July 18, 2006, North Andover, MA, USA – Aries Systems Corporation today announced the release of Editorial Manager Version 5.0, the latest upgrade to the online manuscript submission and peer review system that is actively used by more than 1,850 scholarly and scientific publications.

Enhancements included in the new release are based on feedback from the Editorial Manager (EM) User Group and key customers, and focus on: improving the user interface; extending the inventory of Web-based configuration options; and facilitating interactive communications between journals, authors, and reviewers.

For example, journals can select from hundreds of configurable “flags” for display next to manuscript records, so editors can quickly “flag” manuscripts that have idiosyncratic characteristics. State-of-the-art interface options enable editors to compress and decompress displayed information so that they can more easily navigate long lists of manuscripts. Configurable manuscript fields and user registration questions permit flexible data storage, and capture of data from users. These and dozens of other exciting new capabilities are outlined in the Version 5.0 Release Notes which can be obtained by contacting Aries’ customer service department.

Commenting on the new release, Tony Alves, Product Manager, said, “As ever, we have been systematic and thorough in our design and development process. Extended workflow capabilities, such as the ability to require an explicit manuscript technical check, are optionally configured by journals. This means that journals can switch on new functionality at their own pace. Editorial Manager is simply miles ahead when it comes to self-paced deployment and configurability.”

Aries has a 5-year track record of providing more than 15 successful and hassle-free upgrades of Editorial Manager. As with previous releases, Version 5.0 is being rolled-out to journals on a phased basis, and in a manner that does not require journal downtime or immediate staff retraining. Commenting on Aries’ software deployment expertise, Richard Wynne, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said, “Thanks to our unique software architecture, we don’t need to switch all journals to a new release at the same instant. This low risk approach ensures an excellent customer service experience thereby helping journals build brand loyalty with all-important reviewers and authors.”

About Aries
Aries Systems transforms the way scholarly publishers bring high-value content to the world. The company’s innovative and forward-looking workflow solutions manage the complexities of modern print and electronic publishing – from submission, to editorial management and peer review, to production tracking and publishing channel distribution. As the publishing environment evolves, Aries Systems is committed to delivering solutions that help publishers and scholars enhance the discovery and dissemination of human knowledge. Publish faster, publish smarter, with Aries Systems.