Columns

Product Briefs

• By ADT Staff
• July 31, 2003

The product’s advanced reporting capabilities allow users to define the filters they want information about. “Quick Reports” enables users to set up a report template that incorporates specific data and includes easier-to-read forms. The Basic, Advanced and Pro-Packages allow for an unlimited number of users for each Web-based account, and include downloadable databases, e-mail notification and HTML-based customer service management. The Basic package can store 200 issues; the Advanced package can store up to 2,000 issues and includes advanced reporting and customization of forms. The Pro-Package supports file attachments and includes a history trail, full customization of forms and unlimited storage. The Advanced and Pro-Packages are also free from banner ads.

The Pro-Package is priced at $59.99 for the first account and $24.99 for each additional account. The first Advanced plan account is $39.99, and additional accounts are priced at $19.99 each.

Elementool, New York, N.Y., www.elementool.com

Visual Intercept 3.5
Elsinore Technologies Inc. has released V3.5 of its Visual Intercept issue management product, which includes new functionality as well as user interface and navigation improvements.

V3.5 features Web-based integration to Microsoft Visual SourceSafe. It provides source code control functionality over the Internet, was written using .NET, and provides data encryption and compression. It also includes spell checking, automatic log-on, additional custom fields and data types, standard fields for build numbers, version dates and attached document annotation. Users also have the ability to clone users and groups, do reverse sorting on columns, and receive notification and prompt to reset session timeout before expiration. An electronic signature feature supports 21 CFR Part 11. Visual Intercept Web also includes mass update capability and macro-based queries, and the GUI in Version 3.5 has been improved.

A demo is available on Elsinore’s Web site.

Elsinore Technologies, Raleigh, N.C., www.elsitech.com

DevTrack 5.5
TechExcel Inc. has announced Version 5.5 of its DevTrack defect-tracking tool. The release includes a test-case management feature to improve software development life-cycle management and automation, and is said to be more flexible to help it integrate with other version control systems.

The test-case management feature integrates the defect-tracking and QA testing processes, which helps users to create, manage and document test plans in a centralized repository. With the feature, defects can be automatically submitted to development projects based on test case status, and links are automatically established between the test case and the submitted defects. This is said to eliminate the need to buy and integrate additional test management tools.

TechExcel has also introduced VersionLink, an open API component that can run on Windows, Unix and Linux, and that allows DevTrack to integrate with many version control systems, including Rational ClearCase, Microsoft VSS, Perforce, CVS and Accurev. The product also supports the MySQL open-source database in addition to MS SQL Server, Oracle, MS Access and other ODBC-compliant databases.

The DevTrack Standard Edition Base package is free, while DevTrack Web is priced at $1,995, a single fixed license is $495 and a single concurrent license is $1,980. The DevTrack Enterprise Edition Base package, including Web, costs $7,500, a single fixed license is $695, and a single concurrent license is $2,780.

TechExcel Inc., Lafayette, Calif., www.techexcel.com

AbsoluteTelnet 2.12
AbsoluteTelnet 2.12, from Celestial Software, is a software terminal emulator that gives users terminal access to their networked host systems from any Windows PC.

The product includes the Telnet, SSH and SSH2 protocols in a client. Also included are secure shell capabilities with encryption algorithms such as Blowfish, Twofish and RC4 to keep users “safe” when they require terminal access to hosts via the Internet.

AbsoluteTelnet 2.12 is $29.95.

Celestial Software, www.celestialsoftware.net

XML Message Server Version 2.5
Westbridge Technology has released Version 2.5 of its XML Message Server (XMS), which adds support for WS-Security 1.0, HTTP-based authentication and includes customer-requested features for managing large environments.

The product includes Rule Groups functionality that creates policy groupings according to a customer’s business constructs. This allows administrators to add new Web services that inherit the proper policies. Customers can create sets of rules for malicious attacks, data privacy, quality of service and compliance for easier manageability.

