Vendors in the Application Server, Content Infrastructure, Content Management, Technology Strategy and Integration, and Content Delivery Network (CDN) industries announced today their support for Edge Side Includes (ESI), a simple markup language used to define Web page fragments for dynamic assembly and delivery of Web applications at the network edge. Unique to ESI is a mechanism for managing content transparently across Application Server solutions, Content Infrastructure, Content Management Systems and CDNs. As a result, ESI enables companies to develop Web applications once and choose at deployment time where the application should be assembled — on the application server, the content infrastructure, the content management system or the content delivery network, thus reducing complexity, development time and deployment costs. Akamai, ATG, BEA Systems, Circadence, Digital Island, IBM, Interwoven, Oracle, and Vignette have co-authored the specification as a proposed open language for creating a uniform programming model that facilitates interoperability of ESI-compliant applications across multiple vendor implementations. In addition, Fort Point Partners, kpe, Macromedia, Mirror Image, Open Market, and SilverStream have endorsed ESI as a proposed specification to provide more flexible and cost-effective solutions to their customers. For more information on ESI, including a draft of the specification, an ESI Overview and technical documents, please visit www.edge-delivery.org
Month: May 2001 (Page 3 of 5)
IntraNet Solutions, Inc. announced the release of Outside In XML Export. The product automatically converts more than 225 file formats to XML, enabling easy access to business information stored in legacy files, proprietary office applications and graphics. XML Export integrates into numerous applications, such as indexing, search systems and content management, including IntraNet Solutions’ Xpedio Content Management system. The product uses XML transformation style sheets to convert business content to the XML standards adopted by various industries, such as healthcare, high technology and financial services. XML Export preserves and exposes the content, structure and format of native business documents during the conversion to XML. The Outside In Technology enables software developers to deploy viewing and/or conversion of file-based information within their application environment to address their users’ diverse information management requirements. Outside In XML Export is shipping now. www.intranetsolutions.com/products/developer_conversion.html
Openpages, Inc. announced the latest version of ContentWare, the company’s content production solution. ContentWare 2.6 provides users with additional tools for managing digital assets, importing content from other systems and for administering and implementing the application. The extended capabilities of ContentWare 2.6 include: Macromedia Dreamweaver & Freehand Integration in addition to Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator; AutoImport can now run in parallel on several servers; Customizable Metadata Capture; Richer Quark Support for Print Content Production; HTML Links Spider; Installation Wizards; and Custom Forms Creation Tools. The new release of ContentWare is available immediately. www.openpages.com
Vignette Corp. announced the upcoming release of the Vignette Enterprise Application Portal. The Vignette Enterprise Application Portal is a fully configurable, J2EE-based, out-of-the-box solution that provides the necessary infrastructure for a company to deploy an enterprise-level portal to carry out e-business transactions; manage relationships with customers, partners, suppliers and employees; and perform many mission-critical business functions through a common, enterprise-scale interface. The Vignette Enterprise Application Portal features browser-based management dashboards that enable business and technical users to control a host of functions from a central location. Site administrators can configure the portal to manage content from disparate sources and deliver what is relevant to users on a contextual basis. A customer-facing portal deployed using the Vignette Enterprise Application Portal can gather information about users as they move through the digital environment and make recommendations about content and presentation based on behavior and usage patterns. The Vignette Enterprise Application Portal enables out-of-the-box collaboration through virtual team rooms, threaded discussion groups and shared calendars, bringing a community of users together online. Delegated administration capabilities help organizations to reduce overhead costs for customizing, configuring and deploying their portal structure by putting administration responsibilities in the hands of business owners while allowing information technology workers to retain technical and architectural control. The Vignette Enterprise Application Portal will be available to customers in early July 2001. www.vignette.com
