What is the BrowZine Pairing Service?
Most institutions provide remote access to their resources through methods compatible with BrowZine such as a Proxy Server or VPN service. Other types of authentication may be incompatible or the library may not permit remote access. For these libraries we offer the optional BrowZine Pairing Service which allows your patrons to "pair" their mobile device running BrowZine to a hosted proxy server run by Third Iron. This pairing methodology works very similarly to what a number of publishers do to enable remote access to their content.
How does it work?
Third Iron requires a subscribing library to register a particular IP address with their publishers to enable IP access to this new hosted proxy address. Third Iron takes care of all the maintenance and setup of this server. There is no IT involvement from the side of the library.
Once your account is live, patrons will be able to download BrowZine for free from the iTunes, Google Play and Amazon app stores, select your library's account and then verify their access to your library in one of several ways:
If users create their BrowZine account using their email address from your organization, the pairing process is automatic. Nothing further is needed from them to access content.
Automatic Pairing Via Network
If users join your library in the BrowZine app while on your organization’s network, the pairing process is automatic. Their device is authorized for 90 days and can then be used to access content both on- and off-network. If the user brings their device back and forth between work and home, the pairing will be continually renewed as they use it on-network. Otherwise this network pairing process will need to be repeated every 90 days to continue accessing content off-network.
Manual Pairing Via Email
If you are unable to use your mobile device on your organization’s network and did not create your BrowZine account using your organizational email, the manual pairing option sends a special email to the email address you used to create your account. By clicking the link contained in that email from a computer or device on the organization’s network, the pairing for the device will be renewed. This process will need to be repeated every 90 days to continue accessing content off-network.
Manual Pairing Via Third Iron Support
If you are unable to pair via network or email and are not using a BrowZine account with your organizational email address, an option will also be shown to contact Third Iron Support directly for assistance. Other proof of your affiliation with the organization you are attempting to pair with will be required.
Can the period a pairing lasts be customized?
Yes! Here is a PDF version suitable for printing.
I contacted a publisher to register the unique IP but they say this IP belongs to "Amazon.com". Is that correct?
Yes, that's correct! The BrowZine Pairing Service uses state-of-the-art cloud-based technology to deliver fantastic performance and reliability for minimal cost. Third Iron contracts with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to produce the infrastructure for the Pairing Service using a technology known as Elastic IP. Thus, while the IP's are owned by Amazon, Third Iron has a permanent lease on these and have assigned the IP we give out only to your institution. Except for the cloud-hosted component, this setup is no different than other companies such as OCLC and Ex Libris (among others) who also provide hosted proxy servers for library customers. If a publisher has a question about this arrangement, they are free to contact us at support@thirdiron.com and we would be happy to assist further.