Rewind the clock about 4 years.  Youtube was created by some ex Pay Pal folks.  If a picture is worth 1000 words, how much is a video worth. Well, Google figured about 1.6 billion, buying Youtube when it was a little over one year old.  Want to learn how to use a band saw, takeoff in an airplane without starting the engine, play the guitar....it is all a mouse click away.

I have always been a big proponent of multimedia.  I used Macromedia Authorware years ago when I worked for the Microage franchise.  The concept was good, but the labor was much too intensive to make any kind of sense.  At DLI, I grabbed onto Camasia when it was version 1.0, and began using it screen capture and flash rendering to quickly create video overviews to demonstrate our web development tools.   We did the same for Docova, building a library of over 100 clips to show how to use our powerful web development/doc mgt framework.  



I have often wondered why Lotus did not do the same.  Turns out they have, and they unveiled it at Lotusphere 2009.  The Lotus Multimedia training library.

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Categories:  Announcements  Lotusphere2009  Technology - Collaboration 

How many times have you initiated a search looking for something specific, get a long list of results returned, and spend a lot of time scrolling through them to find what you are really looking for?  In some cases even attachments get searched and the search criteria, although technically correct, is out of context.  In some cases way out of context.

An alternative is take advantage of visual search techniques. This web 2.0 technology is being used on many sites and you may be familiar with it.  Check out www.flickr.com as an example.  We have taken this and applied it to a corporate environment in a unique way.  Rather than have the results show everything in terms of meta data, we will be allowing users to define how the search is carried out,. Specifically what meta data is searched and the order it is searched. This is will be all integrated with our powerful "Perspectives" for shaping up data in a way that is meaningful to the end user.

Here is a quick flash overview of a prototype.

http://www.docova.tv/Videos/CloudTags/cloudtags.htm

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Categories:  Document Management  Latest Thinking  Lotusphere2009  Technology - Collaboration  Video Posts 

Whenever I do a demonstration I always field the question on how these products compare.  In my opinion, Quickr and Quickplace represent collaboration tools. They allow you to post information, either as pages or in files, where other people can get at it. When Quickplace first appeared the creation and editing was quick and in this regard it was somewhat unique. As a way to quickly generate a purpose built web site, I was probably one of its bigger fans.  

Now there are numerous products, many open source, that have many more look and feel options, are easier to use and navigate, and are in fact quicker for this purpose.  Quickplace has morphed into Quickr, with the ability to connect into other products in the Lotus inventory, but it retains many of the Quickplace characteristics.   It is NOT a document management system in the same way that Sharepoint is not a document management system. Workflow is limited, version control is limited, and if you want it to do something that it cannot you get to work through an API vs Domino Designer.    

DomDoc was full blown (note the past tense) in terms of document management. It grew over a long period of time and the functionality was very deep, however, people found the UI to be lacking.  Docova originally started off as a demo of our Domino Web Development tool kits to show how you could create a compelling user interface, and the document management context was influenced by DomDoc.

While helping clients build their applications we found they were not using all of the functionality in the toolkits to make a clean and functional user interface.  The positive reaction to the demo prompted us to finish the application. It has many of the features you would find in a full blown document management product, still runs on the Domino back end, allows you to use the Designer Client to add functionality but has a user interface that is much more like a typical Windows application than what you would find in a browser.

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Categories:  Collaboration & Workflow  Technology - Collaboration 

Some cool stuff happening with Docova ... We've extended the relationship we had with Ardexus - creating a joint solution to tackle extended Sales Team collaboration. Below is the formal announcement. Video demo should be published soon.

Formal Announcement: DLI.tools Inc and Ardexus Extends Relationship
Creates powerful solution for Sales Force Effectiveness & Optimization

Burlington, ON, July 15, 2008 – DLI.tools Inc, workplace collaboration specialists, and Ardexus Inc today announced the alignment of DLI.tools’ Docova Collaborative Document Management technologies with the Ardexus CRM and SFA solutions.

The combined solution addresses the collaborative needs of extended sales teams by simplifying and consolidating the myriad of sales-related processes, documents, emails and files often scattered across the organization. While conversations, emails, purchase orders and final contracts tend to encompass the customer knowledge stored in the CRM system, items like proposals and RFPs are responses to that customer knowledge and tend to fall outside the CRM system. These supportive processes and documents should be aligned with the CRM system, thereby extending the CRM experience to the entire extended sales team.

