Recently in Technical Documentation Category

XyEnterprise announced the release of ContentaView 3.6, an update to their software solution suite for the intelligent delivery of interactive, textual and multimedia content via CD-ROM or the Web. This new version now features a web-based update server, providing a universal means for updating all digital publications with a simple internet connection. The update server in ContentaView 3.6 makes it easier to push content updates from the server to the desktop and ensures that users are working with the correct version of their publication. It also allows for unattended updates to be performed at pre-determined intervals. Because these new features in ContentaView 3.6 are web-based, they do not require any additional hardware or software. Also included in ContentaView 3.6 is a tracking mechanism that compiles an audit trail of every user who connects to the server and every update that is downloaded. This tracking mechanism provides up-to-date information about all end users along with the publications, versions, and historical information in each client record. Additional capabilities of ContentaView 3.6 include a new generic export tool that allows a user to export the XML into any desired file format, such as RTF, Excel, Word, CSV and plain text, to update files and accommodating users not familiar with XML. The new release of ContentaView features an improved search capability that permits end-users to search for full text or categorical content using phrase searching, search stemming, search excerpts or saved searches. Support for the S1000D process data module in ContentaView 3.6 means users can perform dynamic troubleshooting using the product's built-in logic engine and can create their own data set based on a sample data set, provided by XyEnterprise, which shows the major components of the process data module in action. http://www.xyenterprise.com

Adlib Software and LORENZ Life Sciences announced that they have signed an OEM agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, LORENZ will license and embed Adlib's ExpressConversion technology into future versions of LORENZ's docuRender for MS-Word product. Adlib and LORENZ aim to eliminate submission quality concerns and automate and streamline regulatory publishing with submission-ready PDFs delivered through LORENZ's docuBridge submission management solution. Many life sciences organizations attempt to build document conversion solutions in-house or use systems that are not suited to the rigors of the FDA eCTD (electronic Common Technical Documents) standard. Adlib and LORENZ can accommodate the large number (into the tens of thousands) and types of documents generated in today's research environments, integrate the solution into an organization's document workflow and provide the quality and compliance to meet any standard or regulation. http://www.lorenz.cc/, http://www.adlibsoftware.com

PTC announced Windchill ProductPoint, its new solution for capturing, handling, and sharing product development information. With Windchill ProductPoint, PTC will enable SharePoint to understand CAD (computer- aided-design) data, increasing the reach of the familiar SharePoint user experience, and enhancing its usage across broader product development teams. For OEMs and suppliers, a future release of Windchill ProductPoint is planned to support the sharing of information among other Windchill-based systems. Windchill ProductPoint benefits companies of all sizes, providing smaller companies with a steppingstone into product lifecycle management (PLM) and giving larger companies with a SharePoint strategy the ability to extend their product development system to broader user communities. Highlights of Windchill ProductPoint include: Multi-CAD SharePoint services offer basic functions for managing Pro/ENGINEER data as well as other CAD file formats, their structures, and inter-relationships, ProductView services enable visual product interaction with 3D thumbnails, visualization of lightweight product viewables, and Web- based markup tools for redlining designs, Visual navigation and interrogation of files dependencies, Windchill Portlets present Windchill information (e.g. task lists) to users in a familiar SharePoint portal, and Windchill PLM Connector enables sharing of CAD data across Windchill-based systems in support of customer or supplier collaboration, or internal collaboration among different divisions.

empolis GmbH, announced that it has signed an OEM partnership with Mark Logic Corporation. With this agreement, empolis will license and tightly integrate MarkLogic Server as an embedded component within its products empolis:Content Lifecycle Suite (e:CLS), an advanced workflow and translation management platform for highly-modular XML content and empolis:Service Lifecycle Suite (e:SLS), a knowledge management solution that enables service representatives to locate the correct response to specific customer questions as quickly as possible. empolis' existing and future customers will now leverage the capabilities and performance of MarkLogic Server to assemble and deliver targeted personalized technical documentation, providing information to each user at the time it is needed and in a preferred format. Based on its ability to reliably handle extremely large volumes of both structured and unstructured content, and its highly scalable and expressive query capabilities, MarkLogic Server has enabled empolis to build sophisticated end-to-end content management and delivery applications. http://www.empolis.com

Andovar, the consultative localization company with operations in Boston, Singapore, and Bangkok, is partnering with automated translation technology expert Asia Online to collaborate on new technologies that increase productivity on highly technical translation projects. The partnership combines Asia Online's statistical machine translation (SMT) platform and interactive continuous improvement environment with Andovar's proven globalization project management skills and services. The Asia Online directly addresses this issue by combining a statistical machine translation platform with an environment for collaborative and continuous improvement. Andovar's human subject-matter experts review the platform's early translations and make corrections as needed. A comprehensive analysis of the corrections is performed in real time, from which the platform learns. The result is that the platform will never make the same mistake twice and subsequent translations are improved. http://www.asiaonline.net http://www.andovar.com/

Informative Graphics Corporation (IGC) announced the release of its Redact-It Enterprise Server software for EMC Documentum. Redact-It intelligently removes privacy information like Social Security numbers, names and phone numbers before making documents available to a wider audience. The integration solution is being debuted at EMC World 2008 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. Redact-It Enterprise offers integrators the ability to perform batch redaction of document, imaging and PDF files. It automatically removes all instances of specified privacy information from files or directories, including Social Security numbers, a person's name, birth dates, email addresses and monetary amounts. For example, Redact-It can be used to cleanse privacy information from personal records, including healthcare and immunization records, loan applications and public records.End users can also use Redact-It's simple interface directly from the EMC Documentum to select from a list of pre-defined privacy information macros, search for a particular word or phrase (or a list of words/phrases), or apply a redaction template for standard forms. Redact-It can intelligently detect and remove privacy information. It completely removes the information and creates a new PDF or TIFF rendition, so the redacted content is completely irretrievable and the source file is left untouched in the repository. No metadata or hidden content is transferred to the rendition..For more information, visit http://www.brava4emc.com.