Westbridge Technology, Mountain View, Calif., www.westbridgetech.com

HP Mobile Printing SDK
Hewlett-Packard Co. has released the HP Mobile Printing SDK with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET support.

The product is designed to simplify the development process, and includes tools for deploying high-quality applications through reusable components and wizard guides. Using the SDK, developers can now create applications that enable users to print from HP Pocket PC devices using various Bluetooth wireless technology, and infrared and 802.11 technology. The SDK is said to enable printing to a wide range of content, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Adobe Acrobat.

Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif., www.hp.com

Tifosi 2002 ESB
Fiorano Software has released Tifosi 2002 ESB, a standards-based solution for event-based distributed computing.

Tifosi 2002 ESB is built on a fully distributed, event-driven architecture. It is designed to integrate with a firm’s security models and is said to extend flexible support for major app platforms.

Fiorano Software Inc., Los Gatos, Calif., www.fiorano.com

Ektron CMS300 Version 2.5
Ektron CMS300 Version 2.5, from Ektron, is the latest release of the firm’s enterprise-class Web content management system.

The product is a browser-based XML content management solution that is Web services-enabled. It includes XSLT support, XML validation through DTDs and Schemas, multi-step workflow and an open API for extendability. Users with little technical knowledge can create XML content in a word processor or forms-like environment.

The component-based solution is priced at less than $20,000.

Ektron, Amherst, N.H., www.ektron.com

Attunity Connect Studio
Attunity Ltd. has released Attunity Connect Studio, an integrated GUI console for complete life-cycle management of legacy systems integration.

Attunity Connect Studio is said to facilitate the design, configuration and management of adapters to legacy data sources and applications. Key highlights include an integrated GUI for adapter life-cycle activities, enterprise-wide adapter configuration, wizard-based meta data import for legacy adapters, and meta data editors for adapters and events.

Attunity Ltd., Wakefield, Mass., www.attunity.com

OnWeb Host Integration Server
NetManage is integrating its OnWeb high-performance host integration platform with Microsoft’s .NET Framework.

The latest version of the OnWeb Host Integration Server runs on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and allows transactions and business processes from host systems to be exposed as Web services to .NET Framework-based apps. OnWeb’s host integration tools are also being integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 to offer developers a single environment for building apps that incorporate existing host system business transactions.

NetManage Inc., Cupertino, Calif., www.netmanage.com

Collaxa Orchestration Server Version 2.0
Version 2.0 of Collaxa’s Orchestration Server is said to make it easier for developers to publish synchronous and asynchronous Web services and to compose them into reliable and transactional business flows.

A built-in BPEL console offers reporting, auditing and debugging capabilities. Also included is a BPEL4WS Debugger, one-click install with the embedded JBoss version, the ability to monitor execution of business flows through a visual audit trail, and the ability to manipulate XML documents using XPath expressions.

Collaxa, Redwood Shores, Calif., www.collaxa.com

New Service Pack for List & Label 9.0
Combit has released a new Service Pack for its List & Label 9.0 report generator.

The new service release adapts the .NET component, which is included in List & Label 9.0, to Visual Studio .NET 2003 as well as Version 1.1 of the .NET Framework. The new component is said to be fully CLS-compliant, thereby enabling optimal use in .NET languages, C#, VB.NET and more.

The new Service Pack is available at no cost to its current List & Label 9.0 users.

Combit GmbH, Konstanz, Germany, www.combit.net

PointBase Embedded Version 4.5
PointBase has released Version 4.5 of its Java embedded database and synchronization products.

Version 4.5 of PointBase Embedded includes new debugging features, connection pooling, B-tree optimization and identity columns for clustered tables. The latest version of PointBase Micro supports multiple connections with table-level locking between transactions for strong concurrency, and also adds support for basic SQL features. PointBase UniSync 4.5 provides bi-directional data synchronization between PointBase database products and enterprise databases such as Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.

PointBase Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., www.pointbase.com

Archive for DB2 5.1
Archive for DB2 5.1, from Princeton Softech, delivers enhanced processing performance and faster access to archived data.

