© Ugur Akinci

Here are a few really cool Author-it features that caught my eye during a recent webinar demonstration by the company founder and CEO Paul Trotter.

Searching for Content

Author-it is a powerful structured-authoring editor that allows you to use the same chunk of content many times over.

So searching for reusable content is a very crucial functionality that needs to be performed well to be useful and practical. Boy, does Author-it do it well!

Check out the screenshot below and you’ll see what I mean:

The search options that Author-it offers are truly world-class.

Moreover, Author-it also highlights those files in the database that contains your search term.

Suggesting Content Relevance

Author-it also suggests the relevance of the search results by using fuzzy-logic probabilities. Content that looks similar to the selected text/paragraph are highlighted with colors corresponding to that level of probability (see below):

Highlighting similar content with Xtend

Author-it suggests reuse ideas by finding similar expressions in different files, listed even by their availability in different languages (see below).

Reuse content with Author-it Xtend

This is one mother-of-all XML editors that will certainly provide a competitive edge to those documentation departments that produce volumes of deliverables from modular and reusable components. No question about that.

As a professional technical writer I really like Author-it’s sophisticated features and I wish I could afford a permanent license to use it for my daily documentation work.

Reprinted by permission

© Ugur Akinci

I’m not a regular Author-it user but, having sat through a webinar presented by the company Founder and CEO Paul Trotter, I have to say that I’m impressed by Author-it’s new SaaS (Software As A Service) cloud platform.

Author-it is an integrated single-sourcing and structured-authoring editor. It’s integrated in the sense that you do not need to buy additional software to, for example, generate a help file from your source files, or create a PDF document or post your content to a web site. With FrameMaker or MS Word, for example, you need another application like WebWorks or RoboHelp to generate help files from your FM source files. In that sense, neither is as integrated as Author-it.

Author-it Cloud is an online service you subscribe to and pay a license subscription fee per person per month. There is nothing to buy and install.

According to a majority of the webinar participants (64%), the one outstanding benefit of the cloud platform is its anytime-anywhere availability. I totally concur with that. No more the rush back to the office to finish that critical assignment just before a deadline. You can hookup to the Author-it Cloud from anywhere you like and finish your work from wherever you may be. Author-it guarantees 99.9% up-time availability but “externalities” and “environmental factors” like a slow Internet connection etc. are not included in that guarantee.

Trotter’s presentation was pretty fast. The screens flew by at every click without any hang time. If that’s an indication of an average user’s experience, the cloud will rule — if, that is, you can afford it. At this writing the “professional” category of subscription costs $200 a month per user (starting January 9, 2012) and the “enterprise” level subscription costs $300 per user per month (Spring 2012).

The main AI portal presents a switchboard of available modules

On the left navigation bar, there are links to configuration options like Users, User Groups, etc.

Basically, you need to have a User Name and a Password to enter the portal through an Internet connection. In addition, as a user you need to be on the list of ACTIVE USERS. If you are labeled as an INACTIVE user by the admin, you cannot access the system.

There are two main types of Author-it subscribers: 1) Users (Writers), and 2) Reviewers. A reviewer becomes activated automatically by taking part in a review and again becomes inactive automatically by completing the review.

BENEFITS

Before going any further, let’s mention the BENEFITS of a SaaS Cloud platform:

• Lower upfront setup and hardware costs and lower TOC (Total Ownership Cost) in the long-run.
• Faster ramp-up time and implementation.
• Anytime-anywhere access. If you’ve got an Internet connection, you’ve got Author-it.
• Strong disaster recovery. If everything crashes in the middle of writing that million-dollar document set, you can use regular onsite (daily) and offsite (weekly) backups.
• Greater vendor accountability. When things go wrong, you know whom to call and blame. “You’ve got one throat to choke,” as Trotter put it succinctly.
• Easier hardware and software update and support since all updates are made automatically by Author-it. Nothing to download, or buy and install.