“We selected Docova to address the document management needs for extended sales teams and CRM processes because (1) the shear ease of using Docova from an end user perspective, (2) ease of working with the underlying technology, and (3) the level of support we’ve received from DLI.tools in the past,” said Glenn Carnegie, CEO Ardexus. “When you can deliver a total solution that drives productivity, end customer revenue and customer satisfaction, the benefits of return on investment beyond that of the CRM become tangible.”

“Ardexus is another great partnering story. Ardexus can deliver a more comprehensive solution that extends beyond their core offerings into adjacent business areas – while staying focused on developing their own sales force automation, effectiveness and optimization solutions,” adds Gary Walsh, VP Solutions, DLI.tools. “The good news is that Ardexus has already deployed the joint solution to a number of customers in North America and Europe, proving that both the partnership model and the customer benefits are real.”

About Docova Collaborative Document Management

Docova envisions a day where the ‘Is this the right version of..?’, ‘Who authorized that…?’, and ‘Where can I find …?’ can be retired. Docova is driving progressive organizations to realize the dream today, enabling their workers to do ‘more with less’ around Organizing, Controlling and Sharing the collective business documents, emails, files, and other digital content artifacts in a manner that does not impede the way they work. See how Docova delivers on the spirit of ‘doing more with less’ at www.docova.com

About DLI.tools Inc.

DLI.tools is a leader in User Interface component technologies for Lotus Notes and Domino web applications. Well regarded throughout the Lotus community, DLI.tools has received 10 lotus-based award recognitions since 2003. Over 400 organizations have reported a ROI as high as 1,000%.  Experience the difference our technologies will make to your productivity at www.dlitools.com/WebToolsForLotus

About Ardexus Inc.

Ardexus provides front office solutions that revolutionize the way small to mid-sized companies do business. Aberdeen, ISM, and The Denali Group all agree - Ardexus is an innovative company with outstanding products. Ardexus offers a full range of sales-centric software, including Ardexus MODE® - a professional suite of marketing, sales, and customer service modules. Ardexus is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. For additional information on Ardexus or their products, visit http://www.ardexus.com or call toll free (888) Ardexus.

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Categories:  Announcements  Collaboration & Workflow  Document Management  Technology - Collaboration 

The latest release provides enhancements in over 20 areas of the product.
Selected enhancements include:

improved security & privileges controls,

system messaging,

web printing capabilities,

document searching.

Customers are encouraged to download the latest release in the Docova Support Center. As well, a video detailing the latest functionality can be found inside Docova Support Center.

Download the Press Release (contains additional information and resources)

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Categories:  Announcements  Collaboration & Workflow  Document Management  Industry News  Technology - Collaboration 

Development Update: The Docova 2.5.6 is pending release.
Customers with up-to-date Docova Support and Maintenance will receive upgrade, update instructions soon.

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Categories:  Announcements  Document Management  Technology - Collaboration 

Docova brings fresh perspective to Document Management
Web Platform for IBM Lotus Notes and Domino rebrands as Docova

Lotusphere, Orlando, Fl. January 21, 2008 – DLI.tools Inc today announced DocLogic Document Manager has been renamed to Docova (doc-oh-va) as a core component of a rebranding initiative for the web platform for IBM Lotus Notes and Domino.

“Rebranding DocLogic was a result of our research indicating there was simply too much marketplace confusion around the name ‘DocLogic’. Some customers believed we were only providing logic or business intelligence around documents, while potential markets contained technology products with similar names,” states Gary Walsh, Vice President, “The Docova rebranding initiative will help solidify our position as a leading web platform for extending and enhancing Lotus Domino environments. Docova’s intuitive interface and integrated security, auditing, workflow, RSS, and archive controls lends itself nicely to Document management, file sharing, process collaboration Domino web applications requiring a consolidated view of documents, emails, files, workflows and other event information.”

Docova’s award-winning functionality makes Lotus Domino web applications feel like a traditional desktop environment, providing capabilities like drag-and-drop, in-place editing, Lotus Notes mail integration, full-text search and right click action panels.

“Organizations approach us to help them address a specific process or operating issue.
Leveraging Docova’s intuitive user experience and Notes development skills, organizations can get a tailored, functional solution up quickly – often delivered in days, not weeks or months,” adds Walsh, “People enjoy using Docova – it delivers without being aggravating to end users. This enjoyable experience creates a grass roots adoption by Knowledge Workers, reducing the conflict between Knowledge Workers and process owners over the change effort.”
Docova will be showcased at IBM Lotusphere 2008 (booth #608), and will complete in various IBM Lotus Awards and Lotus Advisor Awards in 2008.

