When the company adopted the name Neoteris, they believed the definition, new land, reflected their mission of "pioneering a new land in simple, secure remote access." But three years later, these self-styled frontiersmen have set their sites on taking over some turf from the Web-based conferencing and collaboration providers. Thus far, the three-year-old company has focused on providing an application security gateway base don their Instant Virtual Extranets platforms which, in essence, provide a secure, application-layer gateway intermediating all requests between the public Internet and internal corporate resources.

In those three years, Neoteris has racked up 350 enterprise clients including such prominent names as Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, and Borland Software Corporation. The key word in this success story? Security. The company has itself firmly entrenched in security-centric verticals like finance, government, and health care. And Neoteris is banking on leveraging these existing client relationships to make its foray into the virtual conferencing and online collaboration marketplace.

Jason Matlof, vice president of marketing and business development says that the company plans to "extend our architectural model to the user-to-user meeting market." This, he says, "is our evolution, phase two, announcing our second product family--The Meeting Series--where we leverage our underlying IVE platform to attend to customer needs in online meeting space."

Technical market manager Andrew Harding says the new product line came about directly in response to customer demand. "The key challenge is to maintain the high level of communication as you take online meetings to the whole enterprise," says Harding. "The ping pong of email doesn't let people interact effectively."

As Matlof says, "conferencing and collaboration represent a fairly immature industry." Neoteris, he believes, will help the industry come of age. And, as Harding points out, "as any technology becomes widely adopted in the enterprise, security has to be addressed."

The Meeting Series takes a new appliance-based approach to solve the problems commonly associated with real-time collaboration.  Traditional collaboration service providers expose data to a third party and expose the corporate network to breaches of the shared systems.  Neoteris believes that many companies would prefer to bring collaborative and conferencing activities behind the firewall in order to better monitor and control information and file sharing. Harding says, "You need SSL transport security, a platform for system security and network protection, management enforceable AAA policies, and detailed event-driven auditing and archiving." All of which, he says, The Meeting Series provides at significantly lower costs than deploying outsourced collaboration and conferencing services on an enterprise-wide scale.

While Harding says, "I think there's still a place for large event services done outside the organization, there are some things you don't want to outsource. If you want to have the same security and policies deployed to online meetings that you have to the other core tools people use in your organization, you'll want to bring it into the enterprise."

While the initial product will serve up to 250 simultaneous users in a meeting, Neoteris has found through market research that 80 percent of meetings have less than seven users and plan to tap this broad user base. Their market target includes engineers, technicians, and managers; product and sales teams; corporate teachers and trainers; technical support staff for troubleshooting remote desktops; and external partners contractors, and clients who might wish to review documents in real time.  

Harding estimates that some of Neoteris' clients pay tens of thousands of dollars a month on remote meetings and collaboration via outsourced solutions. With pricing starting at $2,995 for 10 users and no reoccurring costs, the company feels it can more than compete on this front.

"The broader collaboration space," says Harding, "is difficult to pin down; So many things fall under that. At the end of the day, what we're about and what collaboration should be about is enabling users to easily work with each other in a secure manner."

(http://www.neoteris.com)

Hummingbird Ltd., a developer of enterprise information management systems (EIMS), has announced the acquisition of Valid Information Systems Limited (Valid). Founded in 1989, Valid is a privately held company in the compliance and records management market in the United Kingdom. The recently announced LegalKEY and Kramer Lee & Associates acquisitions strengthen Hummingbird's ability to deliver practice management solutions for the legal sector. The Valid acquisition also accelerates Hummingbird's delivery of a multi-platform Smart Enterprise Suite, as the Valid solution can be deployed on a variety of J2EE application servers, including BEA WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, and Oracle 9iAS. Hummingbird acquired the shares of Valid for initial consideration of British Pounds 10 million (US $16.5 million) in cash and additional consideration of British Pounds 8 million (US $13 million) in cash payable over 2 years, based on performance targets. Valid will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hummingbird, continuing to support and maintain all customer implementations. Hummingbird will continue to sell the Valid products in the UK without interruption. The existing Valid management team and employees will remain with their current responsibilities and positions.