TRADOS Incorporated announced the availability of TRADOS 5, its new platform for translation and localization of business content worldwide. Using TRADOS 5, international organizations can easily and quickly adapt all their corporate language content including products, websites, marketing materials and business documents to compete in foreign markets. New features include: WorkSpace – a single interface that integrates project management capabilities with the suite of TRADOS computer aided translation (CAT) tools; ExtraTerm – a terminology extraction application that automates the process of compiling specialized term lists, dramatically shrinking cycle-times for the terminology management process; XTranslate – eliminates the need to review new versions of previously translated documents late in the project-update cycle; TRADOStag – an XML-based tool that unifies the translation process for all DTP and tagged formats such as HTML, XML and SGML. Currently available, TRADOS 5 offers a preferred-pricing discount structure for orders placed before June 25, 2001. Pricing is dependent on configuration. www.trados.com
Ektron, Inc. has released Version 2.0 of its eWebEditPro, a multi-language, browser-based WYSIWYG Web content authoring and editing tool. A “go-to” Web content editor for Web developers, VARs, ISVs, consultants and hosts, eWebEditPro delivers a familiar Word-like environment for business end-users, along with server-side controls for IT staff. Major updates to Version 2.0 include simplified installation/integration, enhanced IT-side controls, new features for customization, and new content formatting functionality. eWebEditPro works with all Web application servers and ships with sample code for Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP), Macromedia ColdFusion, JSP, PHP and Lasso. Sample code for Lotus Domino and Perl will be released soon. eWebEditPro replaces an HTML text area field in dynamic Web sites or browser-based applications – giving users a toolbar that lets them apply fonts and headings; copy and paste from most Windows applications without losing formatting; insert tables, images, and hyperlinks; and check spelling. Version 2.0 offers new buttons such as redo, horizontal rules, special characters, superscript/subscript, strikethrough and more. eWebEditPro 2.0 includes a fully customizable and extensible XML-based programmable toolbar as well as new JavaScript API for custom development and extended functionality. eWebEditPro 2.0 includes support for Netscape 4.7 and 6.0. Additional features in Version 2.0 include cascading style sheet support and style sheet override; document formatting enhancements to more closely match MS Word; and options for output as “clean HTML” (to protect against overlapping tags) or XHTML (useful for WAP, XSLT, etc.). eWebEditPro 2.0 can be used to edit the text only, HTML body only, or the entire document. www.ektron.com
UN/CEFACT and OASIS announced that participants from around the world approved ebXML specifications at a meeting in Vienna, Austria on 11 May 2001. ebXML, which began as an 18-month initiative sponsored by UN/CEFACT and OASIS, is a modular suite of specifications that enables enterprises of any size and in any geographical location to conduct business over the Internet. Using ebXML, companies now have a standard method to exchange business messages, conduct trading relationships, communicate data in common terms and define and register business processes. ebXML specifications and technical reports are available at no charge on www.ebxml.org. Approved specifications include ebXML Technical Architecture, Business Process Specification Schema, Registry Information Model, Registry Services, ebXML Requirements, Message Service and Collaboration-Protocol Profile and Agreement. Accepted ebXML Technical Reports include: Business Process and Business Information Analysis Overview, Business Process Analysis Worksheets & Guidelines, E-Commerce Patterns, Catalog of Common Business Processes, Core Component Overview, Core Component Discovery and Analysis, Context and Re-Usability of Core Components, Guide to the Core Components Dictionary, Naming Convention for Core Components, Document Assembly and Context Rules, Catalogue of Context Drivers, Core Component Dictionary, Core Component Structure and Technical Architecture Risk Assessment. RosettaNet plans to integrate support for the ebXML Messaging Services Specification in future releases of their Implementation Framework (RNIF). The Global Commerce Initiative, which represents manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods, chose to base their new Internet protocol standard for trading exchanges and B2B communications on ebXML. Other industry organizations, such as the Automotive Industry Action Group, Health Level Seven, Open Applications Group, Open Travel Alliance, SWIFT and formal international and North American EDI standards bodies, have also been active participants in the ebXML initiative. www.ebXML.org, www.uncefact.org, www.oasis-open.org
AuthentiDate, Inc. announced that AuthentiDate will be used to provide support for the secure authentication of digital files stored in Tamino, Software AG’s native XML database. This joint effort offers e-business and enterprise applications customers a secure way to protect and ensure the originality of digital content at a specific point in time. The Tamino platform is a native-XML database management system suited for storing, publishing and exchanging Web- based electronic information. Tamino users that employ AuthentiDate services will be able to take advantage of time-stamping and digital signature technology to authenticate any type of file. www.authentidate.com; www.softwareagusa.com
