Year: 2000 (Page 46 of 63)

Companion B.V. released an update of their main product Companion 2.0. The main new feature in this update is the add-on Companion Publisher which can be installed separately on the machines of content contributors. Companion 2.0 and Companion Publisher provide a comprehensive environment for database publications without the need for a specific and expensive application server. Companion makes it possible to create pre-generated database-driven web sites. Companion provides three Database Query Wizards and several specialized Companion tags to include database content in static pages, e.g. one specific field, a list of fields, all records, or a selection based on an SQL query. Companion facilitates content publication from ODBC and Access databases. For publication Companion retrieves the specified content from the database(s) and inserts it into the files that are uploaded to the web server. Companion Publisher enables content contributors to publish new database content, for instance new press releases or new product information, without the help of the web developer. Web developers control which templates are shown in Companion Publisher. A simple user interface allows the content contributor to start and stop the publication of templates. By choosing a Project Profile the author can choose to publish to a test location before the final release. Companion 2.0 is geared at professional, technically skilled users and early adopters. Companion 2.0 departs from the current paradigm in web development of editing source files directly — Companion introduces a separate layer, enabling a component-based approach of script management. The following prices are applicable: Single user license: $199 (introductory price, normal price $349); Five user license: $945 (normal price $1675); Ten user license: $1875 (normal price $2975). www.companion.nl

The first ebXML Initiative Technical Specifications have been released for public comment. The ebXML Requirements Specification is available for download from the ebXML web site at www.ebxml.org. This ebXML Requirements Specification represents the work of the ebXML Requirements Project Team. It defines ebXML and the ebXML effort, articulates overall business requirements for ebXML, and defines specific technical infrastructure requirements that will be addressed by the various ebXML Project Teams in preparing their deliverables. The document includes general guiding principles for the development of other ebXML Technical Specifications. Major requirements are identified in the specification. The specification is available for the full ebXML Work Group and all interested parties in the general public. Comments should be emailed as plain text in the body of the mail message or as an attachment to Mike Rawlins, ebXML Requirements Project Team Leader at rawlins@metronet.com or Mark Crawford, ebXML Requirements Project Team Editor at mcrawfor@mail.lmi.org. The review period closes 27 March 2000. The specification will undergo a second cycle of revision and review prior to the expected final approval. The ebXML vision is to create a single global XML framework solution. It is a joint effort of the United Nation/CEFACT organization and OASIS. Participants represent 14 countries, 83 companies, government agencies and several national and international standards organizations. More than 500 people around the world participate via Internet mailing lists. Following the public comment period, the final Requirements Specifications will be approved by the full ebXML Plenary during its meeting in Brussels 8-12 May 2000. Full details about the ebXML Initiative, its project teams and meetings is at www.ebxml.org, www.uncefact.org, www.oasis-open.org

Xerox Brazil has partnered with InterTech Information Management Inc. to bundle InterTech’s DocuPACT software with their current scanner technology. InterTech is a software and application service provider for electronic document management and workflow solutions that enable document-centric commerce over the web. In addition to having their own document management software, DocuShare, Xerox Brazil has also chosen to integrate DocuPACT with their Document Centre-230 hardware–a scanner/copier/printer rolled into one. Xerox is also selling this solution to the banking market and plans to develop human resources and accounts payable applications to be bundled with DocuPACT/DC-230. www.intertech.com, www.xerox.com.br

NCompass Labs announced the launch of NCompass Resolution 3.0, the out-of-the-box, Microsoft-centric Web content management solution that integrates site design, content authoring, publishing and site management. Resolution 3.0 extends the capabilities of version 2.1 to speed deployment and simplify distributed content management for worldwide e-business applications. The new release’s highly visual browser-based authoring empowers non-technical users to create, manage, publish, and archive rich content while the open, object-oriented API permits rapid customization and integration of Resolution’s Web content management capabilities. Resolution 3.0 is designed to integrate with an organization’s existing infrastructure and allow content owners to be fully engaged in Web and e-business initiatives. Its new Web Client eliminates the installation and maintenance of desktop authoring software while allowing non-technical authors to use their browser interface and common desktop applications, such as Microsoft Word, to create Web content. Support for all of the world’s major languages and time zone synchronization permit authors around the world to easily contribute up-to-date content regardless of their geographic location. The Resolution 3.0 Publishing API permits ready customization of the authoring interface and supports personalized, on-the-fly delivery of audience- appropriate content. New page version archiving and audit trail features permit rapid review of all site changes. Resolution 3.0 will be generally available March 31. www.ncompasslabs.com

Jacada Ltd. announced Jacada Wireless, a suite of solutions enabling wireless devices to quickly and easily integrate with existing applications. Jacada provides a complete software infrastructure to rapidly transform business critical systems into e-business solutions and to empower enterprise developers to build Internet applications. Jacada Wireless supports any WAP enabled device such as mobile phones, as well as PDAs such as the Palm VII. The newest addition to the Jacada product family bridges the gap between a company’s mobile employees, partners and customers with its core enterprise applications. Using Jacada Wireless, any mainframe or AS/400 application can be delivered to WAP-enabled or Palm devices providing mobile users controlled access to valuable business applications and data. Jacada Wireless allows organizations to leverage existing business logic and data without requiring modifications to, or any special knowledge of, existing application code or data structures. Jacada Wireless automatically produces wireless markup language (WML) and HTML code that is interpreted by the wireless device. Jacada Wireless is based on the same e-business infrastructure software that supports Jacada’s current offerings including Jacada for Java, Jacada for HTML and Jacada Connects. www.jacada.com

Adobe Systems Incorporated announced new versions of Adobe FrameMaker and FrameMaker + SGML software. New features offered in the FrameMaker 6.0 applications include enhanced web support and improved book management capabilities. Sophisticated XML output functionality and integration with Adobe Acrobat and AdobeGoLive provides a complete print-to-web, multichannel publishing solution. Multichannel publishing allows FrameMaker users to publish content to a variety of mediums-web, CD-ROM, print-utilizing leading technologies such as XML, HTML and PDF. FrameMaker 6.0 + SGML offers the same functionality as FrameMaker 6.0 with additional support for SGML, a required format for documentation in some industries. Along with FrameMaker 6.0, Adobe offers FrameViewer 6.0 software, an online viewer for electronic FrameMaker documents. In FrameViewer, the cross-references, indexes, and tables of contents that were created in FrameMaker automatically become hypertext links making document navigation easier. Users of FrameViewer can also add annotations to documents which can even be marked “public” or “private.” Using Adobe GoLive software, and most other HTML editors, documentation specialists can generate cascading style sheets to create a consistent look and feel across all media, including paper or the web. With integration into Adobe Acrobat 4.0.5, FrameMaker 6.0 provides support for export to Adobe PDF. Adobe FrameMaker 6.0 software for Windows 98 and WindowsNT 4.0, Macintosh 8.5, 8.6 or 9.x, and Unix are expected to be available in Spring 2000 in the U.S. and Canada. French, German and Japanese versions are expected to be available shortly after the U.S. and International English versions. The U.S. version of FrameMaker 6.0 is expected to sell at an estimated street price of U.S. $799 for Mac and Windows platforms, and $1,329 for the UNIX personal version. The U.S. version of FrameMaker 6.0 + SGML is expected to sell at an estimated street price of U.S. $1,449 for Mac and Windows and UNIX personal version. The U.S. version of FrameViewer is expected to sell at an estimated street price of U.S. $49. FrameMaker will be available through adobe.com and Adobe’s standard distribution channels. www.adobe.com/products/framemaker