docSTAR Document Management has announced the newest version of their software, docSTAR version 3twelve (3.12). docSTAR 3twelve offers several major enhancements, including expanded rules-based workflow automation, an extensive business analytics reporting tool, new group security features and embedded Active Directory/Lightweight Directory Protocol (AD/LDAP) integration.
documentation management system
What to Consider When Buying a Document Management System: Part I
Whether a small business or an international banking corporation, consideration for implementing a document management system is undeniably warranted. However making the leap to determine exactly which system, of the myriad available, is optimal for your needs can be complex and a bit boggling. Below are just a few of the basic features you should consider before committing to such an important expenditure.
CMIS for Open Content Management Collaboration with Hippo and Nuxeo
Boston, Paris and Amsterdam, the Netherlands – June 14, 2011 – Hippo, a leading vendor of commercial Java Open Source Web Content Management is proud to announce a new technical alliance with Nuxeo, the Open Source Enterprise Content Management (ECM Platform) company.
The two companies have built an ECM/WCM connector based on the OASIS CMIS (Content Management Interoperability Services) standard. A webinar with a demonstration of this connector will take place on July 20th.
Both Nuxeo and Hippo are open source, Java-based, CMIS-compliant platforms, so the partnership between the two is a natural extension – bringing high value functionality to developers, content architects and end users of both systems. The Hippo/Nuxeo connector benefits from a high degree of flexibility and ensures that content coming from any source within the organization can be easily integrated into both platforms.
“The Hippo CMS and Hippo Portal helps empower our customer’s audiences, by driving multi-channel, multi-lingual, multi-site solutions,” said Hippo CEO Jeroen Verberg. “The CMIS connector to Nuxeo applications adds yet another possibility for the online communication of content. And, of course a connector between these two open source, Java-based platforms is quite empowering for organizations who need a scalable system that can grow and integrate with other tools.”
Newest Version of docSTAR document management system released
docSTAR has released the newest version of its award winning document management system docSTAR 3eleven. This new upgrade features enhancement to the advanced API of the docSTAR system. Beyond the 100+ integrations already available with docSTAR, customers will now be able integrate their system with any internet explorer based program.
KnowledgeTree and CAPSYS Announce Integration
CAPSYS enables web-based document capture for KnowledgeTree’s affordable document management software
Raleigh, NC and Colorado Springs, Colo. (January 12, 2010) – KnowledgeTree™, an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) provider focusing on affordable document management software, and CAPSYS®, a leading provider of web-based document capture and capture process management software, today announced the commercial availability of a release module that integrates KnowledgeTree’s commercial SaaS and on-site editions with CAPSYS CAPTURE™.
The release module gives KnowledgeTree users seamless access to CAPSYS CAPTURE, a browser-based, thin client application that requires no workstation software to be installed or maintained. The software also includes a powerful workflow and design component that allows users to tailor and manage their capture processes, without requiring programming or scripting, based on the document requirements specific to their business. Organizations can quickly deploy powerful, advanced capture processing functionality like optical character recognition, barcode recognition and forms recognition to streamline the process of characterizing and indexing documents that are then efficiently released directly into the KnowledgeTree repository.
Alfresco Enterprise 3.2 Released
Alfresco Software today announced the availability of Alfresco Enterprise Edition 3.2, the latest version of its enterprise content management (ECM) product. With this release, Alfresco enables cloud-based deployments, streamlines email management and archiving and enhances team-based content collaboration. In addition, the Alfresco Enterprise 3.2 Records Management module is the only supported open source solution to have been certified to the 5015.02 standard.
This release builds on Alfresco’s ability to deliver low-cost, innovative and interoperable open source ECM solutions. New features and benefits included in Alfresco Enterprise 3.2 are listed below.
Enables efficient and easy ECM in the cloud:
- Multi-Tenancy – Alfresco natively supports multi-tenancy, a critical component of multi-company cloud implementations as it maximizes use of hardware and simplifies administration of multiple instances of Alfresco.
- Cloud-deployable – Alfresco now supports multiple deployment options from traditional on-premise to full cloud deployment ranging from a simple AMI to a fully-configured, fault-tolerant and load-balanced Alfresco cluster.
