blog.wohlrapp.com

Optaros has written a streamlined web client for Alfresco based entirely on REST (web scripts) and ExtJS. It is called DoCASU, which stands for Document Access for Casual Users, and we’re making it freely-available as an open source project on code.optaros.com.

DoCASU 1.0 leverages the understanding gained from corporate user requirements and utilizes Rich Internet Application technologies such as the ExtJS AJAX framework. DoCASU is not intended to replace the already existing Alfresco web user interface, but rather offer an alternative for users who require a limited set of features for them to profit from simplicity and ease of use. Already today thousands of users at NXP, a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips, are enjoying the user friendly front end solution.

DoCASU is a showcase of what can be done on top of Alfresco’s Web Script approach with state of the art RIA technologies. Developers can take DoCASU as a start for even more comprehensive (or simplistic) user interfaces, purpose built front ends or just as the base for learning on how to build Alfresco user interfaces and applications leveraging Web Scripts.

It requires Alfresco 2.1.1 or later. The future DoCASU releases will include a drop zone for dragging and dropping files also for desktop interaction, tabbed navigation, configurable skins, usability improvements and more.

Read about the project and download the AMP from code.optaros.com. If you see things that need fixing, create a bug report or fix it yourself and let us know.

Forrester Research’s Stephen Powers just released their report “Web Content Management And Open Source“.

As organizations embark on next-generation Web content management (WCM) initiatives, they want to avoid the mistakes made in earlier, more costly WCM projects. As a result, information and knowledge management professionals increasingly show an interest in open source WCM as a way of controlling software costs and increasing their access to product-specific expertise in the marketplace.

Later on Powers concludes that only Alfresco and Drupal have a satisfactory product offering, proven enterprise-level implementations, and a large — and passionate — community of developers and service providers.

When: April 10 2008 - 11am EDT / 5pm CET

The collection of techniques and technologies known as Web 2.0 is only just beginning to have an affect on the enterprise. Join Dr. Ian Howells, Alfresco Chief Marketing Officer, and Jeff Potts, ECM Practice Lead for Optaros, as they explain the significance of these trends to the enterprise, what Web 2.0 really is and how to best leverage it to support content management strategies.

This web seminar will cover:

• The importance of Web 2.0 in the context of content management strategies and the competitive landscape.
• How to get beyond the hype and leverage Web 2.0 techniques and technologies to deliver dynamic and interactive content.
• How to tap into the fast-growing value of the Web 2.0 ecosystem to drive organizational productivity and competitive advantage, while still meeting the compliance and security needs of business.
• How these ideas have been put into practice by Optaros for companies like Endeca and Swisscom using Alfresco Enterprise as the technology platform for a Web 2.0 solution

Register now: http://www.alfresco.com/about/events/2008/04/optaros10apr08/register/

Alfresco today announced the completion of a $9 million Series C round of financing led by SAP Ventures, bringing total funding to $19 million. Existing investors Accel Partners and Mayfield Fund also joined the round.

Alfresco will use the proceeds to fund continued growth into the enterprise content management market, including product development and acceleration of global expansion plans, particularly in the German, US and Asian markets.

Read the full press release here.

Jeff Potts, our ECM Practice lead was chosen Community contributor of the month.

Jeff has been a valuable contributor to the forums and the developer site wiki, and has also reported product issues in the Alfresco JIRA. However, what sets Jeff apart is the educational and insightful material he posts on his personal web site, ecmarchitect.com.

Go check out Jeff’s website. It will allow you to jump-start the learning process of Alfresco. He has lot’s of tutorials on advanced work flows, web scripts, implementing custom behaviors, working with custom content types and developing custom actions. All typical customizations with lots of links to code and supporting resources, all based on real-world examples and leveraging Jeff’s consulting experience.

Are you next to be contributor of the month (or to join Optaros to get the opportunity to)? ;)

Based on opt-in data provided during Q2 by 10,000 of Alfresco community members, the Optaros partner says that Windows is increasingly popular as an evaluation platform for open source software but that most enterprises use Linux when they deploy it.

