Epicentric Inc. announced it is joining with a group of vendors to create a vendor-neutral standard for delivering and displaying Web services to end users as Web applications. The Web Services User Interface Standard, or WSUI Standard, allows end users to access and interact with XML and SOAP based Web services as Web applications, regardless of the underlying Web platform or vendor-specific application format. The WSUI initiative offers vendors, customers and developers the ability to develop and dynamically share Web applications without the time and labor of creating multiple vendor-specific connectors written to different Web languages such as Java, COM/.Net, and Perl. As the first standard user interface of its kind, the WSUI specification is intended to accelerate the deployment of Web services for use in portals. By exposing their applications as WSUI components, application vendors can dynamically plug their application into any portal platform running a WSUI container, decreasing vendor lock-in and increasing customer choice. WSUI leverages XML, SOAP, WSDL, XPATH, XSLT, XHTML and other standard XML-based technologies. It was constructed to be easily implemented by any programmer with XML and server-side Web skills. And because it can be implemented entirely using server-to-server-to-client using XML messaging and thin-client XHTML to the client, there are no browser dependencies and no issues with JavaScript fragility or ActiveX support. Formed by Epicentric, the WSUI Working Group will develop the specification and expects to release the initial specification and a reference implementation for review by the Web services community in late 2001. WSUI welcomes the support of all companies and individuals interested in influencing the direction and future of Web service application standards. www.wsui.org
Category: Content technology news (Page 437 of 626)
Curated information technology news for content technology, computing, and digital experience professionals. News items are edited to remove hype, unhelpful jargon, iffy statements, and quotes, to create a short summary — mostly limited to 200 words — of the important facts with a link back to a useful source for more information. News items are published using the date of the original source here and in our weekly email newsletter.
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Chrystal Software and Alpnet announced that they have signed a service partnership agreement to combine their expertise in content management and multilingual communication solutions. The agreement allows Alpnet’s consultancy group to represent the combined expertise of Alpnet and Chrystal in XML and multilingual information management, to provide complete multilingual content management solutions. Alpnet will offer consultancy and project management services for the rollout of Chrystal’s content management products across Europe and undertake system integration and development work as required. Chrystal’s Lingua software will be used to complement Alpnet’s own globalization and localisation management technology, Globelix, which maximises the quality and efficiency of multilingual processes while significantly reducing the time it takes to translate and manage all of a corporation’s information. www.chrystal.com, www.alpnet.com
Aptech Corporation introduces XDOCBASE, a dynamic content management solution that lets organizations use almost any device, including wireless tools, to quickly manage disparate content from virtually any source within their organization. Individuals can use many devices including cell phones and other wireless tools to access, receive, add, edit and then publish the content in whatever format and to whatever destination they choose, from PDF to printer, from word processing to Website to wireless devices. XDOCBASE is unique because it is device-independent. Moreover, XDOCBASE lets organizations use XML style sheets to manage virtually all types of unstructured content, including spreadsheets, PowerPoint files, word processing documents, video, multimedia and HTML files. www.Aptech.net
Context Media, Inc. announced the introduction of a Web authoring application called iBuilder. iBuilder makes it easy to access and use shared content in, multimedia Web presentations. iBuilder is a SMIL (Synchronous Multimedia Integration Language) authoring application that gives Web developers and authors the ability to synchronize video, text, animation and audio content and specify exactly when and how those elements are presented. SMIL presentations can be played by: RealPlayer 8 by RealNetworks; QuickTime 4.1 by Apple; the GRiNS player by Oratrix; and many others which are listed at the W3C SMIL Website. SMIL is an XML-based layout format that specifies the playback of any combination of multiple media types over the Internet. As a layout language, SMIL supports the presentation of a wide range of container file formats, audio, video, animation, images, and text. iBuilder is part of Context Media’s Context Builder family of products. Also included in this product family is Context Builder for Dreamweaver, integrated directly with the Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 and Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 authoring tools. iBuilder will be available directly from Context Media in the third quarter at a SRP of $650.00. Those interested can register for iBuilder Early Access at www.ibuilder.html