KnowledgeTree Releases Version 3.7 of Its Document Management Software
Release extends the solution’s enterprise capabilities
and improves integration with other enterprise systems
RALEIGH, NC — KnowledgeTree®, an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) provider focusing on affordable document management software that is easily installed and used by business professionals, today announced the release of version 3.7 of its commercial edition, version 1.1 of its Microsoft® Office Add-in, and an alpha release of KnowledgeTree Explorer CP (cross platform).
KnowledgeTree 3.7, deployed on Zend Server, features improved performance – tests indicate KnowledgeTree runs up to 40 percent faster through the inclusion of Zend Optimizer. It also introduces the first iteration of KnowledgeTree’s new Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) interface, which is compliant with the 0.61 draft of the specification. By using Web services and Web 2.0 interfaces to enable rich information to be shared across Internet protocols, CMIS enables greater interoperability among ECM systems.
“KnowledgeTree continues to offer a simple, easy to use document management system that does not strain IT resources and is up and running in no time. By embracing open standards and other strategies that enable seamless integration with widely accepted platforms, such as Microsoft IIS and Kofax Capture, KnowledgeTree is answering the needs of the enterprise user,” said Daniel Chalef, CEO of KnowledgeTree.
Significant features and enhancements of the 3.7 release include:
- Thumbnail and Instant View Functionality: New thumbnail and Instant View document preview functionality allows users to see, search and scroll through documents before downloading them from the KnowledgeTree repository.
- Support for Microsoft IIS 6 & 7 on Windows 2003 & 2008 Server: The KnowledgeTree installer now enables administrators to install to an existing Microsoft IIS Web Server. This native support benefits organizations that have chosen to standardize on IIS.
- Server-based, MSI, RPM and DEB installer packages: These allow easy installation and maintenance of the stack using standard package management technologies on Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems.
- Setup Wizard: The wizard automates installation, configuration and upgrades, making it easy for both non-technical and experienced administrators, and completely removing the need for command line interaction.
Not at the SharePoint 2009 Conference
It is Day 2 for the Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2009 and like many of you, I'm not at the conference. That's alright though because there are plenty of smart people at the conference more than willing to talk about what they are seeing there. It's a good idea to follow some of these people around and let them be our eyes and ears.
Probably one of the most vocal SharePoint evangelists I've come across is Michael Gannotti. I've been following him on Twitter for some time. He's recently posted his take on SharePoint 2010 on the SharePoint Expert Blog.
SharePoint 2010 is absolutely the biggest most important release of SharePoint to date and in the opinion of this techie the single most important product release since Windows 95! Think I have drank a little too much of the Kool-Aid? Well consider how this rev of SharePoint addresses connecting and empowering people, cutting costs through a unified infrastructure, as well as providing a platform that facilitates a rapid response to business needs. Need more convincing after reading this post? Then be sure to check out "What makes Microsoft SharePoint tick?" by Mary Jo Foley. After that if you are still wondering what all the fuss is about why not check out these three videos by the SharePoint team that provide an overview of SharePoint 2010, as well as focuses for the IT Pro and Developer. Once you are sufficiently salivating then be sure to pre-register for the SharePoint 2010 beta here!!
Mike has a lot more to say about SharePoint 2010 and I encourage you read the rest of his post. SharePoint 2010 sound like an exciting package and finally taking Web content management a little more seriously. However, I suppose I'll personally have to wait as my organization is only now deploying SharePoint 2007. I have to wonder, if companies are slow in upgrading their Windows operating systems...are they any faster in upgrading their SharePoint platform?
Alfresco Module Obtains U.S. DoD 5015.02 Records Management Certification
First Open Source Software to Obtain U.S. Department of Defense 5015.02 Records Management Certification
Alfresco Software, a leader in open source enterprise content management (ECM), today announced the immediate availability of the Alfresco Records Management Module, which also recently became the first open source software to pass the rigorous U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) 5015.02 standard certification. This module and certification enables Alfresco to extend its cost-effective open source records management and retention tools to support the governance, retention and compliance strategies of federal agencies, government bodies and commercial organizations.
The 5015.02 standard defines the mandatory operational, legislative and regulatory requirements that must be met by any records management application products acquired by the DoD. With this certification, federal agencies can now take advantage of Alfresco as a cost-effective alternative to traditional records management solutions, which are typically priced on a per user basis. As a result, the Alfresco Records Management Module enables simple and active compliance across the entire enterprise.