(http://www.hummingbird.com), (http://www.hummingbird.com/valid)

Alacritude, LLC, publisher of eLibrary and Encyclopedia.com, has announced that it has secured an additional $1.2 million of equity financing in addition to the previously raised $3.1 million last December, 2002, to complete its Series A financing at a total of $4.3 million. The round was led by Chicago-based Prism Opportunity Fund, with Stamford, Connecticut-based 1to1 Venture Partners, LLC and several individual investors participating. The new $1.2 million in funding--originally targeted at just over $400,000--came from existing investors and one new Kansas City-based investor who was also one of the original investors in Hoover's, Inc., a company that Alacritude's Chairman and CEO Patrick Spain co-founded. With the new capital, Alacritude plans to build eLibrary and Encyclopedia.com (acquired from Tucows, Inc. in August, 2002) through both internal growth and acquisitions.

(http://www.alacritude.com), (http://www.elibrary.com), (http://www.encyclopedia.com)

Norway-based Lyzia has closed a strategic alliance with SyncCast, a specialist company in Windows Media 9 hosting based in California. SyncCast, a US based company, a Content Delivery Network (CDN), provides a globally load balanced solution and uses multiple tier-1 Internet backbones. Through the Lyzia License Service, content owners and providers can securely distribute and offer digital media such as music and movies. SyncCast's new solution (available in Europe via Lyzia), provides real-time reporting of all content usage, even if that content is issued under a single license.

(http://www.lyzia.com), (http://www.synccast.com)

Singingfish, Inc., has announced the launch of their newly redesigned Web site offering end-users an upgraded experience to find, play, and/or download tens of millions of streaming media files in categories such as music, movies, sports, finance, and business. New features to be found at Singingfish.com include: Top 10 Search Queries--Find out at a glance what's hot in the world of streaming media. Top News--The latest news and information from the world of audio/video search and technology. Share It!--Email a song or news clip to a friend with just one click. Knowledge Center--A new area for whitepapers and information of interest to industry professionals (coming soon). Field-Specific Search--Narrow your results by specifying the title and/or artist to find the content you really want.  

Singingfish and Jibe, Inc., a software developer of peer-based content delivery networks, have announced a distribution relationship that is designed to enable developers of online music and video to more effectively market their content. Under terms of the partnership, Singingfish will offer customers of Jibe's EdgeBurst software paid inclusion advertising opportunities within Singingfish-powered search engines such as those found on the major media players. Jibe will also add Singingfish audio video search capabilities to its EdgeBurst Web site located online at www.edgeburst.com. Jibe sells EdgeBurst as a licensed software or as a service.

(http://www.edgeburst.com), (http://www.jibeinc.com), (http://www.singingfish.com)

Stellent, Inc., a provider of content management solutions, has announced that its Software Components Division has released Outside In Image Export. The new product converts content in multiple document formats to image files, eliminating costs related to writing and maintaining custom image conversion technologies. Outside In Image Export directly converts more than a hundred native file types to BMP, GIF, JPG, and PNG formats as well as to TIFF, the standard fax format. A range of applications for markets such as document imaging, records management, fax server, and document archiving can leverage Image Export to convert native file types to a standardized image format. Image Export allows developers to adjust a file's resolution, color depth settings and size, enabling the creation of a range of images from thumbnails to full-size images. Stellent's Outside In Technology provides application developers, device manufacturers and service providers with the ability to view, filter, and convert more than 225 file formats without using native applications. Outside In enables access to content in diverse applications, such as document management, search and retrieval, mobile and wireless, messaging, collaboration and publishing, and supports multiple operating systems and international environments. Stellent's suite of Outside In products includes: Outside In Viewer Technology, Outside In HTML Export, Outside In Content Access, Outside In Wireless Export, Outside In XML Export, Outside In Image Export, and Outside In for Devices. Outside In Image Export is currently shipping.