FEATURES

Paul Trotter listed the main FEATURES of the Author-it SaaS Cloud platform as follows:

• Performance is the main concern over the Internet. SaaS performance is said to be even better than the performance of onsite-maintained platforms due to superior system architecture, dynamic load sharing, HW optimization, etc. which are all taken care of behind scenes by Author-it. A well-maintained back-end assures a high front-end performance.
• Monitoring. Author-it says their systems are monitored 24-7 and alarms issued promptly at any mishap. The clients can monitor the status of their systems 24-7 through their portal.
• Scalability. You can start small and expand as you go along. Scalability is assured as a matter of fact.
• Disaster Recovery. As we mentioned earlier, all files are backed up both onsite (daily) and offsite (weekly).
• Availability. Author-it guarantees 99.9% availability in writing, by contract. “Or else, we pay you,” is how Trotter put it. External factors beyond Author-it’s control like the unavailability of Internet etc. are of course not included in that guarantee. Enough redundancy is built into the network through multiple network connections to prevent downtime. The “hot swap” feature provides real-time swapping from one server to another to assure project continuity without any interruptions.
• Data Security is provided by third-party vendors through a SAS 70 Data Center. Both the network access and backups are all encrypted. Author-it does not use “shared databases.” All clients have their own databases thus no one has any access to any other DBs.

The Million Dollar Question

Of course, the “burning question” when it comes to ANY cloud application is this:

“How secure is the cloud compared to its on-site equivalent?”

The question is a real one since in a cloud situation you are turning over all your database to the vendor. Your database, with all its proprietary and confidential content, will be sitting on the vendor’s servers. So you have every right to be concerned about the level of security that the vendor provides.

48% of the webinar participants said they thought the security risks between the two alternatives was just about the same. Only 29% thought cloud was less secure. So apparently this is not as big an issue as some observers think it is.

I personally cannot say that my questions about cloud security have been answered yet to my satisfaction. But I recognize this: just because something is on-site and sitting on a server next room does NOT mean that it’s secure. You can lose your data even if you keep it on a machine right next to you.

And secondly: this is exactly like how most of us probably felt when the microwave ovens were first introduced. Any new technology brings with itself an initial resistance, a sense of uncertainty which is usually expressed as a “security question.” But I guess with every passing day, as we get used to the pros and cons of the cloud and as more companies prove their worth with the way they conduct their business, we’ll warm up better to the idea, especially when we start reaping its benefits.

So at this point I’m looking at the “security question” as something that will become moot in the long run.

To view a recording of the webinar discussed in this Blog, click here.

Reprinted by permission

If you are interested in a great conference, I strongly recommend the India STC conference in December. I’ve not been (yet), but hope to at some point. Apparently, the energy of the conference is amazing.

From their email

The 13th Annual Conference of the STC India Chapter will be held in Chennai on December 1, 2, and 3, 2011. Please send us a proposal with an abstract of about 250 words. Request you to include information about your profile in the proposal. If you have experience presenting at conferences, including STC, mention that in the profile. The best of the paper proposals stands a chance of winning a prize!

For information about paper proposal categories, visit: http://www.stc-india.org/conferences/2011/?page_id=18

Mail your proposal in .DOC, .TXT, or .PDF format to conferences@stc-india.org on or before August 5, 2011.

For more information regarding sponsorships and conference, drop a line to Saravanan Manoharan: treasurer@stc-india.org.

We look forward to meeting you at the Chennai conference.

One of the things I love about being in the high tech industry is the learning never stops. I’ve always thought having a job where you do the exact same thing every day sounds terrifically boring. And in the high tech industry, that really doesn’t happen – every day brings something new.

Training

We’ve added training to my list of things I’m doing and I couldn’t be happier. I love teaching people. I’m so passionate about this industry and what we do. I get to now also help people by providing them the tools to learn Author-it. Then, after the training, they are going to do wonderful things with that knowledge and change the world.

And I get to be a small part of that. Wonderful.

Towards that end, we’re doing several things at Author-it, short term and longer term.

Online training is free

In case you’ve not heard, we’ve made all the materials for our Core training available in small nuggets and it’s all free. If you have 10 or so minutes, you can watch a video specifically about what you want to review and then get on with your day.