Alfresco Records Management Module offers the following features and capabilities:
eGroupWare 1.6 Released
It has been a long time since I had anything to report about eGroupWare, an enterprise groupware package. It also doesn't help that I haven't used the software for about a year. However, eGroupWare 1.6 Final was released last week giving us some new news.
New additions and improvements in eGroupWare 1.6 include:
- Complete new implementation of the filemanager DMS by means of PHP stream-wrapper and WebDAV, ACL control on directories and files - the new architecture allows now uploading of big files.
- Implementation of new functions like multiple mail accounts and many bugfixes in the email client.
- Extensive new features for the tracker-application: for example escalation-matrix for tickets and automatic mail-conversion as a ticket.
- Improved calendar functions
- Supplements and adaptations in the addressbook like appointment-view, custom fields, distribution lists shown in the contact directly and in the addressbook list, multiple categorization of contacts in the addressbook list.
- Improvement of the template functionality of the project manager and some bugfixes.
- New theme for the 1.6 release
All package types are available from eGroupWare's download page.
Alfresco Gets SharePoint Savvy
Redmond Developer: "Alfresco Software Inc. is taking direct aim at Microsoft SharePoint with the release of the Alfresco Labs 3 open source enterprise content management (ECM) system. The new version adds support for Microsoft Office SharePoint protocols, allowing Alfresco to serve as a fully compatible SharePoint repository.
Are you using KnowledgeTree or SharePoint?
It has been awhile since I've considered using KnowledgeTree on the office intranet. I eventually decided that I needed to focus more on our content management system (we are now using Drupal) and consider implementing a document management system (DMS) at a later date. A recent Linux.com article on KnowledgeTree reminded me about the DMS that I almost forgot about.
These days, effective document management means accessibility from anywhere on the planet, electronic storage, reliable backup, and instant document modification updates. KnowledgeTree offers all that and more. It's available in several editions, including an open source community version (which we reviewed last year) that businesses can tailor to their individual needs.
You can install KnowledgeTree in-house on your company's server or use it as an online, hosted service. With it, you can create, edit, and store documents from Linux, Mac, and Windows computer. KnowledgeTreeLive, the hosted version, can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection and a supported browser -- Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer.
I always promised myself that I would take a second look at KnowledgeTree sometime down the road. Unfortunately, at least for for KnowledgeTree, the regional office I'm under has started a move toward Microsoft's SharePoint. As I've written in the past, SharePoint is confusing system to describe and even Microsoft has a tough time explaining their product to potential customers. I initially thought SharePoint would be more of a CMS, Portal, and wiki but each time I've looked at SharePoint I'm realizing that it's greater strength may be in document management.
Using Information Systems to Improve IT User Support
Analysis and Recommendations for Information Technology User Support Provided to a Government Field Office
Information technology users in government field offices require a user support program that addresses their needs for successful completion of job duties. Providing the necessary user support is a challenge for office management and the information technology staff. While this professional report focuses on information technology user support provided to a government office, many of the observations and lessons should apply to other organizations.
An assessment is made on the intended goals of the user support program for providing information system maintenance and documentation to the user of a selected government field office. A comparison is then made between the physical processes involved within the "ideal" information systems for user support with current information systems utilized by the organization. Based on the evaluation of the performance of the current information systems, recommendations for improving the information technology user support program at the government field office are presented.
CMS Topics:
IT User Support: Documentation for the User
Analysis and Recommendations for Information Technology User Support Provided to a Government Field Office
Chapter 4
Documentation for the User
Documentation as User Support
As mentioned earlier in this professional report, one of the key services of IT user support in the Organization is to provide documentation. The IT staff in the field office is required to provide user documentation for both installed applications and applications that are either locally developed or modified. The IT program is also responsible for providing and developing system operating manuals and application software user manuals. While the functions of user support through documentation have been specified by the Organization, the format and means for providing the documentation to the user have not been specified.
Because of the absence of standardized practices for managing the documentation in the field offices, most field office users have access to literally hundreds of documents in inconsistent formats utilizing many different methods for retrieving the documents. For example, users may have to go to the office intranet to retrieve the latest office computer usage policy. The user may then need to dust off a binder to retrieve a "hardcopy" of an e-mail containing instructions on how to reboot a system. Files that have been digitized are in various file formats such as ASCII text, WordPerfect, Microsoft Word Document, and Rich Text Format. A user manual for one application may be found by the user in a hardcopy "software binder", but a user manual for another application may only be available on a computer screen through the program's "Help" menu.
