Top Image Systems Ltd and Xtramind Technologies GmbH announced a new OEM partnership agreement. Through Top Image Systems’ (TiS) solution, all documents entering a client’s organization are captured, processed, and delivered. The integration of Xtramind’s content classification component into TiS’ eFLOW platform allows for automatic routing, classifying and archiving of documents according to user-defined categories. Utilizing Xtramind’s modern language technology and artificial intelligence, eFLOW now offers precision in content analysis. The completed, integrated self-learning system can adapt to new document types, topics, and subject areas. All documents can be automatically distributed to the respective department or contact person within the organization at any stage of the process. The data extracted from the documents is delivered into ERP, CRM, or other enterprise application systems. www.topimagesystems.com, www.xtramind.com

Fast Search & Transfer (FAST) announced FAST AdVisor, an enterprise-wide software solution that facilitates the introduction between buyers and suppliers for Internet Yellow Pages (IYP), Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) verticals, online classifieds, and traditional publishers. FAST AdVisor aggregates information from any structured and unstructured data source, including not only the publisher’s own proprietary content, but also advertiser, third-party and web content. It provides organizations with a relevancy framework that allows them to control the user experience through InPerspective, FAST’s rank tuning module. FAST AdVisor also includes advanced navigation and drill down capabilities, allowing users to do multi-level sorting of their search results by a variety of parameters. Using multi-level sorting, the end-user is in control of how the results are displayed. The business manager defines the rules for how advertisers are seen. FAST AdVisor also includes linguistics capabilities that include multi-lingual dictionary and synonym management, and spell-checking. With the analytics and reporting features of FAST AdVisor, the online directory provider can tune the system based upon how end users are searching and navigating. www.fast.no

Microsoft Released two new Service Pack 1 (SP1) releases, which provide performance improvements for Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services. In addition to improved stability and security, SharePoint Services SP1 includes support for files as large as 2 GB. SharePoint Services SP1 lets customers and partners to apply patches and hot fixes. SharePoint Portal Server 2003 customers and partners will need to apply the Windows SharePoint Services SP1 to download and apply the SharePoint Portal Server 2003 SP1. SharePoint Portal Server 2003 SP1 improves search functionality in a number of areas, including propagation, crawling reliability, keyword or best-bet search results, alert conditions, more robust XML filtering, and linguistic accuracy. Content Watson functionality enables improved quality through streamlined issue reporting between a customer’s networked computer and the Microsoft development team. Customers will be able to access language templates for 11 additional languages, including Croatian, Latvian and Slovenian. www.microsoft.com

codeMantra, LLC introduced the Universal PDF, a single file format accepted by many electronic distribution channels. The codeMantra Universal PDF file specification includes all of the following features to facilitate acceptance by electronic content distributors: Properly embedded fonts, Cropped registration marks and blank areas, Image and text disclaimers inserted, Bookmarked table of contents, Cover page cleaned up and inserted, Linked table of contents, Linked endnotes, Headings linked to table of contents, External URLs linked, and Reformatted and resized images. The Universal PDF solution from codeMantra allows publishers to have one fully-compliant file created for nine of the leading electronic book distributors, as well as several additional electronic content aggregators. Creation of this file from Print PDF, HTML, XML, QuarkXpress, Adobe PageMaker, FrameMaker, InDesign, Ventura, 3B2, Microsoft Word, and many others is a rapid process, with the majority of files completed within one week. Pricing for this product begins at $85, including file delivery. Additionally, since hardcopy and image-based input titles offer unique challenges in creating a text-based PDF output, codeMantra is simultaneously introducing the Universal Image PDF to ease the financial burdens of creating electronic content from these inputs. www.codemantra.com

Kontiki announced it will team up with IBM to offer companies a way to tap their unused computing resources to deliver rich media, including DVD-quality video and software, to employees and customers with a cost savings over traditional delivery methods. Kontiki will offer customers a solution that incorporates Kontiki’s Delivery Management System (DMS) software running on IBM’s eServer systems. The Kontiki DMS can integrate with IBM’s products including Tivoli software and DB2 Universal Database. The joint solution can allow companies to securely deliver video and software updates in conjunction with existing software distribution systems to all employees, even to remote offices. Kontiki’s DMS is built on the company’s Grid Delivery Technology. Kontiki is also collaborating with IBM to develop a set of standard web service APIs to allow heterogeneous enterprise systems to integrate with grid delivery systems such as the Kontiki DMS. www.kontiki.com

Agile Software Corporation announced that it has expanded the scope of its relationship with Adobe Systems Incorporated. Under terms of the new agreement, the two companies will jointly develop solutions based on Agile PLM and the Adobe Intelligent Document Platform. In addition, Agile will resell the combined solutions. Through the combined offerings, companies managing their product record within Agile will have expanded enterprise-level functionality to address documentation, version-control, and form-based information management requirements across the extended supply network-including the most stringent FDA guidelines. Agile’s PLM solutions will utilize Adobe Acrobat, Designer, Form Server and Reader Extensions Server, to enable PDF creation from everyday document creation programs; allow users to collaborate on PDF documents with review and mark up tools; manage product record information with electronic forms; and sign-off on the final approved version. Organizations can now utilize Agile PLM solutions, PDF and the Adobe Reader to more easily transition paper-based processes to efficient electronic workflows. www.agile.com, www.adobe.com

Fast Search & Transfer (FAST) announced a definitive agreement to acquire the Publishing Applications Business Unit from NextPage, including the NXT, Folio, LivePublish and GetSmart product lines, as well as over 500 NextPage customers. NextPage’s document management service, Chrome, will remain with NextPage. The deal is expected to close later this month. FAST’s acquisition of NextPage’s Publishing Applications Business Unit and its customers will allow FAST to expand its global presence in the Publishing market, and accelerate the development of a new Search Derivative Application (SDA) for the Publishing sector based upon FAST’s Enterprise Search Platform, FAST ESP. As part of the agreement, FAST will assume 34 employees from NextPage, the majority of which are employed in the U.S. FAST will continue to offer full support and maintenance to NextPage customers. NextPage will receive US$6 million in cash and be eligible to receive performance-based payments up to a maximum of US$9 million over four years. The deal is expected to close later in September 2004. The revenues associated with the acquired NextPage Business Unit were in excess of US$6 million for the first eight months of 2004. www.nextpage.com, www.fastsearch.com

ClearForest Corp. announced release of its Quality Early Warning industry module as part of its product suite. In combination with ClearForest Analytics, the Quality Early Warning module facilitates resolution of warranty, product safety & quality issues through early discovery of component and system-level failures. By enabling organizations to systematically analyze unstructured text and enterprise data simultaneously, ClearForest facilitates unified business intelligence. Developed specifically for capital equipment, automotive & durable goods manufacturers, ClearForest’s Quality Early Warning solution provides industry-specific expertise necessary to detect, analyze & reduce warranty costs by uncovering root cause & effect. ClearForest solutions may be deployed as a stand-alone analytics application supporting specific queries, visual analytics and reports, or fully integrated within existing Business Intelligence systems such as those offered by Cognos or Business Objects. Examples of unstructured text sources include web-based survey data, news articles or research as well as other electronic formats such as emails, contracts, spreadsheets and warranty claims. www.clearforest.com