This is a Big Deal.

If you want to add to your skillset and learn Author-it, you can do that with the Learning Center and an evaluation copy of Author-it. If you want to brush up on something – perhaps your company has finally decided to do online help – you can refresh your knowledge in the Learning Center.

Did I mention it’s free?

Already popular

Based on the stats, this resource is incredibly popular already. If you’ve not been to the Learning Center, I strongly recommend you get over there and check things out.

This has been a very busy week for the technical content world.

Author-it 5.5 is released

As you know by now, we released the latest version of Author-it 5.5 to great excitement in the industry. Once again, we’ve redefined the possible in the content authoring and managing world. For more details about what this release includes, click here and then sign up for the free webinar that shows you how the Author-it Reviewer works.

June 1st at 2pm Pacific. As always, if the time or date don’t work for you, sign up anyway to get a link to the recording the next day.

This hour long webinar is a don’t-miss event. We strongly recommend inviting your boss as well. S/he’s going to want to see this. Author-it Reviewer is changing collaborative work forever.

Author-it Learning Center

If you’ve been interested in learning Author-it, we have an option you’re going to love: free, on-demand training.

The Author-it Learning Center includes videos to help you understand the basics of Author-it. You learn what objects are, how to import and author content, and how to customize your outputs.

It’s all online, ready for you to view when you’re ready to learn. Each session is under 15 minutes, making is easy to find the time to learn something new.

Even if you know Author-it, it’s a great way to refresh your skills or review something you may have forgotten. What a great way to get the information you need and move on with your day.

The STC Summit Conference

And finally, this week was the STC Summit Conference. We want to thank the many many people who came by the Author-it booth to find out how our products can make life easier.

150 people wore Author-it tee shirts for the special Apple iPad give away. We talked until we had no voice, gave out chocolate Kiwi Fish, and awarded the iPad to Andrea Wenger.

A great time was had by all, as you can see in the picture below.

We’re really excited to announce the release of Author-it 5.5! Our guys (gender-neutral term here) have put in a lot of work to make Author-it even better for you and your content development workflow.

The top 2 things I’m excited about: Author-it Reviewer, and variants with a definable “fall back” path.

In this release we tackled and solved two of the most challenging problems in technical communication – conducting content reviews, and managing versioning and branching.

Author-it Reviewer

Author-it Reviewer is an exciting new web-based product that revolutionizes your content review and approval processes. Author-it Reviewer reduces the time for a traditional review process by up to 70% and transform it into a live, collaborative and interactive environment.

Using the latest web and social media technology, multiple editors and reviewers can work simultaneously in real-time, significantly improving productivity, accuracy, and auditing.

Additionally, graphs help you see at-a-glance the state of the reviews in your projects and what needs to be followed up with.

Other new features include

• Web Help enhancements for mid-topic jumps
• Support for publishing to Microsoft Help Viewer 1.0
• Multi-select importing of translation jobs in Author-it Localization Manager
• History improvements in Author-it and Author-it Live, including adding save point comments
• Acrolinx IQ 2.0+ support
• Author-it plug-in architecture extended to support event-based plug-ins
• Author-it Live user interface available in Japanese, German, and French

To see the new improvements

You can see some of the new features if you’re at the STC conference this week.Sstop by the booth and see what’s happening.

Fast update before I get ready for the conference today.

Opening night

Last night, the STC Summit officially opened. The show floor was crazy busy and I think I met nearly everyone who is at the conference. Our booth was flooded with people!

We explained the iPad give away and handed out flyers. Today, I expect we’ll be flooded again. I can’t wait.

The iPad give away

While STC is giving away an iPad, so are we. Here’s how you get in the drawing:

1. About 11am today, come to our booth and watch the demo of the new Reviewer.
2. Get a limited edition t-shirt. We only have 150 of them – far fewer than the conference attendees.
3. Wear your shirt during the conference.
4. At some point, we’ll grab someone wearing the shirt and they win the iPad on the spot.

That’s it! That’s all you have to do.

