we encourage you to contact similar collecting organisations. We would be happy to make an introduction and suggest the most relevant clients.

See our full client list

Read more on the Cataloguing module page. For a quote we will have to ask some questions about your collection data and requirements.  Get a quote now.

Vernon CMS offers several optional add-ons. You can see the full list of options on our Add-ons and Modules page.

Add-ons include the Activities module, which manages many processes such as loans, exhibitions, conservation and rights management in more detail, and our public access options.

We would be happy to talk you through the options. Contact us here

The key steps are: online demonstration, review existing data, propose data migration plan & quote for the project, live data migration, onsite installation and training, follow-up support.

Visit our quote page to see more details about implementing Vernon CMS.

Yes, you can download a trial version of the system with demonstration data. If you have not used Vernon CMS we recommend getting an online demonstration from us first. We can show you around the parts of Vernon CMS that are most important to you and you can ask questions. Contact us if you’d like to arrange an online demonstration or access the trial version.

The annual licence agreement includes comprehensive support by phone or email, full access to the Customer Support Portal and all software upgrades. Find out more about our support.

Vernon CMS requires some training. On installation we include two days training onsite to introduce new users to the key functions in the system. We also offer online or onsite training as a service.  Read about our training options.

Additionally Vernon CMS is fully documented and the Annual Support Agreement includes comprehensive support and access to the Customer Support Portal where you can ask questions, read solution articles and connect with the user community. Read about the support we provide.

Within Vernon CMS you can also configure the steps in each major procedure, setting rules to check, and actions to perform on completion of a step. Actions can include automated reports or emails, and the updating of related files in the system.

Vernon CMS supports most common media file formats. Separate records are created for each media file, so you can record detailed information such as captions, rights, usage and production information. Vernon CMS can also extract digital metadata from media files which you can view, search and include in reports.

We recommend the creation of an in-house data standard to define the fields you use and your organisation’s data style guide.

Objects can also be moved into Packing Units – moveable locations such as crates or solander boxes. When a Packing Unit is moved the system automatically updates the location of all objects currently in the Packing Unit.

Vernon CMS also integrates with the Smarttrack RFID tracking system via the External Tracking System module.

Many of our clients do not have dedicated IT teams. We’re happy to assist clients with the installation of the system and can remotely connect to perform installations or upgrades if you wish. Read the full technical specifications.

Vernon CMS can export to CSV, PDF, Excel and XML, with the Reporting tool providing great flexibility on the selection of fields and records to include. You can also permanently define calculated fields to alter how data is presented in a report or exported file.