I am pleased to announce that on December 20th, VisualAnnotate 1.0.1 was made available for all customers running TeamSite 5.5.2 SP2. VisualAnnotate is a revolutionary , browser-based tool that streamlines the review and approval processes by integrating the content review process into the Content Management system itself. Gone are the days of printing out files and marking them up with a pen or sending files around accompanied by a tedious editorial email and an attachment. VisualAnnotate brings the power of inline text edits, sticky notes, and more to the desktop and stores those annotations in TeamSite alongside the content itself.
The Benefits of Moving from Paper-based to Electronic-based Review and ApprovalThe benefits of moving from this paper-based paradigm to one that is electronic are countless. VisualAnnotate will enable enterprises to:
- Ensure accountability by snapshotting the progress of an HTML file and its annotations as it goes through an approval process. VisualAnnotate provides an intermediate "version" of a file by providing an audit trail of not only content but the annotations as well as the content makes it way from draft to completion. In the era where corporate governance and accountability are being heavily emphasized, being able to track all aspects of a file is a necessity, not a perk.
- Hide the complexities of TeamSite that have traditionally hindered rollout to business users by enabling them to participate in the content contribution process without changing the way they work. This is achieved through our out-of-box fully-configurable VisualAnnotate emails. Business users receive an email, click on a link, annotate and when they stamp a file "Approved" or "Please Revise" the workflow task immediately routed behind the scenes with no end-user interaction. Additionally we have placed a large focus on first time use realizing that business users will only use a tool if it makes their job easier. As a result, the VisualAnnotate toolbar provides easy, step-by-step installation instructions as well as a fun, interactive, click-through tutorial that guides a user through common use cases before they run into problems.
- Quickly and easily get up and running via configurable workflows. The configurable VisualAnnotate workflows enable TeamSite developers unleash the power of VisualAnnotate to their user communities within minutes of installation. These workflows enable administrators to specify parameters like restricting the number of review cycles displayed to the end users and whether or not end users can "Save" a work in progress to finish annotating later. Additionally, VisualAnnotate can be integrated into custom serial-review workflow templates that transform inefficient paper-based business processes into streamlined workflow tasks that are accessible via email or WebDesk/WebDesk Pro.
Pricing and AvailabilityThe VisualAnnotate server component comes free of charge with a TeamSite Server license. The toolbar is available free of charge to any licensed user (of any seat). If you want to extend the power of VisualAnnotate to more users than you currently have licenses for, you must purchase additional user seats. Please contact your sales representative for details. VisualAnnotate is available for download on the Support Site for all customers in the Content Collaboration area on the Product Downloads page.
Product CompatibilityVisualAnnotate works with TeamSite/TeamSite Templating 5.5.2 SP2. The templating portion is required because the out-of-box emails exploit Templating. This means that TeamSite developers can use their templating expertise to customize this email. The server portion of VisualAnnotate is certified to work on Solaris 2.6, 7, 8 and Windows 2000 Server (SP2) and NT 4.0 SP 6a. You can install the VisualAnnotate toolbar on client machines that have Windows 98, NT 4, or 2000 and Internet Explorer 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 browsers
Interwoven Is Dedicated to Solving Your NeedsInterwoven is the only content management vendor to provide an integrated, out-of-box annotation solution. As we have seen with the beta version of the product, VisualAnnotate goes a long way towards solving real-world problems experienced by our customers. And don't forget, we are always looking for customer success stories with our products. If you have VisualAnnotate up and running in your production environment and would be willing to share your story with the Interwoven team, please let us know!
If you have any questions or concerns please address them to
va-feedback@interwoven.com.
Relevant LinksVisit the VisualAnnotate Product Page on the Support Site for related Tech Notes, compatibility information, and other tips and tricks Download VisualAnnotate 1.0.1 from the Support Site (Listed under the Content Collaboration section of the product downloads area)
Learn about our new Customer Advantage ProgramProduct Manager, Client Tools
dyun@interwoven.com