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Categories:  Announcements  Document Management  Technology - Collaboration 

DLI.tools releases DocLogic Document Manager v2.5
Forms foundation of new DocLogic Collaboration Server

Orlando, Florida, January 22, 2007 – DLI.tools Inc announces the general availability of DocLogic Document Manager 2.5 (note: Doclogic was rebranded as Docova in January 2008) for IBM Lotus Domino and DocLogic Collaboration Server. Combining collaboration technology tools with robust document & content management services and principles, DocLogic Document Manager securely handles the creation & capture, revision, management, and delivery of business-related documents, electronic forms, files, and information at the point of collaboration while improving Knowledge Worker connectivity and productivity without drastically changing how daily tasks are completed.

New features, upgrades, and improvements to DocLogic Document Manager include: increased authentication options, enhancements for Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 7, real-time cross server document locking, replication conflict prevention, enhanced SSL support, increased document workflow options, enhanced review policy capabilities and an easier installation process. These enhancements are designed to improve the overall End User and IT Support experience with DocLogic.

“These enhancements are focused on improving the user experience by streamlining interaction with DocLogic. Technology should be the enabler to getting things done. To be the enabler, it needs to be as transparent as possible to the end user. We believe DocLogic is pretty close to being transparent to the End User – allowing them to focus their ability to deliver more and eliminate ‘the work’ of sharing, managing and finding business documents and information,” states Gary Walsh, Vice President, DLI.tools, “Companies can leverage their Lotus Domino technology investment, so they don’t have to move to a new set of technologies to get an elegant and sophisticated collaborative platform. They can leverage their current Domino development skills, so they don’t need to jump to a new learning curve. They can continue to use IBM Lotus Notes and IBM Lotus Sametime – both are integrated with DocLogic. Using the included Designer toolkit and templates, organizations can get a variety of ‘Document management’ issues under control very quickly, plus have the flexibility to expand into additional business composite applications. Organizations should evaluate DocLogic when they are thinking of moving towards a web document management or collaboration platform – they’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

DocLogic Collaboration Server provides a simple, secure, web sharing platform - Ideal for the communicating, collaborating and coordinating needs of business information for small businesses, project teams and company departments. Built-in functionalities like remote web access, sharing across multiple geographic locations and document version control are employed out of the box.

“We found that email and network drives were the tools of choice to share files and information. While they have both limited functionality, people just understand how to using them – there’s no learning curve. So while there might be better solutions out there, taking people away from their jobs to be trained is something a small business can’t afford on a large scale,” says Scott Tomlinson, Marketing and Alliances Director, DLI.tools, “DocLogic Collaboration Server addresses several of these concerns: intuitive to use, simple to maintain and deploy because of limited or squeezed IT resources, and pricing that fits their cash flow. We made sure DocLogic Collaboration Server would be as simple as ‘plug-and-play’ to get up and running, and ‘just hit the power button off and on’ to troubleshoot and expand.”

The solution provides a secure web platform that can extend business documents and files outside the office to employees at their home office, plus to applicable suppliers, retail partners and customers in a matter of minutes. DocLogic Collaboration Server features similar benefits to a web-hosted offering: a low cost, ‘quick start’, and ‘hands off management’ approach - except the server is hosted within the company, allowing for tighter control and security over business information.

“The challenges of effectively and efficiently managing business documents and information are pretty universal across companies. Past studies have shown that Knowledge Workers waste about 6 hours per week on tasks that don’t produce any value. Eliminating ’the work’ of managing documents can go a long way to improving worker productivity,” continues Tomlinson, “Both DocLogic products help people to deliver more, allowing them to: bring new products to market faster, respond to customer and market requests quicker, manage operational growth challenges easier, and retain corporate ‘knowledge’. Time is definitely money, and while we can’t stop time, DocLogic can refocus people’s energies better spent elsewhere – with the goal of selling more products, serving more customers, and taking on more projects all with the same level of human resources. To the small business or project team, a 1 person year return of time definitely makes a positive impact on the bottom line.”

DocLogic Document Manager is a finalist for the 2007 Lotus Award for ‘Best Mid-Market’ Solution, and won the coveted Lotus Advisor Editor’s Choice award for “Document and Content Management” in 2006 and 2005. DocLogic Document Manager is available across multiple platforms including Linux.

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Categories:  Announcements  Document Management  Technology - Collaboration 

DocLogic Wins 2005 Lotus Advisor Award
DocLogic has been awarded the 2005 Lotus Advisor Editor's Choice Award for Document Management.

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Categories:  Announcements  Document Management  Industry News  Technology - Collaboration