In-Q-Tel, a private not-for-profit venture group funded by the Central Intelligence Agency, and Basis Technology, a provider of software solutions for multilingual text mining and information retrieval applications, have signed a strategic investment and development agreement, including licensing. Basis Technology and In-Q-Tel will work together to provide multilingual information management solutions to the Intelligence Community. Launched in 1999, In-Q-Tel's mission is to identify and invest in companies developing cutting-edge technologies that serve United States national security interests.

(http://www.basistech.com), (http://www.in-q-tel.org)

Entopia, Inc. has announced the release of its Entopia K-Bus Software Development Kit (SDK) for Information Discovery to allow application developers to integrate the capabilities of the Entopia K-Bus information discovery solution into any application.  With the SDK, Entopia's information discovery functions including enterprise search, expertise identification, content visualization, social networks analysis, and content connectivity are designed to knowledge-enable any business system, portal framework, or software infrastructure.

Features include: Enterprise Search delivers search results that leverage the semantic, user activity, and context surrounding content (Semantic and full-text search for document and information sources; Advanced search filters; Document summaries; Content visualization; Locate Related Information; Query storage and modification; Query and results management); Expertise Identification locates people with expertise relevant to the query and provides a listing of experts' accessible documents; Social Networking Analysis presents both data and graphical representations of the relationships in an organization; and Content Connectors enables the creation of new native connectors to use the content contained in various structured and unstructured repositories. Entopia SDK is available immediately to Entopia customers and partners.  

(http://www.entopia.com)

Dialog, a Thomson business provider of online-based information services and integrated information solutions, has released a new database containing scientific and technical research related to the global aerospace industry. The AeroBase database (File 104, available through Dialog-branded services) is designed to include references, abstracts, and controlled-vocabulary indexing of scientific and technical journal articles, preprints, conference proceedings, books, theses, and unpublished literature relating to the aerospace and aeronautical industries and dating back to 1999. Enhancements later this quarter are expected to include additional international journals and conference literature added to the database.

Among STM databases available through Dialog are such multi-disciplinary scientific files as NTIS (National Technical Information Service), INSPEC, Ei Compendex, PASCAL, SciSearch, Current Contents Search, JICST (Japanese Science & Technology) and Medline. The new AeroBase database and numerous other STM ones are available for subscription through the Dialog Choice pricing option, which offer enterprise-wide access for annual flat fees.

(http://www.dialog.com), (http://www.thomson.com)

Intranets.com, a provider of on-demand collaboration services, has announced new enhancements to its Online Calendar that include an updated look and feel and group scheduling functionality. The enhancements are intended to enable Intranets.com customers to view and coordinate team schedules.

The Group Scheduling enhancement is available immediately at no additional charge to Intranets.com customers. With the Intranets.com enhanced Online Calendar, customers can: schedule meetings, events, and appointments; check for scheduling conflicts with colleagues, business partners, or remote workers; schedule recurring meetings and notify participants of meetings via email; avoid location conflicts by checking on meeting room or location availability; receive meeting reminders without opening a browser with the Intranets Desktop Assistant; attach relevant documents, agendas, or directions to an event; share schedules with colleagues while maintaining the privacy of personal appointments and events; and synchronize calendar appointments with a Palm-based handheld or Microsoft Outlook. A free 30-day trial is available at www.intranets.com/pr.

(http://www.intranets.com)

Google has teamed up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 16 other universities around the world in an effort to provide a way to search the institutions' collections of scholarly papers. A pilot test of the project has begun and the search feature may appear on Google in a few months as an option on Google's advanced-search page.

The project is intended to allow users to direct their searches to on-campus repositories of scholarly materials that contain copies of academic papers, technical reports, drafts of articles, and other work by a university's professors. Scholars can choose whether their works will be available to all Internet users or only to others on their own campuses. The participating universities have tagged all the materials with metadata tags.

Participating universities also plan to work with other search engine providers and some have expressed an interest in creating their own search technology. In the pilot test, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc., a nonprofit library organization, has set up a search process that will serve as an interface between Google and the universities.

Besides MIT, the institutional archives that will be included in the pilot test are: Australian National University, Cornell University, Cranfield University, European University Institute, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Minho University, the Ohio State University, Parma University, University of Arizona, University of Calgary, University of Oregon, University of Rochester, University of Toronto, University of Washington, and University of Wisconsin.

