All individual engineers and companies who need information and advice on welding and joining have a new resource available online with the public launch of TWI's Internet-based JoinIT
TMservice.
'This interactive service offers a major boost to efficiency through improved access to technical information,' says TWI Development Director Bob John. 'Various estimates suggest that up to 25% of engineers' time is spent unproductively in searching for information. Use of Internet technologies can cut this time substantially.
'TWI aims to lead the way with high quality delivery of technical information and knowledge services. This is a new way of working for TWI, and greatly enhances our ability to get the right information to the right person in the right form at the right place and at an acceptable cost. We were pleased to receive support from the UK Government Department of Trade and Industry in the development of JoinIT, which meets the needs set out in the Department's recent competitiveness white paper Building the knowledge driven economy.'
JoinIT combines a unique range of services from straightforward information through best practice guides to knowledge-based software toolkits into which the user can insert data to evaluate what if scenarios. Versatile navigation through free text and keyword searching or a menu driven option helps the user to direct a search accurately. There is also a facility to set user preferences to customise the information resulting from a search. Feedback on the content and functions already available and suggestions for expansion and enhancement are welcome.
Access to JoinIT services is gained via a user identifier and password which are issued after completion of an online registration form. The password is used to regulate the varied access rights appropriate to different types of user. Charges and service levels for TWI Industrial Members, Professional and Welding & Joining Society Members and non-members are summarised below.
JoinIT TM Charges and Service Levels
TWI Industrial Members
- prepaid user licences
- unlimited access to all current content
- additional user licences @ £200+VAT per user, per annum
TWI Professional Members and Welding & Joining Society members
- initial free £25 credit
- credit account payment
- discounted rates on content items
- access to all content except Industrial Member only areas
Non member companies and individuals
- initial free £25 credit
- credit account payment
- access to all content except Member and WJS only areas