(http://www.outsideinsdk.com), (http://www.stellent.com)

pdfTron Systems has announced the immediate availability of PDF2SVG, for conversion and publishing of Web-ready SVG documents, including full generation of e-book navigation. Available as a stand-alone product, the core technology is also available for embedding into 3rd party products. New features available in PDF2SVG include: easier conversion of PDF to SVG; automatic e-book style interactive HTML wrappers for converted SVG; unicode text; support for encrypted PDF; full color support, including ICC, DeviceN, CMYK, RBG, and Separations; font embedding capability for accurate document reproduction or font substitution option for smaller SVG files; availability of compressed and optimized SVG output; and various SVG rendering options. PDF2SVG can be integrated right into any company's system allowing access to their existing PDF content. This includes cross document searching and indexing, as well as an XML based workflow for access to databases for real time changes to current documents. PDF2SVG is available now for $169, and can be purchased and downloaded directly from www.pdftron.com. The core technology is available for C, C++, C#, Java, VB, and others.

(http://www.pdftron.com), (http://www.pdftron.com/pdf2svg)

Canto, a provider of digital asset management solutions, has announced the launch of Cumulus Office Suite. Cumulus Office Suite is designed to allow users to efficiently manage office documents and presentations created with Microsoft Office products. Cumulus Office Suite is an Option that spans across the entire Cumulus product line, encompassing the Single User Edition, Workgroup Edition, and Enterprise Edition. When cataloging, Office Suite captures all text contained in the documents, including the main text itself, header information or foot notes, slide text, and slide notes. In addition to this, it captures information such as author, date, and version contained in Microsoft Office Compound Documents. Once documents have been cataloged, Cumulus allows them to be searched. This means that cataloged assets can now be found for reuse or for integration into new material. If users have installed PowerPoint on the cataloging machine, this Option will even catalog single slides of an entire presentation and create thumbnails and previews. Office Suite is immediately available on Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X, Solaris, and Linux platforms. Office Suite is available as a single user license for the Cumulus Single User Edition and as a network license for the Cumulus Workgroup Edition and the Cumulus Enterprise Edition. Users have a choice of English, German, French, or Japanese language versions. It can be purchased from a Canto partner or in Canto's eShop.

(http://www.canto.com)

IXOS Software has integrated recently acquired Web content management (formerly Obtree) and business process management (formerly PowerWork) products into its IXOS-eCON Solution Suite. The expanded portfolio means IXOS now covers all aspects of Enterprise Content Management (ECM). With IXOS, authorized employees along the entire workflow can now access any data or documents required to conduct effective business operations in just a few clicks. The new product means display incompatibility will no longer be an issue or hamper users, while a set of clearly defined steps and assigned tasks for employees improves the overall process.

(http://www.ixos.com)

C.D.I. Systems, a developer of e-publishing solutions, has announced the signing of an OEM agreement with Aladdin Knowledge Systems. C.D.I. Systems will provide Aladdin with its Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology for the protection of digital content. The DRM technology from C.D.I. Systems is incorporated into Aladdin's HASP DocSeal, a product based on their proven HASP security key hardware. DocSeal is commercially available and is being marketed via Aladdin's worldwide sales network. C.D.I. Systems' DRM technology, as was integrated in HASP DocSeal, provides the authorized end-user with read-only rights to the protected document. Browser functionalities such as print, copy, print capture, or save are disabled to ensure intellectual property such as product documentation and technical specifications can be accessed only by authorized users in a protected environment.

(http://www.cdisys.com), (http://www.ealaddin.com), (http://www.hasp.com/docseal)

ISYS/Odyssey Development Inc. has announced the release of ISYS 6.02, which supports full-text searches of Macromedia Flash files. Based on the .swf file format, the multimedia development software is frequently used to develop visually rich Web sites and presentations, often including animated components. Available for its core solutions--ISYS:desktop, ISYS:web and ISYS:spider--ISYS 6.02 indexes text held in Flash files and also navigates through the files to index HTML or other document formats to which Flash files point. Additionally, ISYS can index and retrieve Flash files held on local file servers, or via ISYS:spider, which can capture and index Flash files found on external Web sites. While Flash technology can be used to produce graphics and design elements for Web sites, usability is often a casualty as information is locked away in graphical components. Many of the Web site search engines currently available search only standard Web file formats such as HTML; any key information contained in a Flash file is thus unavailable to users via the Web site search function. With the new ISYS 6.02 release, designers using Flash can now create graphically enhanced Web sites that also offer search capabilities. ISYS supports 125 file formats and 30 languages, and offers natural-language search capabilities, as well as query searching for advanced searches. The technology provides searching of structured, unstructured, and semi-structured information in a single query, and provides polymorphic functionality across diverse formats, including XML, HTML, Word, Flash, PDF, email, and OEM-defined formats.

