OverDrive Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced a comprehensive set of authoring tools and services to enable publishers to easily create eBook titles based on Microsoft Reader with ClearType display technology. A beta version of the initial product, ReaderWorks Standard — which enables individuals to convert content from Microsoft Word, HTML, ASCII, OEB or image files into Microsoft Reader format — is available via free download from the ReaderWorks Web site. Through its ReaderWorks family of products, OverDrive offers publishers tools and services to join the eBook revolution. Individual authors, as well as large-scale production houses and datacenters, are able to easily and economically build eBook titles and repositories for Microsoft Reader. ReaderWorks Standard is a free Microsoft Windows-based application that enables users to build and customize Microsoft Reader-enabled eBooks from Word documents and HTML, ASCII, images or Open eBook Specification files. ReaderWorks Publisher is an upgrade that prepares Microsoft Reader-compatible titles for sale and distribution by eBookstores. With ReaderWorks Publisher, eBook authors can answer a few questions about their title and create XML files that contain marketing and copyright protection data in ONIX, XrML and Microsoft Digital Rights Management architecture. ReaderWorks Software Developers Kit includes developers tools for integrating the automated production of eBooks in Microsoft Reader format. ReaderWorks SDK also permits software applications to add “save as Reader” support. ReaderWorks Professional is a suite of eBook conversion and quality control tools for volume producers of LIT files (Reader format) in a batch environment. OverDrive and its network of VARs offer publishers a range of education, training and conversion services, including turnkey systems. The ReaderWorks Standard beta version is available free of charge at www.readerworks.com. The other products in the ReaderWorks suite are expected to be commercially available within the next 90 days; pricing has not yet been announced. www.overdrive.com
Month: May 2000 (Page 3 of 6)
Market-Touch Corporation announced the latest release of its hosted Web solution, Market-Touch version 2.5. Market-Touch Corporation integrates XML technology with its DataGem Server to fully enable personalized, 1-to-1 marketing and sales collateral creation. The latest version of its software includes simplified content management features, usability enhancements, and improved Internet performance. With the introduction of the DataGem XML Tag Language, marketing departments can now empower their sales forces with automatically generated, personalized documents that are consistent with the look and feel of any collateral they have traditionally used. When a sales representative generates a dynamic document, Market-Touch retrieves relevant information from the DataGem Server and structures and formats it according to the rules in the XML template. The result is a professionally written, corporate-standard document that conveys exactly the right message for each and every prospect. Prior to version 2.5, Market-Touch provided ten templates for dynamic documents. Now, customers can create any number of document templates. As a hosted Web application, all enhancements to Market-Touch 2.5 are free to current customers, and do not require upgrades, updates, or customer-side IT or administrative support. Using the Market-Touch SMART implementation methodology, new customers can be up and running in as few as 3 weeks. Market-Touch 2.5 includes mobile support for the Palm VII Connected Organizer and integration with leading SFA solutions. www.market-touch.com
Vignette Corporation and OnDisplay, Inc. announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Vignette will issue 1.58 shares of its stock for each outstanding share of OnDisplay. The combination of Vignette’s V/5 suite and OnDisplay’s XML-based business-to-business infrastructure products will create a comprehensive offering for companies building businesses online. OnDisplay’s B2B infrastructure products enable organizations to integrate more closely with their customers, suppliers and business partners through the real-time exchange of information and transactions. OnDisplay’s XML technology allows critical business information — such as purchase orders, inventory status checks, invoices and product catalog data — to be integrated, aggregated and exchanged between multiple suppliers and distribution partners quickly and efficiently. This functionality increases a business’s online selling effectiveness and extends its trading networks to suppliers and vertical marketplaces through secure, guaranteed online connections. Together, Vignette and OnDisplay will offer eBusiness applications that power automated cross-enterprise transactions and highly personalized end-user interaction. B2B commerce requires automation of business transactions between trading partners and integration of back-office systems with Web-based commerce systems. For example, purchase orders implemented as cXML based transactions or connections to ERP systems using standard XML interfaces will increasingly be required for online marketplaces and the companies who wish to participate in them. Combining the business process automation capabilities of OnDisplay with the real-time personalization, analysis and content management capabilities of Vignette’s V/5 eBusiness platform will enable companies to tightly coordinate their suppliers and distributors to create true “collaborative” commerce. With the acquisition, Vignette will have approximately 2,000 employees, 870 customers and global operations — from the U.S. to South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In a stock-for-stock, tax-free transaction, each outstanding share of OnDisplay will be exchanged for 1.58 shares of Vignette. Based on fully diluted shares outstanding and both companies’ closing price as of Friday, May 19, this transaction represents a purchase price of approximately $1.7 billion. Vignette will account for the transaction using purchase accounting and expects to close the transaction in the third quarter, subject to approval by OnDisplay’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions. www.vignette.com, www.ondisplay.com
