ON Technology Announces Instant Update for the Apple Macintosh Computer
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 6, 1991-- ON Technology, Inc. today introduced Instant Update, a breakthrough collaborative application for Macintosh networks that helps people communicate with unprecedented ease and effectiveness through live documents.
"Instant Update automates the process of collecting feedback from everyone in your workgroup," said Conall Ryan, ON Technology's president. "It's the easiest way to get the right information from the right people at any time."
Instant Update fills the communications gap between word processing and electronic mail. The gap exists because static word processing files can't keep up with evolving information, and electronic mail isn't built to consolidate replies. A live document solves both of these problems at once.
Instant Update eliminates many of the time-consuming steps that plague your life as you struggle to turn fast-changing information into group decisions and actions. With a live document, you know you've got the latest version, whether you open it at nine in the morning or five in the afternoon.
You may already own other time-shifting devices, like an answering machine to take phone messages for you when you're not in the office, or a VCR to tape the shows you don't want to miss. The main benefit of these devices is that they give you maximum control over the way you budget your time. Live documents make collecting written information simple and efficient.
Creating and distributing an Instant Update document is simple. Just write the document using Instant Update's word processing and table features, or import an existing document from your favorite word processor. Then click the Update button to select recipients. Instant Update stores a master copy of the document on the server, and distributes local copies to your co-workers. The document is now "live." Anyone in your workgroup can make changes to their local copies. Instant Update notifies you about the changes automatically, and incorporates them directly into your copy when you press the Update button.
The product, which will ship in June, provides an excellent way to manage group task lists, proposals, design specifications, ad copy, or any activity where you need to exchange ongoing information with the other members of your team. It can make meetings more productive by pre-processing the topics for discussion, and resolving the issues that everyone agrees on already. After the meeting, Instant Update helps you follow up on everyone's commitments. With Instant Update, several people can be focused on the same topic, but at the time that's best for each of them individually.
Instant Update stores text, pictures, and tables in an object-oriented database. You can click on any line to find out who wrote it. Instant Update displays the time and date for each entry. It also keeps track of any conflicts.
The Update button is the control center of a live document. An "incoming" arrow lights up inside the button if someone has added new information. Click the button, and Instant Update gets the changes and highlights them. If you make changes, an "outgoing" arrow appears, reminding you to update the group with the new information you've added.
The Document Manager keeps all of your live documents organized in one place, and provides an up-to-the-minute status on each file. You can sort files by name, incoming/outgoing changes, or date, tag files to play a sound when someone modifies them, add new readers, and check to see who's read or updated a specific document.
Instant Update is fully compatible with System 7.0. It supports basic Apple events, TrueType fonts, and System 7.0's fast find capability. The product also includes Balloon Help.
"Instant Update helps you stay on top of what's going on at all levels of your organization," said Ryan. "It's the best way to communicate when you can't meet face-to-face."
Instant Update's suggested retail price is $495 per two-user pack and $995 per five-user pack. The product supports server-to-server configurations, and does not require a dedicated server. Volume discounts are available.
Please call (617) 876-0900 or post e-mail on America Online to On Tech for further information.
Apple, Apple Events and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. TrueType and Balloon Help are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
