The ISSN database software, based on Virtua from Innovative [http://www.iii.com/products/vtls-virtua], has been recently upgraded to a new release which includes some important customizations. In particular, it is now possible for the ISSN International Centre to create and manage directly the internal bibliographic validations rules which help to ensure the quality and consistency of the data in the ISSN Register.

The new release also offers the possibility of loading bibliographic data from external applications, which opens new horizons for the connection of external services.

Mrs Gaëlle Béquet, director of the ISSN International Centre, has visited the Instituto de Información Científica y Tecnológica (IDICT) in Havana (Cuba) on May 18^th and 19^th, 2015.

IDICT has been cooperating for many years with the ISSN International Centre for the identification of Cuban serial publications which are recorded in the ISSN Register. This visit was the opportunity to present ISSN network and services, and especially ROAD, the Directory of Open Access Resources.

Gaëlle Béquet, chair of the ISO Technical Committee 46 (Information and Documentation) and Clément Oury will attend the TC46 plenary meeting in Beijing (China) from June 1^st to 5^th.