webMethods, Inc. announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Active Software, Inc. in an all-stock transaction. This acquisition brings together two vendors whose software solutions address the integration requirements of global companies and industry trading exchanges, both within the enterprise and across B2B trading networks. The companies expect that the transaction will close during the third quarter of 2000, pending completion of customary closing conditions and receipt of Active Software and webMethods stockholder and required government approvals. Under the terms of the agreement, Active Software’s stockholders will receive 0.527 of a share of webMethods common stock in exchange for each share of Active Software common stock. The transaction, valued at approximately $1.3 billion based upon the Friday, May 19, 2000 closing price of webMethods common stock, is expected to be accounted for as a pooling-of-interests. Approximately 13.6 million shares of webMethods stock will be exchanged for all outstanding shares of Active Software. webMethods was advised by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, and Active Software was advised by Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Thomas Weisel Partners. Until now, companies have been forced to adopt separate solutions for uniting internal business processes, and then sharing and integrating these processes with external trading partners, either directly or via B2B marketplaces and trading exchanges. Upon completion of the acquisition, Active Software’s products and operations will be combined with webMethods. Phillip Merrick will continue in his role as president, CEO and chairman of webMethods, with Jim Green, Active Software’s CEO, joining the team in the role of CTO and executive vice president, product development. Green will also join the webMethods Board of Directors. Other members of the Active Software management team will join the webMethods management team. Active Software’s Santa Clara, Calif. offices will become the West Coast headquarters of webMethods. The combined companies will have nearly 600 employees worldwide. www.webmethods.com, www.activesw.com
webMethods, Inc. announced that i2 Technologies, Inc. has selected webMethods for integrating participating companies’ systems with i2 TradeMatrix marketplace solutions. In this arrangement, i2 will resell and market webMethods B2B as the B2Bi solution to companies interested in integrating with i2’s TradeMatrix. webMethods B2B will be embedded in TradeMatrix to provide TradeMatrix marketplaces with a comprehensive business solution that enables companies to deploy business-to-business portals. webMethods B2B will allow the secure integration of a company’s in-house planning and execution systems, across Internet firewalls, with TradeMatrix marketplace solutions. This automatic system-to-system integration will allow participating companies and their trading partners to achieve integrated business workflows. Through this partnership, TradeMatrix customers will benefit from webMethods’ rapid development and deployment capabilities. www.i2.com, www.webMethods.com
Rational Software and Commerce One, Inc. announced a UML (Unified Modeling Language) for XML schema mapping specification. The Rational Software and Commerce One joint collaboration provides a standard method to dramatically reduce the development time and increase the quality of schema-based, XML e-commerce applications. UML is poised to become the industry-standard language for specifying, visualizing, constructing, and documenting software systems. XML schema is emerging as a W3C recommendation for the definition of XML and is believed to provide a safer and more reliable way to define XML messages for use in e-commerce systems. By adding mechanisms for strong data validation, inheritance and other object-oriented structures not present in the DTD, developers can have a more efficient way to visually model e-business solutions. The UML profile announced today would provide developers with a systematic, graphical methodology for creating XML schemas. The UML for XML Schema Mapping Specification is available at Commerce One’s Web site at www.commerceone.com/xml/sox/index.html and Rational’s Web site at www.rational.com/uml/index.jtmpl
Interwoven, Inc. announced the availability of the latest version of TeamSite, which now serves the needs of content developers in Europe and Asia by allowing easy content entry for languages based on both single-byte and multi-byte characters such as French, German and Japanese. This means faster time-to-Web and reduced development costs for multi-lingual sites. With the latest version of Interwoven TeamSite software and XML-based TeamSite Templating, non-technical users can easily enter content and metadata on content for multiple languages. This makes it easier for organizations to extend the responsibility for content development and management throughout the global organization. Because metadata can also be in the local language, content can be more easily syndicated across multiple sites and can be easily searched and shared with other applications. Development costs associated with multi-lingual sites will also be reduced because local teams are now empowered to manage content in local languages. The entire task-based workflow process, from content development, to quality assurance, and approval through deployment can now be directed in local languages, which reduces the cost and decreases the time required to manage content. The latest version of TeamSite Templating now has improved database integration and content re-use functionality. TeamSite Templating enables content reuse by separating content from presentation, which allows content creators to more easily contribute without having to worry about the details of presentation. This release extends TeamSite Templating’s XML-based architecture by providing the ability to “nest” page components which extends content reuse capabilities. The TeamSite Templating page generation engine combines content elements and Interwoven OpenDeploy can then be used to automatically deploy these pages to the production environment including application servers for dynamic delivery. TeamSite 4.2.1 is available immediately. www.interwoven.com/products/teamsite
Microsoft Corp. announced the newest version of its MSXML parser with built-in support for version 2.0 of the Simple API for XML (SAX2). The decision to implement the SAX2 programming interface, rather than develop a new one, is a reflection of Microsoft’s commitment to deliver the features its customers demand. SAX2 is designed to enable faster and more efficient processing of XML by allowing programs to read, review and process XML files without having to load the entire document into memory. The latest version of the MSXML parser, the third in a series of XML parser technology previews Microsoft began releasing in January 2000, provides another programming interface for building Web-based distributed applications based on standard XML messages. These releases allow Microsoft to achieve its goal of providing new features and updated support for standards in “Web time.” In addition to the new SAX2 support, this release also adds more support for XSLT and Xpath. Development of SAX began in December 1997; its first release was in May 1998. SAX was a collaborative effort developed entirely by the members of the XML-DEV mailing list. The SAX interface is free for commercial and noncommercial use. Although the list of contributors credits over 80 people, including some of the original developers of XML, David Megginson of Megginson Technologies Ltd. (www.megginson.com/) is considered to be the primary developer and maintainer of SAX. SAX 2.0 was released on May 5, 2000. The new release is available for immediate download at http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/
