Introduction
Business-critical and/or time-sensitive
information must flow between a company, its business partners and
its customers in a timely and reliable manner. As the business world
continues its technological evolution, the management of information
delivery is becoming more and more challenging. InterComms is
designed to help companies easily manage business-critical
information. It effectively links manual or application-generated
information with the users of the information across the enterprise.
Recipients receive the information they need, on time, at the
correct location and in the preferred format.
InterComms is a flexible information delivery
solution, designed to reduce costs and ensure reliability in
critical business processes. Information flows seamlessly between
the producers and consumers of information, thereby reducing the
risk of costly information breakdowns. With InterComms, desktop
users can employ a single interface to access all
InterComms-controlled output destinations. Not only can end users
send documents, spreadsheets and many other forms of output, they
can track job progress, control deliveries to multiple destinations
and monitor job-related events. InterComms allows users to collect,
process, route, store, distribute, control, publish and view the
output generated by business applications.
InterComms is focused on supporting the
organization?s mission critical information systems. As such its
main features are flexibility, maximum thru put, and reliability.
InterComms simplifies enterprise output management
(application-generated reports, documents, manual or
application-generated messages, signals and triggers, manual or
automated file transfer) through easy-to-use applications that
provide centralized control of the enterprise, reducing the
administrative learning curve and the risk of interrupted
operations. By unifying administration, operation and support of the
information delivery environment, InterComms allows companies to
manage and track output job deliveries and output resources more
easily ? without installing a different product for every output
function. You can now incorporate output management as a component
of your systems management strategy.
Using InterComms in conjunction with Vertebrae?s Data Exchange Manager, an
application may access and update data stored in remote legacy or
relational databases.
InterComms adds value in terms of business
benefits, measurable cost reductions, and offers a competitive
advantage:
 Business Benefits
More timely distribution of and faster access to
information, customizing of information to individual needs, better
customer service, improved internal service levels, and assured
delivery of business-critical information;
Cost Reductions
Device sharing, reduced paper and forms costs,
reduced cost of maintenance, reduced shipping costs, reduced
telephone and mailing costs, reduced training costs, reduced help
desk cost, reduced cost of making changes to output requirements;
Competitive Advantages
All the benefits listed above plus IT/IS
operational excellence, consistency of application of policies, less
repetition of work, automation of otherwise manual processes,
improved reliability of business-critical information delivery
processes, lower error rates, non-disruptive business supply
chain.
Highlights
Send-and-Forget Messages
Distributing automated mail-shots, staff notices,
client messages and promotions is a breeze using Send and Forget
Messages (SFMs). It is the preferred method of sending messages when
no response is required. SFMs can be sent to any number of
recipients via email or SMS. You can even use it to implement an
alarms system by having your system send you an SFM via SMS when
things go wrong.
InterComms even allows you to take action by
issuing commands back to your system by sending SMS messages from
your cellular phone. SFMs are ideal for integration into your
existing system. Distribute end-of-day results or sales figures
generated by your system automatically as soon as they are
generated.
No more excuses for delays in getting the
management information you need when you need it!
Data Transfer with a Difference
InterComms takes care of all your controlled data
and file transfer requirements. It introduces a new level of
flexibility in data distribution management by providing a
comprehensive set of tools allowing you to integrate InterComms with
your existing systems and infrastructure.
Let InterComms solve the management headaches
associated with time critical transfer tasks, such as software or
stock price updates.
Transfers can be scheduled to make optimum use of
bandwidth to alleviate carrier congestion or to make use of off peak
communication rates. InterComms ensures total control over your data
from point of origin to point of application with delivery and
application status reports and complete audit trails. Transferred
data can be scheduled to be applied at a future date, with a
confirmation message sent to the originator after every step in the
transfer and application process.
In a nutshell:
InterComms provides convenient data transfer
scheduling with just-in-time application capabilities.
Integration and Destination Control Made
Easy!
Define any folder on your local machine as a
Monitored Folder, set up recipients and destination folders and
you?re ready to go. Any file dropped in a Monitored Folder is now
automatically distributed by InterComms and processed by the
recipient. Each recipient can receive the files in a different
destination folder and use a different transfer protocol.
Folder Monitors provide a simple solution to your
complex enterprise wide data distribution requirements without the
need to modify your existing systems.
In fact, it is so simple and efficient to use,
you?ll wonder why you ever considered alternative data distribution
methods.
Using folder monitors you can configure unlimited
hopping between your various machines, using different protocols for
each hop.
When used in conjunction with the Vertebrae Data Exchange Manager,
integration into your existing application is straightforward and
easy!
Have Your Protocol and Eat it Too!
Choose between direct transfer or scheduled
transfer, or a combination of these.
Direct transfers cater for environments where a
permanent TCP/IP connection exists between sender and recipient.
Timed transfers can, in addition to permanent connections, use
Internet dial-up connections to any existing ISP for transfers.
The SMTP and POP3 protocols are used to send data
as packaged messages using your existing email infrastructure. This
transfer method makes full use of the advantages of email
queuing.
By using your existing email infrastructure, your
communications system need not break the bank due to extra costs
incurred.
Growing with your Enterprise
InterComms is the last electronic communication
and distribution system you will ever need. Unlimited scalability
means that InterComms can grow with your business.
Whether you?re running the next Fortune 1000
company (but for ?technical reasons? your current IT Department
consists of a single machine) or you?re already contemplating your
own country, use InterComms to keep you on top of your business
wherever you are.
Select your Audience
Any message can be sent to recipient groups
within groups, within groups, within? Create recipient group
profiles and send messages to a selected group (with its sub groups)
using each group member?s default profile settings or to a specific
recipient in the shared InterComms Address book.
Big Brother Watching
InterComms provides a full audit trail of all
communication events. It also provides detailed message status
information. A manager or supervisor can retrieve this information
irrespective of location by issuing remote commands or requests.
Now, if they say they?ve sent it, they better
have?
Application Examples
File and Data Transfer
- Consolidate branch day-end results to Head Office
- Post Head Office data (Stock & Debtors) to Branches
- Inter-Branch Stock Transfers
- Branch Purchase Orders and Requests
- Software Upgrades
- New Pricing Structures (send now, apply later)
- Inter-Company Data Transfer (orders, prospects, etc.)
- Web-Server Database Updates
Promotions, Notices & Reminders
- Automatic birthday wishes to Clients
- Welcome notices (SMS/email)
- Special offers and promotions
- Reminders of payments due, appointments
- Notification of new jobs, deliveries, pickups, etc.
- Automatic notification of failed payments to clients
- Product launch announcements
- Booking confirmations
Alerts & Alarms
- Credit limit exceeded
- Cash on-hand exceeds safety limit
- Low stock levels
- Operator errors
- Application exceptions
- Arrival of VIP at monitored facility
- Reminders of payments/reports/returns/events/etc. due
SMS Commands
- Shut down a process or program
- Start a process or program
- Respond to an alert or an alarm
- Request stock levels and prices
- Retrieve account information
- Request exchange rates, stock prices, etc.
- Request day-end results, sales figures and more
System Requirements
200 MHz Pentium (or better)
64 MB RAM
50 MB
free hard disk space (10 MB required for run image)
Windows
versions:
95 / 98 / NT 4.0 (SP5+) / 2000 / ME / XP
Connected
to any of the following:
? Internet (Dial-up or Direct)
?
LAN
? WAN
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