Syntext, Inc. announced the second version of its Serna WYSIWYG XML Editor. Serna’s WYSIWYG XML editor incorporates on-the-fly XSL-driven rendering technology that allows users to work with XML documents close to their “print appearance.” The new functionality includes very large document support, graphical CALS table support, on-the-fly document profiling with switchable XSLT parameter sets, advanced XML-aware Find & Replace, instant setup of enterprise-specific configuration settings, C++ API, and many other features. The PDF Publishing Package for Serna allows authors to generate high-quality PDF documents right from Serna with just a single button click. This package utilizes the Antenna House XSL Formatter. The key features of Syntext Serna include: out-of-the-box support of XML standards such as DocBook, DITA, TEI, XHTML, and NITF; on-the-fly XSL rendering and document validation (based on XML Schema); support for XML catalogs; XSL-FO and CALS table support; multilingual spell checking; and availability for Microsoft Windows (2000, XP), Mac OS X, and Linux. www.syntext.com
Category: Content management & strategy (Page 293 of 479)
This category includes editorial and news blog posts related to content management and content strategy. For older, long form reports, papers, and research on these topics see our Resources page.
Content management is a broad topic that refers to the management of unstructured or semi-structured content as a standalone system or a component of another system. Varieties of content management systems (CMS) include: web content management (WCM), enterprise content management (ECM), component content management (CCM), and digital asset management (DAM) systems. Content management systems are also now widely marketed as Digital Experience Management (DEM or DXM, DXP), and Customer Experience Management (CEM or CXM) systems or platforms, and may include additional marketing technology functions.
Content strategy topics include information architecture, content and information models, content globalization, and localization.
For some historical perspective see:
https://gilbane.com/gilbane-report-vol-8-num-8-what-is-content-management/
For those of you tracking the evolution of Microsofts’s Commerce Server, Content Management Server and Sharepoint, there is a tantalizing statement on Ryan Donovan’s Commerce Server blog.
There is also a good 2-part article on MS Content Management Server, SharePoint, and MS Commerce Server integration at CMSWatch.
Yesterday I wrote about the new AeA
report on the problems companies are encountering with Sabanes-Oxley Section
404. Another concern raised in the report has to do with innovation and IT
spending. Quoting from the report …
Instead of taking a principles-based approach, COSO and COBIT provide a super-checklist for all companies, set a cookie-cutter approach for how one must run a business, and they create a limitless necessity to document, document, document, rather than to do, do, do.
The external auditing firms also come in for criticism in the AeA report for
using "cookie-cutter" approaches. One CFO quoted in the report
complains about armies of auditors in their mid-twenties who know nothing about
business and whose "judgment" is confined to whether or not they can
check off a box on some list.
The fact that Big Four firms are reporting a doubling of auditing revenues,
thanks to Sarbanes-Oxley, invites a cynical view of their situation. But,
a "big picture" take on the issue needs to consider the risks and
incentives on the auditing side of the problem. If something does go
wrong, auditors know that shareholders will be coming after them for
damages. It is hard to see the upside for the auditor in being
"reasonable" and in trying to consider the special circumstances of
smaller companies. (I am not arguing that the inability to deal with the
special needs of smaller firms is "right" — but simply that the
auditors, too, are constrained by the business and litigious realities
surrounding SOX.)
So … what are the consequences of this "cookie-cutter"
approach? According to the AeA Report:
A specific example of the damage that this does relates to new IT productivity projects. The only way that U.S. companies successfully can compete with companies based in low-cost countries is to be more efficient. The key to greater efficiency is to invest in new and improved IT and automated systems. Because COSO requires an internal control to be ‘mature’ to be considered effective, it is not practical to implement major new IT systems in the third and fourth fiscal quarters because the control will not be mature.
