CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
21 May 2007
Product News
Astoria Software Leads On-Demand Revolution in Dynamic Product Documentation
Driving the next generation in dynamic product documentation, Astoria Software launched Astoria On-Demand , a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution for structured content management. Astoria On-Demand gives Forbes Global 2000 manufacturers a scalable solution for the rapid, low-cost creation and delivery of complex product documentation by leveraging the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) technical information standard established by OASIS .
Astoria releases Astoria On-Demand into a competitive global marketplace that is pushing manufacturers to release more products more quickly in more variations than ever before. To reconcile the inherent conflict between increasing product complexity and customer expectations for simplicity, manufacturers are revamping old-school product documentation processes. Delivering easy-to-use, relevant product documentation consistently across all customer touch points - from user manuals to on-line help and customer support information - is a critical requirement for enterprises seeking market-leading positions.
Astoria On-Demand has been under rigorous evaluation by several Forbes 2000 companies for the last several months and is now gaining rapid adoption across a number of global manufacturing companies that are being driven to respond to increases in volume, velocity, and variability of product documentation.
"From day one, Astoria has recognized the unique challenges global manufacturers face in documenting information for products sold in varied configurations and in different geographic regions," said Eric Kuhnen, director of product management for Astoria Software. "With Astoria On-Demand, we're managing mission critical content as discrete components and marrying that with the powerful benefits of DITA and a SaaS model. This will allow our customers to create a satisfying and compelling end-user experience driven by supporting documentation that is significantly more accurate and delivered far more quickly and much more cost-effectively than ever before."
Astoria On-Demand Feature Highlights
With Astoria On-Demand, Astoria transitions its structured content management application to a SaaS delivery model. As a comprehensive, enterprise-class solution, Astoria On-Demand leverages technology and information industry standards - including XML and DITA - to ensure an adaptable solution that meets the fast-changing and complex product documentation publishing requirements of manufacturers. Key advantages for Astoria On-Demand include:
Rapid Deployment - Astoria On-Demand lets manufacturers rapidly deploy a complete, fully-hosted solution that manages the entire author-to-publish dynamic product documentation lifecycle in a matter of weeks rather than months.
Zero-dollar Capital Outlay - No start-up costs, nothing to buy or depreciate. Astoria On-Demand is offered on a subscription basis, allowing customers to add users as needed.
Flexibility - A full-featured, "out-of-the-box" solution, Astoria On-Demand features content conversion, training, and professional services to drive rapid adoption that can scale seamlessly to thousands of users.
Hassle-Free Maintenance - Astoria handles the maintenance, testing, staging, and activation of upgrades and patches for Astoria On-Demand.
Single-Vendor Solution - Astoria On-Demand provides a "one-hand-to-shake" relationship for the entire dynamic product documentation solution - complete content management, Web-based collaboration and workflow, document assembly, and multi-format publishing.
Risk Mitigation -The Astoria On-Demand hosted infrastructure and services are SAS 70 Type II certified and audited regularly, addressing concerns with regulatory compliance and integrity of customer data.
Pricing and Availability
Astoria On-Demand is available today and is custom-priced based on customer needs. For more information on Astoria On-Demand, please visit http://www.astoriasoftware.com/
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