Interwoven, Inc. announced the PortalReady SDK (Software Development Kit), a standards-based interface for rapidly integrating portal software with Interwoven’s Content Infrastructure. Five “early adopter” portal vendors are announcing the integration of their portal infrastructure in parallel with the development of the Interwoven PortalReady SDK. Epicentric, IBM, iPlanet, Plumtree, and TIBCO will each be shipping portal products integrated with Interwoven’s Content Infrastructure products in Q3. Art Technology Group (ATG), BEA Systems, Bowstreet, DataChannel, PeopleSoft, and Sybase have also indicated their intent to integrate their portal product lines with Interwoven Content Infrastructure through its PortalReady SDK. The PortalReady SDK is built on SOAP and XML and provides support to both .NET and J2EE for all portal environments. In addition, the PortalReady SDK includes a function-rich, customer-extensible framework designed to grow with evolving portal requirements and support enhancements to Content Infrastructure. Interwoven will also be providing certification support to portal partners employing the PortalReady SDK for integration, including certification criteria and reporting. The PortalReady SDK will be available in Q3. www.interwoven.com/portal
IBM announced the new IBM Start Now Solutions for e-business, a family of offerings to help small and medium businesses (SMB) rapidly implement cost-effective, e-business solutions. The eight Start Now Solutions, including three Linux-based solutions, fulfill the requirements of e-business–from initial Internet access, through e-mail, research and information, Web site management, simple and complex e-commerce, business intelligence, integrated activities and new business opportunities. IBM Start Now Solutions for e-business include core solutions, which provide the platform needed to do business online; extensions, to move into the more sophisticated areas of business intelligence, collaboration and integration with host systems; and management solutions to optimize and secure a business’ Web presence and data. IBM Start Now Content Management Solutions are a web-ready portfolio of integrated software for managing and distributing digital content, when, where, and how it is needed; and for delivering it to those who need it most. The Start Now Content Management Solutions are based on IBM Content Manager Entry Bundle V7 and Content Manager CommonStore for Domino V7. IBM Start Now Solutions are available immediately to Business Partners around the world. Suggested prices for Start Now Solutions start at $15,000 to $55,000. www.ibm.com/software/smb
Kinecta Corporation announced several new technology partnerships, which expand the company’s presence worldwide. The new partnerships being announced are with Cast-Info of Spain, Empower InfoServices Pty Ltd. of Sydney, and DigitalML of Europe. Cast-Info is a Spanish systems integrator and software, hardware and communications value-added reseller representing Kinecta in Barcelona and Madrid. The company offers high-end solutions, services and tools for systems development, implementation and maintenance. They will be providing 24×7 support and training for Kinecta customers in Spain. DigitalML is a specialist services and outsourcing company dedicated to building and managing XML-powered Web sites in Europe, with a focus on content management solutions. DigitalML represents Kinecta in Europe to build in-house or outsourced content management solutions for customers, including applications in financial services, insurance, manufacturing, media and business-to-business e-commerce. Kinecta’s Syndication Server infrastructure solution plays a key part in any solution that DigitalML builds where organizations need to share content with external organizations or individuals. Empower InfoServices Pty Ltd is a Sydney, Australia-based software solutions and services company that represents Kinecta in Asia Pacific. With specialization in content management and content distribution solutions, Empower offers a full range of services from Consulting, Design, Development, Implementation and Support. www.cast-info.es, www.digitalml.com, www.empowerinfoservices.com, www.kinecta.com
Artesia Technologies and Accumedia announced that Accumedia has adopted Artesia’s TEAMS solution as an integral part of its Accumedia Convergence Platform (ACP) for the management and publishing of both enterprise and Web content. With the addition of TEAMS, the Accumedia Convergence Platform delivers a complete integration of site design, Web content management, digital asset management, content relevance and content delivery to offer customers an end-to-end solution for the management and distribution of rich media. The Accumedia Convergence Platform will now offer advanced editing, search and retrieval functionality across all media types through the use of TEAMS features such as link management, XML-based transformer, Clip Identifier and Play Decision List applications. The combined TEAMS/ACP’s ability to ingest and edit the underlying XML-based metadata, as well as the asset itself, ensures that significant rights and permissions information governing content ownership can be embedded directly into an asset and easily integrated with a variety of approaches to digital rights management. This also allows organizations to easily extend access to these assets across business divisions and leverage their reuse throughout the enterprise. www.artesia.com, www.accumedia.com
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