Version 9.2 introduces a new XML Author edition specially tuned for content authors providing a well designed interface for XML editing by keeping only the relevant authoring features. The major additions in Oxygen XML Editor 9.2 are related to the WYSIWYG-like editing support and in particular to the DITA support. The general visual editing improvements include displaying the resolved content in the editor and navigation through links. With the new DITA features that include a new DITA map editor, actions for inserting conref links, a tight integration of the latest version of the DITA Open Toolkit, Oxygen XML Editor becomes an easy to use DITA editor. Other improvements are browsing of XML databases using WebDAV connections, better handling of Chinese, Japanese and Korean (CJK) text, support for the Intel XML Software Suite and multiple component updates. The new Oxygen XML Author is available both as a separate product (standalone and Eclipse plugin) and also as a part of Oxygen XML Editor. The new DITA maps manager allows viewing and editing DITA map files and also acts as a project manager allowing to open different topics for editing. The tool chain for generating DITA output in a multitude of formats (XHTML, PDF, HTML, JavaHelp, Eclipse Help, DocBook, etc.) is ready to use out of the box. Oxygen XML Editor and XSLT Debugger is available immediately in 3 editions: Multi-platform XML Editor Academic/Non-profit license costs USD 48, Multi-platform XML Editor Professional license costs USD 299, and Multi-platform XML Editor Enterprise license costs USD 366. Oxygen XML Author is available immediately in 2 editions: Multi-platform XML Author Professional license costs USD 179, and Multi-platform XML Author Enterprise license costs USD 220. http://www.oxygenxml.com/

Inmedius, Inc. announced the release of S1000Dmanager V3.0, the next evolution in their S1000D management. The system's new platform facilitates the professional management of content, delivering the tools and information needed to efficiently manage the S1000D publication process. Manager's technical publication lifecycle architecture adds a library and centralized control center to the system's S1000D project setup and management support capabilities. The combination of a flexible library system, Dashboard approach, and integrated business intelligence provides complete command over information assets. New functionality in the S1000Dmanager V3.0 release includes a library system where users access and view information organized by Standard Numbering System (SNS). S1000D projects are managed from within the document library where multiple users, with security access, can edit project information. Another new feature is managing Data Module Requirements Lists (DMRL) as separate XML documents that may be checked out, issued, approved, and that have their own workflow. With quantitative metrics, the new, centralized Dashboard provides transparency and a visual representation of the S1000D technical documentation process. Publication managers are able to monitor organizational efficiency, identify problem or choke points in the process, and adjust resources as necessary to ensure project deliveries are on time and within budget. In conjunction with the upcoming release of S1000DauthorPro, Manager V3.0 will include editing and management capabilities in support of S1000D Specification Issue 3.0 requirements. Manager and AuthorPro are two of seven modules in the Inmedius S1000D Publishing Suite. http://www.inmedius.com

XyEnterprise announced the release of ContentaView 3.5. ContentaView 3.5 adds support for advanced applicability filtering for the S1000D V3.0 applicability model and process data modules. It also provides enhanced content reuse, searching, reporting and audit trail capabilities. All of this is readily configurable to support specific customer requirements. Users can ensure they are working with the current approved version of content via the new One Click update feature, which provides an immediate method to install incremental updates from within ContentaView. ContentaView 3.5 can be configured to track not only the manual updates for each work station where it is installed, but also each section viewed, and every keystroke entered by a maintenance technician. A log of each session is captured in XML format, and can be routed as appropriate to confirm regulatory compliance or improve the maintenance function. The enhanced applicability feature allows consumers to filter the content they see based on applicability criteria relevant to their organization and document types. For example, an end user may select the "expert" version of content for one product while another may choose to view the "novice" content for a second product. ContentaView V3.5 now includes a new generic forms utility which provides the ability to create online forms that can capture any type of information to help improve the product, process or user experience. From within ContentaView, a user can then access, complete and print these forms. http://www.xyenterprise.com/

XyEnterprise has released an update to their Contenta S1000D content management software that provides expanded support for the S1000D specification. It is used by authors, editors and publishers for the creation, management and delivery of technical documentation. Contenta S1000D provides an integrated workflow that can clearly distinguish between work-in-process and approved or published content. It can control access to data modules based on user roles and project status, provide locking mechanisms to prevent inadvertent parallel editing, and provide reports on due dates and status throughout the entire editorial and publishing process. This update to Contenta S1000D includes enhancements that automate many of the tasks required in an S1000D environment. Tools for creating and managing Standard Numbering Systems, Data Module Requirements Lists, Data Dispatch Notes and S1000D project management have been improved to provide an out-of-the-box S1000D environment that will work well for organizations at any stage in the adoption of S1000D. The Contenta S1000D software leverages Contenta's object-oriented architecture, history, version control and automated workflow. It can also manage and store legacy SGML and XML content written to other standards, as well as graphics and unstructured content such as FrameMaker and Word. Contenta S1000D provides the infrastructure, application integration and comprehensive tool set required to work with the S1000D standard across the information lifecycle. http://www.xyenterprise.com/