So, we’ll see you all in the booth!

It’s that magical time of the year, when STC holds its international conference. This year the conference is in Sacramento, California, a short drive from the lovely city of San Francisco. A slightly longer drive from Southern California, where I live, but I’m driving up, nonetheless. I have family there and I’m spending a little time with them before I come home.

If you are at the STC conference and want to talk, stop by the booth. We will be doing in-booth demonstrations during the breaks, so if you want to see some new stuff, this is your chance. If you want to talk about what Author-it can do for you, several of us will be there to do just that. Paul Trotter and Steve Davis will also be there to talk about what we’re doing and what’s coming.

Do you want to win an iPad?

This year, we’re giving away an iPad. You know you want one – I certainly do. To get in the drawing for the iPad, we’re doing something special. Late morning Monday, we’re giving out special, limited edition, Author-it shirts in the Author-it booth. You want one of these.

We only have 150 of these shirts, many fewer than conference attendees. To be eligible for the iPad, you need the special shirt. Then you wear the shirt during the conference. At some point, we’ll select a person wearing the shirt and give them the iPad. You don’t know when we’ll do that, so it’s important to always have your shirt on.

Other prizes

If you miss the shirt, we have other prizes we’re giving away, including a free copy of each of the new Author-it books. You could win Author-it Success in 12 Easy steps by John Hedtke, or Learning Author-it by Char James-Tanny. We’re very excited about these books and think you will be too.

Blogging from the conference

I’m hoping – internet connection willing – to be blogging from the conference. We’re certainly tweeting and posting to FaceBook and Tumblr. Watch our social media for what’s happening at the booth, who is winning prizes, and more.

Good luck on the iPad!

Are you driven to see your clients succeed?

We are seeking a smart, hardworking, talented and passionate project implementation professionals to join our Global Services team.

You are experienced in implementing and configuring content management systems (CMS).You remain focused during implementation projects and handle client requests with professionalism. You are confident when delivering product training to technical communication professionals. You are comfortable when advising clients in knowledge transfer workshops about Best Practices.

You are success-driven and work efficiently with others including Project Managers, Business Analysts, Developers and Support Analysts. You maintain confidence when approaching deadlines, including times when problems have been identified.

You have a history of gathering and understanding your client’s requirements and then using this information to deliver successful implementation/training projects. You’re not afraid of challenges, you are self-motivated and you go the extra mile for your clients. You gain satisfaction from pulling together a demanding project and seeing it through to a successful conclusion.

If this sounds like you, contact us now!

We need people ready to make a difference, so start today by sending us your CV along with a covering brief telling us how you can contribute to our team.

We offer

Author-it Software Corporation is on a mission and you can be a part of this by helping our clients succeed in implementing and using Author-it.

If successful, you will become an integral team member of the world leader in software for authoring, content management, multi-output publishing, and localization. Our client list reads like a who’s who of the global market and includes companies such as Microsoft, Philips, XEROX, Oracle, and HP.

We offer outstanding working conditions, a competitive salary and flexible working hours. This role will involve domestic and international travel.

We will train you on Author-it plus our implementation and project management methodologies. Most of the training will be on-the-job, directly working on “real” projects for our clients. A mentor will guide and support you over the first few months while you come up to speed.

Consultant Global services – Head Office, Albany, Auckland, NZ

Role Requirements

A full position description is available on request.

Soft Skills

• Comfortable in a fast-paced work and cross-functional team environment.
• Work smart attitude.
• Follow directions and established project methodologies as well as display talent for new ideas and continuous improvement.
• Multi-task and prioritise, organized, accurate and detail orientated.
• Dedicated to making a difference.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Self driven with exceptional time and task management ability.
• Dedicated to making a difference.