Ouch! Is this really happening? Are readers finding that SOX
Section 404 is turning into a moratorium on IT systems implementation for half
the year? Send me an email or add a
comment …
MultiCorpora announced toay the release of version 3.7 of MultiTrans, their software based Enterprise Language Management solution. Among other new capabilities, MultiTrans 3.7 delivers a scalable multilingual and multidirectional text repository, a flexible software-based license manager, enhanced project analysis, and an automated text repository update manager. The new multilingual, multidirectional Global Text Repository allows an organization to manage large volumes of content that has been translated into many languages in a single repository. A software-based license manager enables MultiTrans software licenses to be securely activated and transferred between computers with a simple activation code. The new license manager significantly streamlines the deployment and management of licenses for nomadic workers and across distributed workgroups. Enhanced project analysis capabilities provide comprehensive data to support optimal project workflow decisions. Also, automated pre-processing of distributable Project Reference Packages enables external, off-line users to leverage common language assets, improving productivity, consistency and accuracy. The new text repository update manager automatically updates the Global Text Repository with newly completed multilingual content on an ongoing basis. www.multicorpora.com
Last week, AeA, the high-tech trade association, released a report titled
"Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404: The ‘Section’ of Unintended Consequences and its Impact on Small
Business." Most readers will find that this paper is worth a
look. The paper argues that:
- Section 404 is more expensive than anyone anticipated — so much so that
the costs far outweigh any possible benefits. - The Section 404 compliance burden is disproportionately large for smaller
companies. - External auditors are taking a "one size fits all" approach to
assessing the effectiveness of internal controls.
AeA’ assertions about the impact on small and mid-sized companies are really
striking. For example …
What became clear during our companies’ discussions on Section 404 is that the cost burden for smaller companies as a percentage of revenue is far greater than for large companies. For multibillion dollar companies, the cost may run at approximately 0.05 percent of revenue, but
for small companies with revenues below $20 million, the costs can rapidly approach three percent of revenue.
This is a striking number. I have no idea how precisely accurate these
results are — but the general thrust of the argument seems plausible: Smaller
companies typically start with less in the way of sophisticated internal control
systems, and the costs of creating such systems must come out of a
proportionately smaller pool of revenue.
Does this report match up with experiences that any of you are having? Send email
or post a comment …
Snowbound Software introduced several enhanced options for its RasterMaster Imaging SDK to help streamline content aggregation processes. By enabling content from Microsoft Word, AFP, and PCL files to be batch extracted developers can create content aggregation tools for asset and content management applications. After the text and formatting data is extracted from Microsoft Word, AFP, or PCL files, the data streams can be imported directly into a variety of databases. The content can then be repurposed for publishing, archiving, or searching. The options are available for the Windows platform including Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, and Server 2003, and will soon be available for the Java Platform. www.snowbound.com
Liquid Machines, Inc. announced the Beta release of Liquid Machines Document Control 5.0 for Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) for Windows Server 2003. Liquid Machines Document Control v5.0 extends RMS policy enforcement to desktop and enterprise applications including Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Visio. Additionally, Liquid Machines Document Control 5.0 will allow customers to make optimal use of existing Microsoft investments and use Microsoft Office 2000 and Office XP to view and modify RMS-protected documents created in Office 2003. Liquid Machines Document Control 5.0 for RMS provides users with persistent protection of electronic information throughout the collaborative business process from the moment of creation through distribution, editing, storage, and subsequent destruction and disposal. User actions, such as distilling a rights-protected document to Adobe Acrobat, maintain the RMS policy of the original document on the derived file. In conjunction with the beta availability of Liquid Machines Document Control 5.0 for RMS, Liquid Machines also announced support for RMS Service Pack 1 (SP1). RMS SP1 will enable integration with 3rd party server-based applications. www.liquidmachines.com
Stellent, Inc. announced that SAP has certified the integration of Stellent Universal Content Management 7.1 with the SAP ArchiveLink 4.5 interface, which connects optical archive and document management systems to the SAP R/3 software solution. Through the certified integration, users can archive business content and documents in the Stellent Imaging and Business Process Management server and link them to an SAP R/3 business object, enabling search and retrieval of documents and content objects that facilitate user processing and decision making in SAP R/3. With the Stellent ERP Integration for SAP, SAP users can integrate content stored in the Stellent system with SAP solution-based forms. www.stellent.com