Version 5.1 offers new options to speed the removal of large volumes of rarely accessed data from overloaded application databases. Enhanced archive indexing and search capabilities are said to provide faster methods to access archived data. Along with improving search response time, archive indexing is said to be more efficient for searching archived data stored on tape, near-line devices, or for searching data that has been migrated using IBM’s Data Facility Hierarchical Storage Management or similar data without directly accessing the data.

Princeton Softech, Princeton, N.J., www.princetonsoftech.com

Sypherlink: Harvester 2.0
Sypherlink has launched Sypherlink: Harvester 2.0, which enables information sharing across multiple data sources and provides information access controls. Included in the latest version are filtering heuristics, a second level of advanced heuristics that provide additional intelligence about the relationships found by Harvester. This also allows more sophisticated editing by directing the user to areas requiring their attention. The Harvester Relationship Manager is a new interface that is said to make it significantly easier to review, adjust and edit the field-level relationships among multiple data sources.

Sypherlink, Dublin, Ohio, www.sypherlink.com

Cache for the Tablet PC
InterSystems Corp. has introduced its Cache post-relational database for the Tablet PC. Existing Cache-based applications can be run on the tablet PC platform without changing a line of code. Real-time wireless database access is provided by the Cache Enterprise Cache Protocol (ECP), which uses unique distributed cache technology to deliver high performance to even data-intensive applications.

Cache is priced at $200 in a single-user version; a multiuser configuration starts at $1,000.

InterSystems Corp., Cambridge, Mass., www.intersystems.com

Datawatch|ES Version 4
Datawatch Corp. has released Version 4 of Datawatch|ES (formerly known as Monarch|ES).

Version 4 leverages legacy mainframe apps, industry-specific apps and ERP/SCM solutions that organizations have implemented and paid for. With Datawatch|ES, users no longer need their own connection or seat to these systems to run reports or access data directly. Instead, users access the Datawatch|ES archive to access reports, the data within those reports, or output rendered as an XML form, via the Web.

Pricing for Datawatch|ES Version 4 starts at $15,000 for a system supporting up to 50 report users.

Datawatch Corp., Lowell, Mass., www.datawatch.com

EspressReport v3.0
EspressReport v3.0 is a tool for creating and distributing reports on the Web. It is available from Quadbase Systems.

New in Version 3.0 is a completely redesigned and expanded function and scripting library. The new formula notation uses a more intuitive syntax, making it easier for non-technical users to create even complex expressions and computations. The expanded scripting language also allows users to modify and control even more report properties, as well as variables and arrays within scripts. XML data source capabilities have also been expanded to allow users to query report data from XML files in virtually any format.

Quadbase Systems Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., www.quadbase.com

Exadel JDO Version 3.0
Exadel Inc. has announced its latest implementation of Sun’s JDO specification, Exadel JDO Version 3.0.

The product allows Java programmers to work seamlessly with underlying databases to maintain stored data using simpler and more natural Java, instead of having to deal with the underlying details. In addition, persistence-handling coding can be used with little or no change for any target database.

Exadel JDO Version 3.0 comes in three editions: a free Standard Edition, which includes a base feature set that includes full compliance with the JDO specification and JDO Studio; an Advanced Edition that adds more capabilities, including bi-directional object-relational mapping and support for managed environments using the Java Connector Architecture; and an Enterprise Edition that includes enhanced caching.

Exadel Inc., Concord, Calif., www.exadel.com

Site Executive 3.0
Site Executive 3.0 is the latest version of Systems Alliance’s Web content management system.

The latest version has been developed using Macromedia ColdFusion MX and includes several new features and additional provisions offering enhanced meta tagging strategies that make Web sites more accessible to search engines. Version 3.0 also records all updates an enterprise makes to its site’s content, and offers a reporting module that provides a summary of activity in a format chosen by the enterprise. The product also supports Plumtree integration and LDAP authentication for content administrators.