(http://www.google.com)

Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of Sybase, Inc., has announced a new version of the M-Business Anywhere mobile application platform. The next generation of M-Business Anywhere adds tablet, laptop, and PC support to the solution for delivering on- and offline Web content and applications to PDAs. In addition, new usage tracking capabilities were developed to enable IT organizations to better monitor user adoption while support for global deployments is intended to enhance the international user experience.

M-Business Anywhere is the core technology of the AvantGo mobile Internet service. The platform enables companies to extend Web content and applications, including CRM, ERP, and other enterprise solutions, to mobile devices. M-Business Anywhere supports both wireless and offline "sync and go" connectivity. Other enhancements include: reports built directly into the application user interface provide IT with information such as synchronization times and frequency; tracking data notes whether synchronizations are conducted via wireless network or PC cradle; and user identification such as device manufacturer, model, and serial number helps companies with accurate asset management.

The next generation of M-Business Anywhere is available immediately. A free Developer Edition and archived product webcasts are available online at www.ianywhere.com/mbusiness_upgrade. Per user deployment licenses are priced from $69 to $299 depending on the required capabilities.

(http://www.ianywhere.com)

PaperThin, Inc., a content management software vendor, has announced the availability of CommonSpot Content Server version 4.0, the company's flagship Web content management solution. This release introduces new scalability options, added developer and administrator capabilities, and expanded content creation features as well as enhancements to existing features.

New scalability options in version 4.0 include enhancements to the replication feature and a static content generation module. For content contributors, new 4.0 features like spell check, visual difference, and pop-up calendars are intended to help authors create and publish content more accurately. New administrator tools include the ability to customize the page creation interface, the ability to restrict the type and size of files that can be uploaded by contributors, the ability to copy subsite parameters, and support for international date formats. CommonSpot 4.0 is available immediately directly from PaperThin, Inc., and through PaperThin's partners, a listing of which can be found at www.paperthin.com/partners/Our-Partners.cfm. Standard license pricing starts at $19,500.

(http://www.paperthin.com)

ProQuest Information and Learning and Extenza e-Publishing Services have announced a strategic alliance to offer a portfolio of ejournal and database services for publishers and libraries. The agreement is intended to deliver a complete distribution and hosting solution for publishers, simplify access for end users, and streamline ejournal management for libraries. ProQuest Information and Learning, a unit of ProQuest Company, creates and publishes databases for libraries and educational institutions. Extenza, based in Abingdon, UK, provides conversion and hosting of journals for publishers as well as subscription and usage statistics management for libraries.

(http://www.extenza.com), (http://www.il.proquest.com)

Astoria Software, a provider of software applications for structured document management, has announced the availability of Astoria 4.1, the latest release of its software for enterprises seeking to automate the authoring, review, and publishing processes of complex documents. Astoria 4.1 is designed to extend enterprise content collaboration beyond core technical writers to content stakeholders throughout the enterprise and its suppliers, with new features enabling Internet connectivity and remote access capability.

The Astoria Review application extends collaboration capability to a broader range of users. New content review annotation and approval features though Windows Internet Explorer are managed and tracked via an enhanced workflow capability. Subject Matter Expert contribution uses Web-based review, annotations, editing and approval of content for publishing occurring at the component level with a document. Additional enhancements in Astoria Review include an interface re-design and six-time display performance improvement.

New with Astoria 4.1 is support for Web Distributed and Versioning (WebDAV) that provides users connectivity to the Astoria server through Windows My Network Places. Using WebDAV applications, such as Microsoft Office or Arbortext Epic Editor, users can directly connect to the Astoria server to check out, edit, and check in documents. Astoria cabinets and folders are accessed within an Explorer window and provide file management and editing functionality such as file open, multiple file select, click and drag, deleting, and copying.

New technology enhancements such as support for Web Services provide connectivity with disparate systems. Astoria 4.1 includes Server Event Queues for managing server-side tasks such as composition spooling, document version pruning, graphic conversion, search indexing, and other events. Astoria search functionality has been improved with a new User Interface and support for Unicode character searching along with Parameterized Searching.

