Category: Content technology news (Page 564 of 640)

DataChannel will donate its XPages, an XML application markup language, to the Apache XML Project Open Source Library. The rapid adoption of XML has triggered an overwhelming demand for Open Source XML and XSL tools. DataChannel’s XPages is an XML application markup language for quickly building data-driven, cross-platform Web applications that integrate disparate data sources. XPages offers a dynamic application environment defined by an XML file that aggregates multiple data sources, makes that data URL addressable and defines custom methods to access that data for presentation at the desktop or other devices. The DataChannel submission to the XML.APACHE.ORG Project includes Java code for a servlet based engine. The Project code, along with developer participation guidelines, is available at http://xml.apache.org/, www.datachannel.com

The Meta Data Coalition (MDC), a not-for-profit organization in the process of standardizing metadata, announced today several new key initiatives as part of its technical meeting Nov. 11. In July 1999, the membership of the Meta Data Coalition ratified the MDC-OIM 1.0, which provides the basic meta-model for representing databases and the interrelationships between them. The new initiatives will extend the model into several key areas such as business models and information portals. This will enable the integration of an even larger set of tools and business applications using the MDC-OIM and its XML interchange format. MDC and OMG Aligning Metadata Standards in the Market: As a result of the Metadata Coalition’s membership exchange with the Object Management Group (OMG), the data warehousing part of the MDC-OIM has been used as a design reference for the OMG’s CWMI (Common Warehouse Metadata Interchange). With the continued co-operation between the technical task forces of both organizations, the metadata standards will be aligned. The MDC is developing a standard for the specification of business rules and the mechanism for exchanging these rules through XML. The MDC has formed an alliance with the Business Rules Group (author of the white paper that defined the first comprehensive business rules classification), who will participate in the MDC technical meetings. The MDC has established a collaboration with the European Commission’s ESPRIT Project ATLAS, which is headed by Unisoft, Greece. ATLAS incorporates technologies for real-time business information systems and plans to use the MDC-OIM Business Engineering and Knowledge Management Models to drive the transition from online to real-time business information systems. Standardized Metadata for Component (Object) Design and Reuse: A component model specifies component interfaces and describes the design, assembly and deployment of components into a system, based on some standard component architectural style. The new model provides the necessary metadata types for these descriptions. The work is based on the meta-model of Catalysis, a UML-based methodology for end-to-end component-based development. Integration of Knowledge Management and Data Warehousing: The integration of user collaboration, document management and business intelligence requires the integration of many different data sources and software services. The MDC-OIM allows a knowledge worker to access information services more easily and supports the use of standard business terminology. Microsoft (an MDC member) will hold a workshop in Redmond, Wash., on Nov. 9-10 to show the integration of information portals through shared metadata using the MDC-OIM. www.MDCinfo.com

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. announced the company is expanding into Internet appliance products. The first in a new family of products, eBeam, converts any whiteboard into a digital workspace, allowing users to capture meeting-notes and diagrams in real time on their personal computer. Words and images can be viewed, edited, and shared across the world using a web browser. The eBeam system weighs approximately one pound and can easily be carried in a laptop case. Setting up eBeam takes less than three minutes. Any word or image drawn on the whiteboard appears on the desktop in full color. Meeting notes can be exported into a variety of popular formats for easy insertion into documents, spreadsheets, e-mail, and web pages. Meetings can be broadcast over the Internet or corporate intranet in real time with eBeam software. Notes can be printed in full color. This new patented product can be purchased beginning November 15, 1999. Estimated street price is approximately $500.www.efi.com

Intraspect Software, Inc. introduced c-business solutions for implementing collaborative business practices within and beyond the enterprise. With the latest release of its product, Intraspect Knowledge Server 3.0 (IKS 3.0), Intraspect offers a platform for developing and deploying c-business solutions for web-based collaboration. IKS 3.0 includes several new features that make it easier to use, more reliable and more scalable by a factor of four, accommodating thousands of users per server. IKS complements the full suite of Microsoft desktop products, including Microsoft Outlook, Office 2000, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0. The new release is easier to manage, and features enhanced personalization and customization. IKS 3.0 enables users to quickly personalize their environment by providing template engines that make customization even faster. In addition, IKS 3.0 leverages the latest standards – including Active Directory, LDAP, XML, WebDAV, and FTP – to allow integration into the enterprise. IKS 3.0 is expected to be available next month. The product will be available directly from Intraspect or through its channel partners. Pricing depends on the number of users. Enterprise deployments range from approximately $160-300 per user. IKS 3.0 can be purchased directly or licensed through subscription. www.intraspect.com

ObjectSpace announced the general availability of Dynamic XML (DXML) 1.0 for Java. DXML simplifies XML development by allowing developers to create, write, and read XML documents as if they were standard Java Beans. Without DXML, developers face a much larger learning curve and must master the intricacies of low-level XML technology like parsers, DTDs and the DOM. ObjectSpace has released DXML free-of-charge to Java developers. DXML is also integrated into Voyager 3.1, the latest release of ObjectSpace’s product for enterprise distributed computing. DXML is available for immediate download from the ObjectSpace Web site at www.objectspace.com

Quest Software, Inc. announced the availability of Vista Plus 4.2, the latest version of Quest’s enterprise output management solution. Report Hyperlinking technology has been added to automatically create hyperlinks between reports based on common data values, allowing instant access and navigation to related information.

Tegic Communications announced it has now licensed its product, T9 Text Input software to more than 20 wireless phone and consumer electronic device manufacturers. The company has licensed T9 Text Input to wireless phone manufacturers who command more than 90 percent of the world’s wireless phone market share and has also demonstrated the adaptability of the software to other platforms such as PDAs and MP3 technology. In addition, the company is extending its embedded software expertise with the introduction of wireless instant messaging or “chat” technology. The application, which will be available in an upcoming version of T9 Text Input software for wireless phones, will enable easy integration by wireless service providers, ISPs and Internet portals. With T9 Text Input software embedded on mobile phones and wireless device keypads, individuals can quickly and easily enter words or entire sentences with just one key press per letter. To ensure customers can communicate in their native language, Tegic Communications has made T9 Text Input available in more than 17 language databases. They include Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, BoPoMoFo and Pinyin), Dutch, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean (Hangul), Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. The company is also developing linguistic databases for Turkish, as well as other Eastern European and Middle Eastern languages. www.tegic.com