Systems Alliance Inc., Sparks, Md., www.systemsalliance.com

Symmetric Storage Caching product
Tacit Networks Inc. has announced its Symmetric Storage Caching product, which provides enterprise-class storage caching capabilities for customers with multiple data centers.

The new product allows engineering design teams to locally store and maintain their work products while allowing for centralized access. This enables storage management to be controlled from selected data centers, while maximizing the efficiency and optimizing the effective use of WAN networking and data center storage management resources.

Tacit Networks Inc., Somerset, N.J., www.tacitnetworks.com

MKS Source Integrity Enterprise Edition 8.4 and MKS Integrity Manager 4.5
MKS has announced MKS Source Integrity Enterprise Edition 8.4 and MKS Integrity Manager 4.5, two new releases within the MKS Integrity Solution for enterprise software configuration management.

Included in the new release is the MKS Build and Deploy module, which adds a consistent and repeatable approach to deploying software changes into production. Unified administration and automated service pack distribution has been added, as well as new Web-based Reports Wizards that allow users to more easily generate and share reports across the enterprise.

MKS Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, www.mks.com

Ilog JRules 4.5
Ilog JRules 4.5, from Ilog, includes tools designed to enable an organization’s management of its business policies and processes across the enterprise.

The latest version includes support for Web services, including deployment of business rule applications as Web services and invocation of Web services from business rules. Point-and-click deployment is said to accelerate business rule implementation, while advanced consistency checking leverages Ilog’s optimized technology.

Ilog, San Francisco, Calif., www.ilog.com

Swingtide Monitor and Swingtide Scorecard
Swingtide Monitor and Swingtide Scorecard, from Swingtide Inc., enable customers to view, analyze and fine-tune business activity carried out using ACORD, SOAP and other XML standards.

Swingtide Monitor is software for monitoring the growth and business usage of heterogeneous XML networks -- as opposed to the performance of their physical infrastructure. Swingtide Scorecard is a disciplined methodology for accelerating the ROI from XML Web services and Swingtide’s solutions.

Pricing for Swingtide Monitor starts at $49,995, while pricing for Swingtide Scorecard starts at $19,995.

Swingtide Inc., Portsmouth, N.H., www.swingtide.com

Fair Isaac Blaze Advisor 5.0
Fair Isaac Blaze Advisor 5.0 offers better control and security for team-based development and maintenance of business rules projects, new options for building trees as part of a decision process, and integration with Fair Isaac modeling software. It is available from Fair Isaac Corp.

The product is a complete software system for developing, testing, deploying and maintaining business rules as part of any automated business system. It is written entirely in Java. A key enhancement is a repository that can manage and track multiple versions of rules and other components in an app. Users can maintain their business rules without IT or programming help using customized Web pages to check out rules for editing, add comments, view and compare versions, and reinstate versions of rules.

Fair Isaac Corp., San Rafael, Calif., www.fairisaac.com

Compuware Application Reliability Solution
The Compuware Application Reliability Solution (Cars) introduces and enforces quality assurance discipline across an organization, resulting in more efficient and effective quality assurance efforts.

Customers interested in Cars can begin by engaging Compuware in a six-week Cars test drive that focuses on a particular functional area of a customer’s key business application, inexpensively and with no obligation.

Please contact the company for more information.

Compuware Corp., Detroit, Mich., www.compuware.com

Tacit ActiveNet
Tacit Knowledge Systems Inc. has announced Tacit ActiveNet, a product that analyzes the flow of information -- from e-mails to Word documents to Instant Messaging (IM) to any collaboration tool an organization may be using -- and profiles what employees are working on to connect individuals across an organization who may be working on related issues.

Once employees are brought together through a security model, they can choose their preferred tool(s) to collaborate. The software can operate with any IMAP-enabled e-mail server, any J2EE-compliant Web server, no desktop deployment is required, and the software can run on Microsoft or Oracle databases.

Tacit Knowledge Systems Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., www.tacit.com