News
12th August 2008 - Richard Pineger achieved Author-it Certified Consultant status. Richard is a keen exponent of component content management using technologies such as DITA XML and Author-it. Since discovering Author-it he was determined to become more involved and, following implementation experience and assessment, he is proud to announce that he has been accepted as a Certified Author-it Consultant and provides implementation experience and down-to-earth guidance for authoring teams converting to Author-it.
6th April 2008 - Writing Discount Available for Manchester Chamber of Commerce. We are members and supporters of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. To show our commitment to this great organisation, we are offering discounts to other members who need help with their business writing. We are also in talks with their IT consultancy helping them offer knowledge and information business-analysis as part of their broad range of services.
24th April 2008 - Red Gate Software 'Author-it driven' Support Center goes live. Following intensive development around the new publishing profiles in Author-it V5, the all-new Red Gate Software Limited, Support Centre is now displaying tables of contents and learning content that has been published directly from Author-it. In order to provide this content directly into an ASP.net driven website it was necessary to pick-apart the Author-it web output and reassemble it in a compatible format. We did this using XSLT technology. Red Gate SQL Compare (see Learning SQL Compare).
1st March 2008 - Provided 'Content Management for Technical Documentation' for the STC-UK. We were proud to present a comparative workshop-style presentation that compared SiberSafe XML Content Management System working with DITA XML and Author-it 5 at the London South Bank University, Keyworth building this Saturday. The two hour presentation was a success in that it demonstrated to members of the technical communications society a 'ground-level' and honest introduction to the two tools. For a copy of the slideset, click here (1MB PDF).
7th January 2008 - A further Author-it implementation is well underway. This time we're looking at fewer pages (400 as opposed to 20,000) but more interesting publishing requirements. We believe that a few authors writing content and keeping individual products up to date is one thing but, to be truly effective and efficient, organisations need to manage their content better. Author-it provides that capability virtually out of the box (as compared with corporate XML implementations).
20th December 2007 - Author-it implementation support complete. If you think it's been quiet on our website that is because we've been working closely and intensely on a large-scale Author-it implementation. The implementation is now production ready and we have left our client with an information map and mechanisms for maintaining it so that they can really grasp and manage their content going forward.
5th September 2007 - Single-sourcing for Marketing Departments. We have the knowledge and the inclination to bring single-sourcing out of the Tech Doc back room and put it up there where it belongs in Marketing. In a joint venture with Claritude.co.uk, we are providing a service that will take all your marketing materials and put them in a database where key information is stored only once and used throughout your complete range of literature. And that means CONSISTENCY. Imagine always being on-message with the drag of a mouse. Dispense with humdrum checking and rechecking and be right first-time all the time. Visit Claritude.co.uk today or give Mike a call.
8th August 2007 - The move to Chorlton-cum-Hardy is complete. We're in and we're really happy with the move. Our partners and customers are now just minutes away allowing us to provide a personal service and to expand our offering through associates in marketing materials, web development and even technical writing recruitment.
8th June 2007 - Focus on the Electronics Industry. We have been on the road visiting UK electronics design and manufacturing companies to help improve their product documentation. This sector in particular is prone to allowing their in-house engineers document their own designs. They need our help and we are experts in this sector.
1st June 2007 - Contracts have been signed for the repurposing into AuthorIT of the entire documentation set for a UK based Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE). Among the first steps in revamping all their product literature has been the generation of Audience Definitions and a mapping of their complete existing information set around tasks.
16th May 2007 - We are ready To provide our first ever KnowledgeTree DMS with vFiler intelligent capture software demo next week. Contact us for details if you too are thinking of putting your records on-line.
15th May 2007 - Fifth SiberSafe DITA XML training completed successfully The fifth in our series of SiberSafe training sessions is now complete bringing the total number of people trained in this advanced technology to around 40. It could be you next. Do you know what it is? Give us a call to discuss.
27th April 2007 - Records management NOW with the popular KnowledgeTree document management system. The full release is imminent for this complete Document and Records management system. Vircosoft vFiler capture software is now fully integrated and stress tested. Click the Records management link (right) to find out more.
26th April 2007 - It's official: We are moving back to Manchester. The sale is agreed and the money is in place for our move to Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
25th April 2007 - Richard made the round trip to London and spent a very creative and fruitful meeting at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London. If you are thinking of joining the IOD then give us a call!
25th April 2007 - We have received the integration software that adds capture capabilites to KnowledgeTree Document Management System. The combination of VircoSoft vFiler capture software and KnowledgeTree now creates a system that would suit 90% of businesses in the UK.
5th April 2007 - Community support: Our principle consultant and writer, Richard Pineger, is actively adding information to the http://sibersafe.wikispaces.com wiki to help the SiberSafe community in configuring and using their XML CMS for Workflow management.
21st March 2007 - We are still planning the big move back to Manchester. Negotiations are underway for a property in Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Many of our clients will be pleased with the move meaning greater access to our authors and shorter response times for site visits. This is also within a couple of miles of MediaCity:UK at Salford Quays.
19th March 2007 - We attended an Institute of Director's event concerning MediaCity:UK in Salford, Manchester. The date is set for 2011 but businesses and properties are already starting to gear up for the BBC's big move.