Ektron Inc. announced Ektron CMS400.NET, a content management solution developed in “native” .NET Framework-based environment. CMS400.NET makes it easier to integrate applications and share information via Web services and helps turn a Web site into a Web-based application. Ektron CMS400.NET streamlines deployment of content management applications, lowers integration costs, offers tight integration with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, enhances security with a “managed code” approach, and supports content sharing across applications and devices. CMS400.NET’s enhanced Web services API also allows users to extend their Web sites and intranets by integrating content from another device or locations. Ektron CMS400.NET includes Ektron’s WYSIWYG editor, eWebEditPro+XML, which lets business users author XML forms and capture and structure XML and XHTML documents and data. www.ektron.com

Webwasher announced the release of Version 5.0 of its Content Security Management (CSM) Suite, a major restructuring of its product portfolio offering seven distinct modules that can be deployed and centrally managed in any combination. Upgrades include improvements to the product’s URL Filter, Virus Protection, Anti-Spam and Content Protection modules; a new Instant Message Filter module that can control both IM and peer-to-peer use; an intelligent configuration utility that permits administrators to implement refined security policies without the risk of making configuration errors; and a new lower-cost family pricing model. Webwasher CSM Suite 5.0 is available immediately directly from Webwasher and its authorized resellers. www.webwasher.com

Click Commerce, Inc. announced it has agreed to acquire the operating assets of Webridge, Inc., a provider of secure extranet portal solutions. The acquisition of Webridge will extend Click Commerce’s presence into the healthcare market and add content and compliance management to its product offering. The Webridge operating assets will be acquired for approximately 600,000 shares of Click Commerce stock subject to working capital adjustments to be determined at the closing date of the transaction. Other terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed at this time. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of April subject to a number of conditions. www.clickcommerce.com, www.webridge.com

Informative Graphics Corp. (IGC) announced that it will offer a desktop version of its Brava! view, markup and collaboration software. The desktop offering is designed to fill out the line of Brava visualization products, which includes Brava Enterprise, Brava Desktop, Brava Reader and Brava SDK (Software Developer’s Kit). Brava also provides visualization for enterprise content management solutions such as Documentum and Open Text. Brava Desktop is a Windows executable and ActiveX component that views, marks up, and prints native document, image and CAD drawing formats as well as IGC’s content sealed format (CSF). Brava Desktop can convert any supported native format to CSF, which incorporates IGC’s Visual Rights persistent security. Visual Rights security controls include encryption, password protection, onscreen and print banners, print and other feature restrictions. Brava Desktop also can burn markups and redaction areas (blocked out content) into a CSF file. CSF and marked up CSF files can be viewed with the freely distributable Brava Reader. A trial beta version of Brava Desktop can be downloaded. www.infograph.com

Jalios announced JCMS 4.1, an upgrade of their content management platform. The new version has been specially developed to make its architecture compatible with the operational constraints of large companies and provide new functionality to support publication and collaborative working. JCMS 4.1 integrates content management and a documentary portal that can be integrated in an infrastructure portal. Its products are based on an architecture that doesn’t require a relational database. JCMS 4.1 Enterprise Edition is a solution developed specifically for large enterprises. It can be used to create an unlimited number of websites for an unlimited number of users or contributors on a single server regardless of the number of processors. JCMS 4.1 Workgroup Edition is designed for individual departments or workgroups. JCMS 4.1 Midmarket Edition is for medium-sized enterprises. JCMS Universal 2.1 extends searches to attachments and enables universal distribution of documents in PDF format. Jalios JCMS 4.1 will be released in April 2004. JALIOS is a spin-off of Bull and INRIA and the fruit of INRIA research. The Jalios solution is based on the interactive web guide technology, developed by the Bull/INRIA joint venture Dyade. www.jalios.com

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published VoiceXML 2.0 and Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SRGS) as W3C Recommendations. The goal of VoiceXML 2.0 is to bring the advantages of Web-based development and content delivery to interactive voice response applications. The announcement marks the advancement to Recommendation status of the first two specifications in W3C’s Speech Interface Framework. Aimed at the world’s estimated two billion fixed line and mobile phones, W3C’s Speech Interface Framework will allow people to use any telephone to interact with appropriately designed Web-based services via key pads, spoken commands, listening to pre-recorded speech, synthetic speech and music. In the W3C Speech Interface Framework, VoiceXML controls how the application interacts with the user, while the Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) is used for spoken prompts and the Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SRGS) for guiding the speech recognizers via grammars that describe the expected user responses. Other specifications in the Framework include Voice Browser Call Control (CCXML), and Semantic Interpretation for Speech Recognition, which defines how speech grammars bind to application semantics. www.w3.org

Documentum announced a virtual repository solution that enables all aspects of cross-repository content management. With the Documentum Virtual Repository solution, customers can discover and assimilate all content types, from multiple data sources, such as repositories, file servers, Web sites and enterprise applications, and apply the full range of Documentum content services to the content — without changing business processes and without copying or moving the content to a central location. For example, content can be aggregated from different sources, and integrated with business processes using Documentum workflow services. Authorized users can then edit or approve the content, transform it into a required format, such as PDF to HTML, deliver it to a web site staging area, send it to an outside printing agency for high-resolution color production, translate it into multiple languages and distribute it as an XML content chunk for reuse on regional websites or localized packaging or collateral. Documentum also announced the acquisition of the askOnce business unit of Xerox Corporation. The askOnce technology enables the enterprise content integration component of Documentum’s Virtual Repository solution. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The Documentum Virtual Repository solution will be available in early Q2 2004. www.documentum.com

Bowstreet announced the release of Bowstreet Portlet Factory version 5.8, compatible with all portal platforms that adhere to the JSR 168 standard. Bowstreet Portlet Factory version 5.8 enables the rapid creation of JSR 168 compliant portlets. In addition to launching Bowstreet Portlet Factory, the company also formed the Bowstreet JSR 168 validation program. Through this program, Bowstreet Portlet Factory will undergo validation with all program members’ portals. To date, program members include Sun, Plumtree, and IBM. Bowstreet simultaneously released version 5.8 of Portlet Factory for WebSphere, which provides direct, deep integration with IBM’s WebSphere Portal APIs, in addition to integration through JSR 168. www.bowstreet.com