Markzware, a developer of data extraction and conversion software and inventor of preflighting, released an upgrade to its conversion tool PUB2ID for InDesign CS3 and CS4. PUB2ID v2 (Microsoft Publisher to Adobe InDesign) is a plug-in that enables users to convert native-application Microsoft Publisher files (MS Publisher versions 2002 through 2007) to Adobe InDesign while preserving the content, as well as the styles and formatting. http://www.markzware.com
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Although the focus of next week’s Worldware conference in Santa Clara, CA, is on global software strategies, the event is on Gilbane’s calendar because demand for localized product content naturally follows demand for localized software.
A number of the topics on the Worldware agenda resonate with us as relevant across both software development and content development domains within global enterprises:
- Understanding localization scope and costs
- Business cases for why localization should remain a strategic focus, especially in uncertain economic times
- Cross-cultural user experience
- Web globalization and social media trends
- Modeling agile software development practices to enable faster-time-to-market for technical content
Gilbane Senior Analyst Karl Kadie will be onsite and would welcome the opportunity to meet with Gilbane readers.
Worldware is produced by Localization Institute and MultiLingual Computing, Inc., Gilbane’s partners in education for language and content management professionals. Collaborative efforts this spring include our participation in Localization World 2009 in Berlin (June 8-10) and a session on community translation at Gilbane San Francisco developed in conjunction with Localization World.
EPiServer announced the general availability of EPiServer Relate+ – a new package which combines the latest social media and web 2.0 features with EPiServer’s web Content Management System (CMS). Relate+ provides combines community building, email composition and maintenance, and a CMS in one package. EPiServer Relate+ contains a template package in the form of a ready-to-use community, inspired by Facebook, which can be adapted to customer-specific needs. You can now mix controlled content from EPiServer CMS with the dynamic and user-generated content which will appear in EPiServer Community. http://www.episerver.com
After a long pause, I am happy to be back as a guest blogger here! The quiet time was well spent, though: last year I co-authored a book on using, and especially about how to start using, social media in corporations (www.wikimaniaayrityksiin.blogspot.com). Available only in Finnish, I am afraid, but for a good reason: when talking about a new topic, it IS important to write in the language of the audience to introduce it.
Over the years I have heard both pros and cons about using local language. Some say that it is much better to write everything in English: wider audience and discussion, no need to invent translations for concepts. Others are as adamant about the fact that non-native English speakers are better off reading about a new topic in their own language to understand the concepts. For me, there is no right or wrong answer; both are needed.
Another very nice event was having Frank visit Finland last fall to give an excellent talk at the KITES seminar. KITES is a Finnish association for multilingual and multicultural communications; more about it in later blogs.
I am happy to announce that long time SGML/XML expert consultant Barry Schaeffer has joined us officially as a Senior Analyst, XML Strategies & Content Management. Barry joins our XML Practice, and has already posted the XML blog.
Barry sold his company, X.Systems Inc., to XyEnterprise last year, and has had extensive experience with large and complex SGML/XML projects, including a number for federal, and state governments over the years. I don’t remember exactly when I met Barry but it was in the early 80s and he was already involved with SGML projects. Mary, Bill, and Dale have also known Barry for some time. Our XML practice has some serious critical mass, and Barry’s experience with government, NGO, and enterprise consulting add considerable depth to the team. Barry’s bio has been posted.
Barry’s email is: barry@gilbane.com and his phone extension is 213.
Welcome Barry!
With the rise of Web 2.0 and 3.0, growing Internet traffic, social networking and a host of other technologically driven applications and appetities, government at all levels is confronting the burgeoning changes in its role and participation in the society around it.
An important part of this process is the separation of the paths down which technology is taking society at large from the paths government should and should not follow in performing its essential functions. Experience has shown that not every tool, functionality and resource available to and used by citizens should become part of the governance process. The quandry is deciding up front which is which. This quandry can be seen in the very definition of government being used to described the future: “connected government”, “open government”, “participatory democracy”, “transparent government” are just some of the terms being used to describe what their users think government should be.
The core challenge, it would seem, is to develop an approach that makes government at once more effective in discharging its myriad day to day duties, more open and responsive to the honestly held beliefs and concerns of its citizens, yet still fully capable of discharging its constitutional responsibilities without infringing on or abrogating the rights of its citizens. History shows that this:
- Will not be an easy process
- Will not lend itself to a solution based solely on availablle technnology
- Is likely to be tried unsuccessfully (or disastrously) more than once before we get it right.
This would seem to dictate that, whatever the technological imperatives, government should be changed carefully, in small steps and with well-considered fallbacks from the paths that turn out to be ineffective or dangerous to our liberties. One way to do this, for instance, would be to focus on those government functions we know are broken and understand how to fix (yes, there are such things.) Then we could focus on applying new technology in areas where the target is familiar, the outcome more easily measured and the impact is less likely to spin out of control.
SDL announced that Adobe Systems is providing all its Adobe FrameMaker 9 users with SDL AuthorAssistant, the client component of SDL Global Authoring Management System. Adobe FrameMaker 9 software is an authoring and publishing solution that allows technical communicators to author, structure, review and publish complex and lengthy content. Starting with FrameMaker 9 and Adobe Technical Communications Suite 2, every user of FrameMaker can install SDL AuthorAssistant as part of the Adobe FrameMaker 9 environment, empowering them to create content for global markets and improve the quality of their content. SDL AuthorAssistant ensures adherence to style guide rules and consistent use of terminology. The software is also able to check against previously translated content, so that companies with global audiences can improve content reuse and reduce the downstream costs of localizing content. http://www.adobe.com, http://www.sdl.com
Percussion Software introduced its latest release, Percussion Content Management System 6.6. CM System 6.6 goes beyond the traditional process-driven “author and publish” paradigm and helps users harvest and publish content. CM System, formerly named Rhythmyx helps users evaluate and harvest the most powerful content, make changes and publish as business dictates. Whether the priority is to quickly test a campaign, tap into user-community sentiment, or readily repurpose content, Percussion CM System 6.6 helps manage content for information intense businesses. When viewing a page from a browser or within the WebAnalytics solution, clicking the Linkback button will take the user to the desired page, where edits can be made.The user may then rapidly add and remove page elements in bulk, change page designs (templates), move page elements and visually compare to prior versions of the page, all from a single, purpose-built interface. Once changes have been completed, the user can bypass workflow and staging and instantly publish to the live site. CM System 6.6 includes a new search function using the Lucene open source search engine. CM System 6.6 is available for immediate delivery to new customers, and available as an upgrade for existing customers. http://www.percussion.com
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