Pagemark Technology, Inc., an industry leading expert in XML Paper Specification rendering technology, has announced that SKYCOM (http://www.skycom.co.jp), a Japanese developer and supplier of Internet, security and document management-related software, has selected Pagemark’s XPS Rendering SDK and XPS Viewer to be integrated into SKYCOM's document management and print security products enabling support for the increasingly popular XPS format.

Pagemark’s multi-platform XPS rendering conversion SDK and viewer provides enterprise software developers with the ability to build XPS rendering solutions within a wide range of applications and operating systems.  ■
www.pagemarktechnology.com

RMD Kwikform has selected Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions provider, The Content Group, to provide ECM solution for document scanning and automation. RMD Kwikform has invested £16,000 in Invu document management software which integrates with their financial system Axapta.

RMD Kwikform provides formwork and shoring solutions to the global construction industry and with operations in 15 countries, has the ability to provide a local service, backed up by significant international experience.

Mark Pickard, Senior Accountant, RMD Kwikform, comments, “With over 50 years experience, RMD Kwikform uses its extensive expertise in formwork and falsework to deliver tailored solutions for the benefit of our customers. Our service is distinguished by the calibre of our people, ensuring our promises are delivered and best operating practices are observed.”  ■
www.thecontentgroup.co.uk

AN4 Group, one of the UK’s most respected technology product and solution providers, has announced the successful installation of a hosted email solution at stockbroker Simple Investments.

Simple Investments is a privately owned, independent firm of stockbrokers, based in the heart of Surrey. It provides services for institutions and private clients, managing share portfolios and advising on stock markets.

The company prides itself on delivering a high quality and discreet offering which focuses on each of its customers as an individual. However, constantly increasing levels of spam flooding Simple Investment’s inboxes meant that the company was at risk of losing important businesses from their valued clients.

Barry Fudge, Operations Manager at Simple Investments explains: “We were getting inundated with spam emails, and it was getting worse and worse: everyone’s mailbox was getting filled with junk. But we still had to go through it all in case we missed an important email from one of our clients, which would be disastrous.”

The company was wasting a huge amount of time and effort sorting through emails, so trusted IT partner AN4 suggested Proofpoint’s On Demand Email Security Solution, which delivers industry-leading messaging security features as a cost-effective, on-demand anti-spam service.

“Proofpoint on Demand offers unified email security and data loss prevention features as a cost-effective, easy-to-adopt and easy-to-manage hosted service - ideal for a small company such as Simple Investments,” says Kristian Connor, Sales Director for AN4 Group. “Proofpoint on Demand offers effective protection against both inbound and outbound email-borne threats, without requiring the installation of on-premise hardware or software.

“In addition, AN4 was able to offer the company flexible customisation of its email security preferences, policies, enabled modules, end-user features, alerts and reporting,” he adds.

Since the implantation in May, Simple Investment has seen a marked rise in productivity, with spam banished from their mailboxes. AN4 manages the system day-to-day, looking after any technical issues, service updates, and settings changes required – leaving Simple Investments free to make their clients’ businesses a success too.  ■
www.an4group.com

Uplogix®, a leading provider of next-generation secure remote management (SRM) solutions, has announced a new partnership with Calyx, a leading independent end-to-end provider of ICT in Ireland and the UK. The agreement will allow Calyx to utilise technology from Uplogix to deliver an enhanced service for distributed IT asset management, remote control and IT operations and security policy enforcement, to help deliver “lights out” data centre policy.

“Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are a well-suited customer segment for Uplogix, and our new agreement with Calyx highlights the substantial benefits SRM can deliver to both clients and the operational activities of MSPs” comments Mark Piening, VP of Marketing for Uplogix, “Calyx has been at the forefront of innovation in this area, and working closely with them will ensure that Uplogix is at the heart of more trusted managed service offerings helping clients across the globe.”  ■
www.uplogix.com

Aladdin Knowledge Systems (NASDAQ: ALDN), an information security leader specializing in authentication, software DRM and content security, has announced the release of Aladdin HASP SRM™ v 3.50, adding automatic file wrapping for Java applications, enhanced security and ease-of-use to Aladdin’s award-winning, fully-integrated hardware- and software- based copy protection and licensing solution.

The HASP SRM Java Envelope provides advanced protection for Java Archive (JAR) files through strong encryption, protecting against reverse engineering at the class-level through the encryption of user-selected class files. Within just minutes, the HASP SRM v 3.50 Java Envelope automatically “wraps” Java applications in HASP SRM’s award-winning copy protection without requiring any changes to the source code itself.

A cross-platform environment based on intermediate code, Java is highly prone to reverse-engineering, making Envelope protection critical to securing intellectual property. Unlike other software DRM solutions, the HASP SRM Java Envelope does not require the conversion of Java files into another format in order to implement HASP SRM software- or hardware-based locking. HASP SRM v 3.50 is the only automatic file wrapping system that supports both hardware and software locking.   ■

Also from Aladdin ....
 