Experience and Knowledge

• A qualification in a technical field.
• 3+ years practical experience in providing professional services.
• 1+ years practical experience in using Author-it products preferred.
• Knowledge of the content management industry is preferred including familiarity with documentation processes from authoring to managing and publishing content.
• Proven record of delivering client service meeting or exceeding expectations.
• Ability to understand and communicate using “technical” language.
• Competence in delivery of training (remote via web-meeting and onsite).
• Competence in writing technical publications preferred, e.g. user manuals, help systems, or knowledgebases.
• Competence in Microsoft Word (2007, 2010 including word macros), web technologies (e.g. HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML).
• Competence in windows environment (e.g. AD groups, server environments, VM).
• Prior stable work experience.
• Authorization to work in New Zealand.

Preferable

• 1+ years’ experience using Author-it.
• Knowledge of the content management or technical publications industry.
• Familiarity with the documentation processes from authoring to managing and publishing.
• Authoring background with other technical communication products.
• Competence in Help systems (e.g., HLP, CHM, Web Help, Java Help).
• Knowledge about industry standards (e.g. SCORM, DITA, S1000D).

Client Care Consultant (US-based)

Role Requirements

A full Position Description is available on request.

Soft Skills

• Comfortable in a fast-paced work and cross-functional team environment.
• Work smart attitude.
• Follow directions and established process guidelines as well as display talent for new ideas and continuous improvement.
• Able to multi-task and prioritise, you are organized, accurate and detail orientated.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Self driven with exceptional time and task management ability.
• Must have the attitude of “How can I make things better” and “EXTREMELY satisfying Client service”.
• Ability to build and maintain good relationships with clients.
• Dedicated to making a difference.

Experience and Knowledge

• A tertiary qualification preferably in a technical field.
• 3+ years practical experience in delivering professional services and/or client support in the software industry.
• Proven record of delivering client service meeting or exceeding client expectations.
• Ability to understand and communicate using “technical” language.
• Expert in assisting clients on the phone.
• Ability to analyze requirements and find client focused solutions.
• Professional in complaint management, effective escalation management.
• Competence in all Microsoft products (Word, Office, Power Point), web technologies (e.g. HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML).
• Competence in windows environment (e.g. AD groups, server environments).
• Prior stable work experience.
• Available to work 40 hours per week and work a shift arrangement to accommodate all US time zones.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Preferable

• 1+ years’ experience using Author-it.
• Knowledge of the content management or technical publications industry.
• Familiarity with the documentation processes from authoring to managing and publishing.
• Authoring background with other technical communication products.
• Competence in Help systems (e.g., HLP, CHM, Web Help, Java Help).
• Knowledge about industry standards (e.g. SCORM, DITA, S1000D).

To apply

We work hard, but enjoy our work and there are some great perks to being part of the Author-it team! Join our global team with members in Europe, Middle East, Asia, Australasia and the US – take your first step today!

To apply, email: ralf.wittgen@author-it.com.

No 9-5vers please; we need consultants who are fully committed and want to make a difference!

No recruiters please!

This is a short post, as I’m getting ready to visit with a client next week and need to wrap up projects before I do that. It’s been a rather frantic week.

But if you’re in Spokane, Washington and want to have evening drinks, send contact me and we’ll make a date.

Good news 1

Two new books are coming out about Author-it! I have specific information about the first book now and will share more about the second book in a week or two.

Learning Author-it by Char James-Tanny from XML Press is available this month. Char is a long time user of Author-it, Author-it consultant, and an all around smart person so this book should be very helpful as a reference to learning and using Author-it. I’ve not seen a copy yet, but we’re all very excited about this book.

Good news 2

This week, Paul Trotter gave a free webinar about his vision of the future of content development. We had nearly 300 people sign up, despite the day being Easter Monday holiday for much of the world. We knew the day might not be the best, but with Paul’s travel schedule, it was the only day we could get his attention for an hour.

If you missed this interesting webinar, click here to view the recording.

Lastly

I really hope to see you at the STC Summit in 2 weeks or so. We’ll have New Zealand chocolate fish to give out Monday and Tuesday, as well as interesting and informative activities in the booth.

Don’t forget the special Facebook giveaway – go to our Facebook page (Author-it) and “Like” the page to be entered into a special drawing. We have something very Kiwi to give away to the winner. You don’t have to be at the STC Summit to win.