(http://www.astoriasoftware.com)

SiteScape, a provider of Web-based workflow, document management and collaboration, has announced the availability of SiteScape Enterprise Forum 7.1. The upgrade features a range of new capabilities designed to ensure greater enterprise scalability, enhance document management capabilities, and create a richer graphical user interface. New tools such as Forum overview, HTML viewer, multi-file download, off-line synchronization via HTML email, folder maps, graphical workflow, time zone preferences, and language preferences, along with improved LDAP support, server security, and administrative interfaces, are designed to make the product easier to use for both end-users and administrators.

Some of the features included in SiteScape Enterprise Forum 7.1 include: Forum overview--gives users the ability to view charts and graphs that display statistical information about entries, workflow processes, and tasks in the discussions forum and calendars. HTML viewer--Forum can convert numerous types of uploaded files into HTML, allowing users to view an uploaded file regardless of whether the application associated with the file is installed on their computer. Multi-file download--Users can simultaneously download multiple attachments as a compressed zip file from a Forum entry to their desktop or laptop. Folder maps--Allow users to see how document and discussion forums are structured. HTML email--Enhanced capability allows users to work offline. Users can receive Forum email messages and notifications in their original HTML format and can post a response (with attachments) into Forum by replying to the email. Graphical workflow--workflow user interface displays a visual chart of the entire workflow process; users can zoom in and out on various states of the workflow process and can make and see changes in state transitions, queries, email notifications, and access controls.

Time zone/languages preferences--users can choose the server local time or any standard world time zoneand language preferences and a multi-language spell check can be installed from the user profile.

SiteScape Enterprise Forum 7.1 is immediately available for download and runs on the Windows, Solaris, and Red Hat Linux platforms. The initial release is for English only. Translations for Spanish, French, and German are expected to follow within 60 days.

(http://www.sitescape.com)

iPhrase Technologies, Inc., a provider of search and customer interaction solutions, has announced that its One Step  platform is powering the search, navigation, and customer interaction functions across RadioShack Corporation's online retail site, www.radioshack.com. RadioShack chose One Step in an effort to automate its sales, service, and support operations and decrease support costs. One Step was integrated into RadioShack's site by iPhrase's SI partner Acquity Group, a provider of content management, enterprise portal, and ecommerce solutions.    

RadioShack, which sells consumer electronics, chose the iPhrase One Step 4.5 platform. One Step is designed to make allowances for misspelled words and phrases, retrieve specific results and data from both structured and unstructured content, and present related options for up- and cross-sell opportunities. In addition to the catalog the deployment includes all of RadioShack's relevant product manuals, many of which are in PDF format. RadioShack also uses One Step at in-store kiosks.

(http://www.acquitygroup.com), (http://www.iphrase.com), (http://www.radioshack.com)

Innodata Isogen, Inc., a provider of content supply chain solutions, has announced that it is working with Harvard Business School Publishing, the wholly owned, not-for-profit subsidiary of Harvard University, to digitize more than a thousand case studies in the Harvard Business School Publishing Case Collection. Innodata Isogen will provide digitization, imaging, and other data conversion services to Harvard Business School Publishing, facilitating online access to the case study teaching materials, which are used in universities and executive education programs. The terms of the project were not disclosed.

The mission of Harvard Business School Publishing is to improve the practice of management and its impact on a changing world. Harvard Business School Publishing strives to be the publisher of choice for authors and content experts with important and influential management ideas. Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. extends the School's educational mission by disseminating information on management research and practice in a variety of media -books, case studies, the "Harvard Business Review," videos, software and multimedia products. Case studies are available for sale online at http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/cases/cases_home.jhtml.

(http://www.innodata-isogen.com)

Atomz, a provider of hosted enterprise Web site applications, has announced that Compact Appliance, an online retailer, has chosen Atomz Commerce to handle search and promotions on its Web site, www.compactappliance.com. In addition, as an on-demand solution Atomz oversees all the management and maintenance. Compact Appliance chose Atomz in an effort to better handle its abundance of daily site searches and convert more of those searches into purchases. The solution also gives customers the ability to sort and refine searches as they shop, reducing the number of results with each selection.

(http://www.atomz.com), (http://www.compactappliance.com)

Endeavor Information Systems has announced that the academic libraries of three four-year institutions have recently selected the Voyager integrated library management system for advanced library automation. The following libraries are currently migrating from their previous systems to Endeavor's Voyager ILS: Point Park College, Pittsburgh, PA; the University of Albertay Dundee, Dundee, Scotland; and Reinhardt College, Waleska, GA.

(http://www.endinfosys.com)