Aladdin has announced that it signed a license agreement with Giesecke & Devrient (G&D), a technology leader in the field of smart cards and IT-security solutions. The agreement recognizes Aladdin’s USB smartcard patents used in G&D’s authentication products and grants G&D the rights to use the protected technology for its well-established StarSign e-identity token solutions.

Aladdin will provide G&D access to its protected technology under U.S. patent US 6,748,541 , US 6,763,399 and European patent EP 1,001,329.

“With a worldwide license agreement in place, we expect that the agreement will enable growth in the U.S. and in Europe as well as in new regions of the globe,” said Dr. Kai Grassie, head of G&D’s New Business Division.  ■
www.aladdin.com

Bookshop Opened

Green Sheet virtual bookshop opens it's 'doors'

'BOOKSHOP'      Now Open!     

Click to enter

It's Official!

Research proves print advertising works says PPA

Sourced from the PPA (Periodical Publishers Association) Newsletter, Friday 20th June:
Consumers are more positive towards print advertising than any other media, research by Dynamic Logic has revealed. Over 50 per cent of respondents viewed print advertising positively, which was more than TV, outdoor, radio and online.
Newspaper and magazine ads came top of the rank with 53 and 51 per cent of respondents respectively viewing them as positive advertising formats. The breadth of feelings towards advertising in media platforms was diverse, with only 20 per cent of online ads viewed positively by respondents.

The more relevant ads are to people, the better their opinion of the ad format, the research stated. As past research has shown, this is the case with magazines, where readers become deeply engaged and view ads as an integral part of the magazine experience. More interruptive or intrusive formats on the other hand, such as telemarketing and SPAM emails were found to be towards the bottom of the list in terms of consumer appeal.

Dynamic Logic’s AdReaction 5 research study was conducted on 350 respondents and gauges consumers’ opinions towards advertising. Dynamic Logic is a leading research company with expertise in measuring marketing effectiveness.

Details on the study from Amina Ymer at PPA on 0044 20 7400 7560.
For Green Sheet advertising rates and potential, contact johnbaker@greensheetmedia.com or call 0044 24 7625 4957 for a no obligation discussion.

Web CMS Report 2008

Now available to all Green Sheet readers 080608

Traditional Web CMS vendors are increasingly touting their "Web 2.0"-style interaction services, but enterprises looking to roll out comprehensive social computing services will likely need to bring other tools into the mix, according to research released today at the Gilbane Conference by CMS Watch, a vendor-independent analyst firm that evaluates content technologies.

"The good news is, nearly all Web CMS vendors are 'socializing' the experience around enterprise websites and intranets by adding various engagement features such as blogs, tag clouds, forums, and more to their products," said CMS Watch founder, Tony Byrne. "Where they tend to come up short is when you want to extend into broader forms of Social Networking and Collaboration." For that, you’ll likely need additional technologies purpose-built for those services, argued Byrne.

In the recent release of The Web CMS Report 2008, CMS Watch interviewed customers around the globe to evaluate forty different solutions.

CMS Watch found:

- Profiles and Collaboration are emerging as key Social Software services at a time when most Web CMS products focus on information-oriented Publishing and Discussion facilities.

- Web CMS vendors can relatively easily replicate blog functionality, but many customers still prefer the simplicity of standalone blog tools and services, and not all Web CMS vendors can deal effectively with comment/trackback spam on public-facing blogs.

- Similarly, most Web CMS tools possess sufficient editorial and versioning facilities to enable wiki services. Yet, standalone wiki tools typically perform better at creating new pages, re-organizing and refactoring discussions, and outputting compound wiki entries into printable documents.

"Web CMS technology continues to play a very important role in enterprise communications, since you still need a platform to produce and manage authoritative content," notes CMS Watch analyst, Jarrod Gingras. "So you shouldn't postpone dealing with a serious content management problem on the false hope that there is a 'Web 2.0' panacea out there to fix it."

"The Web CMS Report 2008" provides a comprehensive overview of current web content management products and best practices, including updated evaluations of forty Web CMS vendors across two editions (Global and European).

The report is available for purchase online from Green Sheet MEDIA. Prices from $975. Info here.

SharePoint Report

Now available to all Green Sheet readers 080608

Evaluate Microsoft's newest server technology as an enterprise platform. Learn from the experts exactly what SharePoint is, what it can do, and how it can work for you and your organisation.

More information here.

You can also read more about SharePoint in the next issue of the Green Sheet magazine. We have an article on how one company has introduced a version of its software specifically to take advantage of SharePoint, and we will bring you news from Microsoft regarding MOSS, theMicrosoft Office SharePoint Server.

All in Issue 51, due out 7th July, but remember you will need to be a subscriber to get your copy.

