OASIS announced that its members have approved the Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) v1.0 as an OASIS Standard, a status that signifies the highest level of ratification. OpenDocument provides a royalty-free, XML-based file format that covers features required by text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical documents. OpenDocument provides a single XML schema for text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical documents. It makes use of existing standards, such as HTML, SVG, XSL, SMIL, XLink, XForms, MathML, and the Dublin Core, wherever possible. OpenDocument has been designed as a package concept, enabling it to be used as a default file format for office applications with no increase in file size or loss of data integrity. Future plans for the OASIS OpenDocument Technical Committee include extending the standard to encompass additional areas of applications and users, as well as adapting it to incorporate ongoing developments in office applications. All those interested in advancing this work, including governments, open source initiatives, educational institutions, and software providers, are encouraged to participate in the Committee. OASIS hosts an open mail list for public comment and the opendocument-dev mailing list for exchanging information on implementing the standard. http://www.oasis-open.org
Year: 2005 (Page 51 of 95)
When I first read Frank’s post on the Future of Content Management debate in Amsterdam, it made me want to buy a plane ticket for just this one session. I’ve always liked these kinds of sessions – keynotes with thought leaders, the analyst panel, the “One Minute with a Vendor” panel, etc. I find them spontaneous, “off-the–cuff”, surprising, and real. They let actual users with bonafide concerns put competing vendors and analysts “in the hot seat” — in a forum without notes, prepared remarks or static research documents. It’s a real-time google of some of the most interesting minds in the business.
Regarding the keynote panel questions, here are some points to ponder IMO. Comment on this post or Frank’s original to submit your questions directly to the Amsterdam keynote panel or vendor panel.
- The portal market is not dead unless you’re an analyst. The “portal” – sans the focus on vendor revenues that often define the “market” – is a concept, a strategy, a (dare I say it?) KM goal – that seeks to improve the productivity of a workgroup or enterprise through a common environment that promotes collaboration, communication, and efficiency within disparate business processes. My corporate interactions over the last year prove indisputably that this “concept” is pervasive throughout business drivers for technology purchases. So, do predictions of portal market death represent a fine example of analyst-vendor-customer disconnect? Does the SOA momentum hint at a portal market re-birth under a different label? Successes from “last pure-play standing” vendor Plumtree suggest that death is premature.
- As I’ve said before, market competition between best of breed versus enterprise suite is alive and well. For an opinion from the vendor trenches, a CMSWatch Point-Counterpoint interview is a good read.
- In terms of the keynote panel’s discussion on “what is a content platform” and Longhorn impact, what about Tiger? It’s been a lot of fun to monitor the headlines over this question. Beyond that amusement, the serious focus on content and search from the OS players is certainly good fodder for the content platform discussion.
With less than a week to go before the conference, I’m still tempted to buy a plane ticket – but that tax refund is long gone. I’ll just have to rely on live-blogging.
A complimentary breakfast seminar and discussion:
“Technology Directions: Driving DITA Adoption in Europe”, has been added to next week’s conference in Amsterdam on Friday, May 27, 8 – 10:00 a.m. IBM, Idiom and Nokia will present on DITA and its practical applications, while leading an open discussion focused specifically on the adoption of DITA-based publishing initiatives in Europe through establishing regular meetings, networking opportunities and education events. Panelists from Thursday’s presentation will be on hand, with the addition of Indi Leipa, senior information architect, Nokia.
Siderean Software, Inc. has announced the general availability of its Seamark Navigation Server, a turn-key, enterprise-class navigation capability that permits users to “search the way they think”. Seamark provides IT personnel and information architects the means to pinpoint specific information by integrating various data sources (both structured and unstructured from both inside and outside the enterprise) as a new, dynamic data collection that can be browsed, searched, or queried. It then generates a browsable application that enables users to pinpoint information within that collection. The Web-ready, Seamark-generated application can be used “as is”; refined as necessary for look, feel or function; incorporated into a Web page; or linked to other applications as a Web service. What Seamark does is systematically examine the various data sources to which it is introduced, discovers both the explicit and implicit structure or organization in the data, produces a “metadata” description of its content and characteristics, and then automatically generates a browsable, prototype application based upon that description. Seamark provides interfaces to JDBC, RDF/XML, and RSS. Seamark uses a Web-services model. Client interfaces include RSS, SOAP, and ASP/JSP. It is offered as a standalone platform under Linux, Windows and Solaris. http://www.siderean.com
Mark Birbeck’s company, x-port.net Ltd., makers of formsPlayer, have launched an XForms Wiki, and they have some seeded it with some good material. Some of the initial content includes tutorials, industry news, reference material, and sample applications.
Google Inc.announced Google Desktop Search for Enterprise. The free downloadable application enables companies to provide employees with the ability to search desktop files, email, AOL instant messages, the corporate intranet and the Internet from one search box. The application provides enterprise-level security, configuration and deployment controls, as well as the ability to search the full text of IBM Lotus Notes messages. An optional premium support package is available. Google Desktop Search for Enterprise is free and available at http://desktop.google.com/enterprise.
Open Text Corporation introduced a new document management solution to improve the way companies manage and store documents used in large-scale processes such as invoicing, ordering or claims processing. The Production Document Management solution works with Open Text’s new BPM offering, giving customers process management, document management and a single document repository – to improve customer account statements for banks, policy statements for insurance companies or outgoing invoices for utilities. The Production Document Management solution includes imaging and archiving technology to import and consolidate huge volumes of paper documents into an electronic form. The system maintains every incoming document and makes it available on demand to multiple users simultaneously. It can securely store documents for designated or extended periods, and supports all types of storage media. The solution utilizes the Livelink ECM Platform’s Archive Server, providing a single access point and integration with multiple storage hardware vendors. For accounting and other compliance requirements, the Production Document Management solution offers data retention capabilities. Documents are stored in a tamper-proof format, and administrators can define retention timetables for individual documents and categories of documents. The solution also works with ERP or CRM applications. The solution also features a search mechanism that provides instant access to all documents stored in the system. http://www.opentext.com
Vignette Corp. announced the general availability of Vignette Records & Documents release 7.0, a Java-based integrated enterprise document and records management solution that supports Web browser interaction without custom development. Through seamless integration with Vignette Portal, organizations can reduce the cost of managing records and documents, extend the access and power of information throughout the organization, and enhance data security. The integration of Vignette Records & Documents with Vignette Portal allows customers to extend the value of stored records and documents by providing controlled access to data. Vignette Records & Documents allows users with pre-built case processing frameworks to drive efficient business processes that now offer configurable connections access to current and related case information. http://www.vignette.com