(http://www.isysusa.com)

CrownPeak Technology, a provider of hosted content management solutions, has been selected to provide content management system for the National Constitution Center (NCC) public Web portal, at www.constitutioncenter.org.  The NCC has deployed CrownPeak's Advantage CMS content management system in an effort to enable online visitors to learn about the U.S. Constitution in an exciting, interactive environment. Established by the Constitution Heritage Act of 1988 and opening on July 4, the National Constitution Center is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of and appreciation for the Constitution. With a facility within Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park and a national outreach program, the Center will tell the story of the U.S. Constitution through more than 100 interactive and multimedia exhibits, photographs, sculptures, texts, films, and artifacts. CrownPeak's Advantage CMS is powering the content behind the "Interactive Constitution," a combination kiosk-driven application within the physical museum and a component of the NCC Web site. Museum visitors will be able to sit at the kiosk and search on virtually any term, comparing the text of the constitution to an analysis from the book The Words We Live By by constitutional scholar Linda Monk. Advantage CMS enables non-technical personnel from different departments to manage the entire site. Additionally, both the Web site and Interactive Constitution will always reflect the most current news about issues relating to the Constitution. A news syndication feed from Pinnacor goes directly into the content management system, enabling NCC editors to publish Constitution-related news as it comes across the wire.  Then, the CMS takes care of all the archiving and storage of the news items. CrownPeak Technology's Advantage CMS's Web interfaces enable users to maintain and edit content in any format as text, images, movies or any hybrid medium. The administrative interfaces and application code are hosted on high-availability servers, where CrownPeak backs up, maintains, and extends the system. Advantage CMS is inter-operable with other systems and applications. Connection options available to developers include SOAP, XML, FTP, HTTP, SMTP, and ODBC.

(http://www.constitutioncenter.org), (http://www.crownpeak.com)

Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters Company, have completed the upgrade of its customers to Factiva products and permanently switching off its legacy product lines, including Dow Jones Interactive (DJI), Reuters Business Briefing (RBB), and other related products. In June 2001, Factiva announced that it would upgrade existing DJI and RBB customers to newly launched Factiva.com by June 30, 2003. Throughout the upgrade period, customers have upgraded to a range of new Factiva products--choosing from research products such as Factiva.com, current awareness modules that can be integrated into corporate portals, or workflow products that embed global news and business information directly into business applications. The ability to rapidly create products that meet changing market needs is a direct result of Factiva's decision to build a next-generation product platform, rather than build upon either the DJI or RBB platforms. The new platform, launched two years ago, is Web Services-based and XML-enabled. Since 2000, Factiva has developed and launched 12 new products. Simultaneously, Factiva signed agreements with more than 800 publishers, making nearly 8,000 sources available as part of Factiva's global content collection, including The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, and Handelsblatt.

(http://www.factiva.com)

The Transport Express Regional (TER) division of SNCF has chosen Tridion's enterprise content management for the redesign of its 20 regional websites, to improve customer relations and strengthen its image and positioning. Recent European legislation proposes that from 2007, rail networks across the continent will be open to competition from other carriers. To pre-empt and prepare itself properly for the competition, SNCF has reassessed its overall strategy and the Internet will play a key role in the company's new customer relationship focus. SNCF plans to strengthen customer loyalty by offering personalized online services to existing customers. The company also plans to attract new customers by rolling-out targeted marketing campaigns on the 20 TER Web sites. Furthermore, it intends to leverage the Internet as a medium to consolidate its image and positioning the eyes of the traveling public.

(http://www.ter-sncf.com), (http://www.tridion.com/uk)