Compiled by Kevin Smith
ShareSpan Introduces Wireless Messaging Service
ShareSpanISpanInc. announced this week that it will be tapping into the burgeoning wireless communication market. The company is launching its wireless messaging service enabling companies to communicate with their users' and customers' wireless devices. The move will allow the delivery of business-critical and time-sensitive information. ShareSpan becomes the company's first step into wireless by outsourcing the complete process, including managing and acquiring their users' wireless contact information, content and information aggregation and conversion, and scheduled delivery. ShareSpan supports all wireless platforms and devices including WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), SMS (Short Messaging Service), Palm / handhelds, pagers, and cellular phones.
New Software Allows XML E-mail Attachments
Infrastructures for Information Inc. (i4i), a leading global supplier of XML collaborative content development tools, has introduced software that makes it possible to send XML documents as e-mail attachments that can be processed by any industry standard e-mail package. The capability has been incorporated into Version 2.2 of i4i's S4/TEXT, the only commercial, off-the-shelf software that harnesses Microsoft Word as an XML document creation-and-editing environment. In addition, the new version incorporates the popular Microsoft Word collaboration tools 'tracking changes' and 'comments' so users can collaborate on the content of XML documents. A demonstration of the new software is available online at www.i4i.com/demo.htm.
WinVista Program Protects Security of Documents
Electronic OfficeDOCUMENT Protection Interface, a revolutionary new program from WinVista could be the answer computer users have been looking for when dealing with concerns regarding document confidentiality. The enormous growth of electronic information distribution has created serious concerns for businesses, government, and individuals, as sensitive digital information is shared across platforms. The program has been developed to work seamlessly with the highly popular MS Office business-software solutions suite. WinVista's e-OPI is a sophisticated program that overcomes the limitations of available security software and provides high levels of protection for intellectual property. e-OPI adds very strong encryption methodology and embeds controls within MS Office documents. In this way, the protection becomes part of the document and protects content, from inception to development to distribution and termination.
Severe Weather Is Heading for the Web
As the Internet gels more and more with everyday life, and many predicting the personal computer will some day take the place of the television, the United Sates government is adjusting to the changes. The National Weather Service and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration are teaming up to offer pop-up weather alerts on the Internet. The government is calling on Internet service providers across the nation to adopt the new system. Weather Service forecasts and warnings are currently broadcast on the government's NOAA Weather Radio and also are relayed by most commercial broadcasters. But until now there has been no way to reach the Internet user unless she or he decided to check the Weather Service site or one of the many commercial weather sites that offer forecasts and warnings. Front Range Internet of Fort Collins, Colo., developed the new system of pop-up warnings and is the first Internet service provider to offer them to its customers. FRI's Bill Ward said the system is easy to install and could be used by most of the nation's 1,000 or so companies offering customers an Internet connection. In the FRI system, a user logging on can click on a weather icon and activate the automatic warnings. They remain active throughout an Internet session, regardless of what other sites the user visits.
User Solutions Announces Resource Manager 2001
Resource Manager 2001 has hit the market and developer User Solutions, Inc., predicts the program will be a big hit. Designed as an add-on to the familiar Excel spreadsheet, Resource Manager 2001 is the only low-cost planning and scheduling solution that can be immediately implemented by all operations. Combining ease-of-use for small to medium-sized firms with powerful reporting and open integration for larger
operations, Resource Manager 2001 allows critical resources such as manpower, materials and work centers to be effectively managed in near real-time. For the first time, end users can use their familiar desktop tools to assist them in delivering products and services on time, reducing cycle times and inventory shortages, planning labor and work-center requirements, and tracking schedules.
Pentium 4 on Fast Track to Public
An announcement this week from Intel Corp. will see the company's new chip, the Pentium 4, available to the public sooner that expected. Intel said Wednesday that the new Pentium 4 desktop processor will be its dominant chip earlier than expected and will hit a record-setting clock speed of 2 gigahertz by the third quarter of next year. The Pentium 4 will become Intel's primary processor in terms of volume by late next year or early 2002, company executives said during a its biannual analysts meeting. Intel had said in October that the new chip would not reach that stage until late 2002, which would have opened a considerable competitive window for the company's chief rival, Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD). The Pentium 4 will primarily power more expensive, high-end personal computers at first, though Intel officials expect the chip to be used in much of the mainstream PC market by the end of 2001, selling in systems in the US $1,500 price range.