Windows, they concludes, is increasingly important in testing and evaluation because it’s on most laptops and desktops. The data also suggests an increasing trend toward using a mixed “best of breed” stack of open source and proprietary software components.

The survey shows there is a clear leader at each level of the open source stack but also indicates an increasing trend for organizations to adopt a mixed stack, combining both open source and proprietary software, to enable use of best of breed components. The survey also illustrated that organizations require the flexibility to make component changes within the stack between evaluation and deployment phases.

Read about it here.
Download the complete report here.

Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 are hot on everyone’s lips at the moment. In this Podcast Ian Howells from Alfresco interviews Jeff Potts, of Optaros, about an Alfresco application we have delivered that brings together:

• Alfresco outside the firewall
• Alfresco inside the firewall
• Alfresco for document management
• Alfresco for Web Content Management

In this Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 project, Alfresco is integrated with:

• Portal – Liferay
• Blog – JRoller
• Tagging – Alfresco

Specifically they discuss:

• The goals of the project
• Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 and characteristics of these types of projects
• The components used in the solution
• The consumerization of IT – Web 2.0 Components within the Enterprise
• How to find out more

Listen now.
Download MP3.

Find more Alfresco podcasts here.
Read Jeff’s blog at http://ecmarchitect.com/.

Alfresco, the first and leading provider of an open source enterprise content management solution, and Optaros Inc., the assembler of Next Generation Internet (NGI) solutions, today announced a Platinum-level partnership, highlighting the joint success already achieved with enterprise-wide deployments such as the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. Optaros is one of only two Platinum-level partners for Alfresco, which is a designation reserved for partners with the highest number of deployments, largest scale deployments and greatest Alfresco expertise.

“Optaros developed a proof of concept in Alfresco in only three weeks and is now providing support for our Alfresco implementation which is very important to us,” said Daniel Brunner, Head of IT Development, Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. “We are very satisfied with the results Optaros has been able to deliver with Alfresco.”

“Optaros has the largest group of certified consultants fully trained on Alfresco’s latest releases with real-world expertise at some of the world’s leading organizations,” said John Powell, CEO of Alfresco. “Optaros worked closely with us to develop a high-availability clustering solution for the hundreds of millions of documents deployed at the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. This level of partnership with Optaros ensures client success through consultants with deep Alfresco expertise, high-availability clustering and proven support services.”

Optaros solutions powered by Alfresco include the following:

• Enterprise-scale, Open Source Content Management – Numerous companies across multiple industries have successfully deployed Alfresco enterprise-wide, requiring high-availability clustering, LDAP integration and proven support which Optaros implements.
• Web 2.0 – A dramatic shift is moving from traditional media to new online experiences, and advertising revenue is following. Optaros assembles agile Web 2.0 solutions quickly with a flexible architecture for a “perpetual beta” approach.
• Direct Customer Engagement – Leading companies use the Internet to bring customers and partners directly into the new product development process to speed products to market and increase success. Optaros deploys Direct Customer Engagement solutions powered by Alfresco in telecom, high-tech and other verticals.
• iGovernment – A major trend in government is to put the citizen at the center and build Web-based solutions around them to improve service levels and satisfaction. Optaros engages with numerous government bodies to deliver the Optaros iGovernment solution powered by Alfresco.
• Enterprise 2.0 – Companies are looking to harness the power of Web 2.0 for improved collaboration and knowledge management. Optaros develops and uses an Enterprise 2.0 assembly of 100 percent open source software, including Alfresco, for collaboration with employees, customers and partners.

Bob Gett, CEO of Optaros, said, “Alfresco has proven itself in our deployments to provide highly scalable, next-generation open source content management systems. Optaros is committed to assembling the best open source software and Web services to create dynamic applications that provide companies with speed, flexibility and differentiation.”

See our Alfresco partnership page here, the full Optaros press release here.