More for Your Money

Magazine expansion plans announced 080608

Green Sheet MEDIA has announced exciting plans for the latter part of 2008. Not only is the Green Sheet magazine set to increase its print run, but it is also going to increase in size from its current 32 page format, to 48 pages and possibly more.

Green Sheet managing editor John Baker stated, "For some time now we have been struggling to include all of the news that the industry has brought to our attention in the two month editorial gap between magazine issues. Much of the news is still of interest, even after that period of time, so by combining the really urgent news on the web site, and the less time sensitive news in the magazine, we hope to bring site visitors and magazine subscribers the best of both worlds."

Another aspect of the Green Sheet expansion is that spare copies of the magazine no longer go to a pool of 'occasional' readers. This was normally done on a rolling and complementary basis. "With a dramatic increase in paid subscriptions, interest in back issues, and renewed interest from the PR industry, almost every copy is now allocated. It [free copies] has served its purpose", says John Baker, continuing, "With the high cost of print and distribution, we need to make every copy count, so it has to be specifically targeted from now on. This benefits our advertisers too, as casual readers cannot follow serial articles or prolonged ad campaigns, not if they only get a copy every fourteen months. The only real answer is to subscribe.".
 

With increased activity on the subscription side coming from both an in-magazine ad and a telesales campaign, the subscriber base has been further increased by the magazine now being sold through specialist subscription companies. Working on a commission or referral basis, Green Sheet is already sold worldwide by over 10 agencies, and this number is set to hit over 20 by the start of 2009.

To date the Green Sheet magazine has always been sold direct to subscribers, but that is also set to change. Through a specialist distribution network in the UK, the magazine will appear on newsagent shelves by the end of 2008, and perhaps as soon as September. This significant step is a major milestone in the 39 year history of the magazine. "Green Sheet is 40 next year, and this will be the first time it has had a cover price", says John Baker, continuing, "Magazines are going through a period of strong growth at present, particularly in the UK, and especially in the B2B market. We have a golden opportunity to enter the retail market which will take the magazine to new readers and ultimately, new subscribers."

The first retail version of the magazine will 'hit the shops' in the UK in September. 

Green Sheet title confusion prompts change 080608

In Q4 of 2007, Green Sheet were negotiating an on-site interview with a major UK owned international engineering company. This was for a multi-part feature on the management of engineering data. It was an organisation whose name is renowned around the world, and whose engines have been used to keep planes aloft for decades. All was going well until we heard that the interview had been knocked back unexpectedly.

The site we were to visit had already been declared to us as being a UK MoD site, and as such there were to be no cameras, no recording equipment, and no mobile phones. The refusal for entry had originated from the MoD itself, and the consensus was that it could well have been because the name 'green' appears in the magazine title (and the company name). This undoubtedly put the wind up those from whom approval was being sought, and given Whitehall's understandable reluctance to let any eco-warriors onto the jointly operated site - it was a no-go.

Investigating our inherited name further, Green Sheet took into account several comments made by members of the information management industry during 2007. (The year John Baker (managing editor) had been heavily promoting the company, and evangelising the virtues of the magazine in particular.

The following incidents and comments have been relayed, recorded and recounted to us:
 

"I thought it was something to do with accountancy"
In fact the name 'greensheet' is given to an internal corporate document which is used to extol the pros and cons of a share issue which an underwriter is about to sell.

We were asked to reproduce online and in the magazine, the manifesto for a somewhat radical environmental group
It was not a group we had ever heard of, and as it was early in 2007 we cannot recall the name.

We have been asked by an AIIM executive if the name is anything to do with accountancy!
So even the IM industry itself was in doubt as to our identity.

The name Green Sheet is also known around the world as:
- a bimonthly report of statewide environmental news and activism (USA)
- a weekly publication in the USA for pharmacists, drug store operators and trade relations advisor's covering new drug releases
- a column in an anti-smog web site
- a US political newsletter on environmental issues (Mark Green)
- a 4 page insert into Michigan Contractor & Builder, which goes to 12,430 contractors. Apparently 'more Michigan based new and used equipment is listed in the Green Sheet than all other sources combined.
- a weekly publication for the worldwide fashion industry
- a free weekly classified ads publication in Phoenix, Arixzona
- a newsletter published by the West Sussex Hospital NHS Trust (a totally dismal tome if ever we saw one)

Issue 50 has now gone to bed which means it will hit your desks within the next two weeks.

There are new features, and new multi-issue articles to keep you informed. ■

Issue 50 is now well under way with the final layout taking place over the next 6 days. The magazine has a new look to it to coincide with its 50th birthday.
 

ETA on your desks is the second week in May. ■

Due to 'circumstances beyond our control' the PDF version of Issue 49 has been delayed. We are in the process of sorting out the problem and hope to have it with you next week. The difficulty is in the sheer size of the finished article as we have changed the magazine layout and this affects the final PDF size.■