Re: Electronic Libraries

[Chet Ensign <Chet_Ensign%LDS -at- NOTES -dot- WORLDCOM -dot- COM>]

Deborah Wood writes

>>     Our technical publications department wants to provide a client with an
>>     on-site graphical user interface application through which they may
access,
>>     view, and print documents from a library of our documentation (manuals,
>>     tech. bulletins, etc.).

This is a classic Web application. We are working on one now that will also tie
into the client's fax back system, giving the clients yet another avenue to
access the information. The advantages of using the Internet/Web architecture
as a solution is:

a) Open architecture and standards-based information delivery. You won't be
blindsided by changes down the road to a vendor's product.

b) Platform-independent client/server solution. Let's face it; if you want to
provide it to one client and all goes well, you'll shortly want to offer it to
others. But the classic e-publishing problem is handling your Windows
customers, your OS/2 customer, your Macintoshers and maybe UNIX as well. The
Web architecture splits the storage (Web server, HTML, HTTP) from the reader
(browsers on any and all platforms).

c) Ability to track access and usage. Where else can you actually keep track of
what your readers read??? It's like the writer's holy grail.

If it doesn't show, I think the Web is very cool and, for an application like
you describe, perfect.

Best regards,

/chet

Chet Ensign
Director of Electronic Documentation
Logical Design Solutions
571 Central Avenue                      http://www.lds.com
Murray Hill, NJ  07974                  censign -at- lds -dot- com [email]
908-771-9221 [Phone]                  908-771-0430 [FAX]