The phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" doesn't apply in exploding markets, and the Intranet software industry is a case in point. With web technology advancing so rapidly that product lifecycles are measured in months rather then years, even the best software must be constantly improved upon -- or cede mind- and market-share to its competition.

I found much to like in Net-It Software Corporation's Java-based document sharing solution, Net-It Central 1.0, which I reviewed for IDM last summer. Version 1.0 of the innovative server-side software introduced the company's patented jDoc technology. Now, less than six months later, I'm pleased to report that version 2.0 of jDoc and Net-It Central introduce a number of enhancements that promise to give the competition a run for its money.

Meeting a Growing Need

As Intranets continue to grow, so does the need for centralized document management and sharing capabilities. Net-It Central 2.0 addresses these concerns by providing a scalable, platform-independent solution based on jDoc. jDoc is Net-It Software's Java-based portable document technology, similar to Adobe's PDF in that it allows documents to be viewed from any platform using a standard client. But where PDF requires Adobe's proprietary Acrobat plug-in, jDoc can be read by any Java-capable Web browser.

jDoc works by taking a document and wrapping it in a Java-based "document delivery container." This method bypasses HTML's markup limitations, accurately -- though not perfectly -- preserving the source document's original look and feel. Imperfections arise when the original contains fonts other than Times Roman, Helvetica or Courier, the only ones supported by current versions of Java. In fact, most of jDoc's limitations are those of Java itself; fidelity will improve as the JDK improves.

A major enhancement in Net-It Central 2.0 is version 2.0 of jDoc. The upgrade improves on the original in several ways. For starters, the driving force behind the viewing jDoc 2.0 documents is a small Java applet -- only 37K -- that is sent automatically with the first document that a user views. The applet gets cached by the browser, so it only needs to be downloaded once per session. This makes the overall viewing experience of jDoc content surprisingly fast.

Another jDoc 2.0 enhancement is the addition of a new document toolbar, shown below. Similar to those in popular word processors (and in Adobe's Acrobat Reader), the toolbar gives the user control over the display and navigation of jDoc content. For instance, users can zoom, copy, and print directly from the toolbar.

The jDoc 2.0 Toolbar.

Printing from Java continues to be a problem. Net-It Central addresses this brick-wall limitation with a client-side Java extension that enables printing of jDoc documents. The extension, which unlike the rest of Net-It Central is platform specific, need only be downloaded once and installed on the client machine. Java font limitations are handled by converting non-standard fonts to their closest Java font. For special characters and fonts that must be represented as they appear in the source document, Net-It Central offers the option of converting these to bitmaps.

Pushing the envelope

Version 2.0 of Net-It Central offers valuable enhancements beyond improvements to its core jDoc technology. Push fans will welcome the addition, through Net-It Software's new Docucast technology, of support for Netscape Netcaster and Microsoft CDF push formats. This enables users of the new 4.x versions of Navigator and Internet Explorer to subscribe to push channels for automatic notification of document changes and additions. Moreover, Net-It Central 2.0 automatically detects the client browser and offers the appropriate subscription information on the fly.

I found Docucast to be an eye-opening example of how push, which as a rule has not lived up to its promise, can actually add value on an intranet.

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• Delivery channels are useful for mobile users, or users who dial into the corporate Intranet from home. Users who have signed up for Delivery Channels have entire documents or collections of documents pushed to them at scheduled intervals. Delivery channels provide local versions of the documents contained in a Net-It Central document site. Whenever changes such as additions or updates are made to the document site, they are pushed to the user.
• Notification Channels can be used to notify a user when documents have been added or updated on the site. Instead of entire documents being pushed to the user, a list of documents having been added or updated is presented through the channel. This list is linked to the actual documents residing on the Intranet server as opposed to local versions residing on the user's machine.

Docucast is a valuable addition to Net-It Central. One of the biggest complaints from Intranet users is that they have trouble knowing when documents have been added or updated on the Intranet. Net-It Central has solved that problem in an elegant yet simple way. Kudos.

Basic operation

Net-It Central 2.0 works by being installed on a centrally located server such as a corporate file server or dedicated application server. This server must be running Windows 95 or NT. Once Central is installed, folders are setup mimicking the structure of folders on the Web server(s) to which information will ultimately be posted.

Collections are then defined via an administration console (see figure), where characteristics such as source/destination directories, file transfer method (i.e., file copy vs. FTP), and HTML display customization are defined. File types can also be configured so that they are either converted to jDoc or simply uploaded in their native format.

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Once a collection has been defined, all that is left is to convert it. This is a simple task that can be done manually or automatically via the schedule feature.

For Net-It Central 2.0 to convert your files to jDoc versions, it is necessary for the applications that were used to create the source documents to be present on the server running Central. Not realistic or convenient, you say? Actually, it's not a problem. Net-It Central can use the third-party view & print utilities Quick View Plus by Inso Corp. and KeyView by Verity, Inc. These applications enable Net-It Central to cost-effectively convert over 200 file formats.

Those responsible for maintaining Intranet content need only drag and drop files into folders on the Net-It Central server. Net-It Central automatically converts the documents and posts them to the Web server, automatically generating and linking them to a table of contents. Files added or updated within a predefined time period are automatically marked as 'new' or 'updated' by Central. Users subscribing to Netcaster or CDF push channels are also notified automatically of additions or updates to selected areas of the Intranet. It all makes for a nearly zero administration solution.

Client-side gains

Net-It Central also offers a unique approach to searching for Intranet documents, both jDoc and other formats. Instead of building their own search engine, Net-It software Corp has opted to provide an interface for integrating third party search engines. I found this to be a key feature, as I believe most others would. For companies that have already invested heavily in their searching solutions, this flexibility to leverage existing investments is extremely important. The beauty of their design is that jDoc collections are treated as HTML files by most search engines.

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Another key feature of the version 2.0 redesign of Net-It Central is Central Tools. Central Tools is a module based component architecture that allows third party developers, VARs, etc., to integrate their products with the Net-It Central architecture. These components will be in the form of "snap-in" modules that can be added as needed to the overall Central architecture. This is an extremely powerful feature as it allows the functionality of other applications such as groupware or document management systems to integrate with Net-It Central. The possible uses are virtually unlimited. Central could conceivably be integrated with products like Domino.Doc (document control), Cold Fusion (Web application development), or NetObjects Fusion (Web site creation), to name a few. Net-It Software Corp. intends to announce its first collection of Central Tools in January.

Vulnerabilities

As for competition, Net-It Software Corp. is positioning jDoc as a Java-based medium complimentary to such portable document formats as HTML and Adobe PDF. Central's main competition comes from another Java-based tool, Common Ground Web Publisher 4.0 by Hummingbird Communications Ltd. Hummingbird owns a Java-based document transport called Digital Paper, similar to jDoc in certain ways, but far less mature. For now, Net-It Central clearly owns the market in terms of functionality, speed, printing, searching, and versatility.

In addition, Net-It Central has a more attractive pricing model in that they license per server while Common Ground is licensed per user. Net-It's product wins in the area of administration, too. While both products claim "zero" administration, drag-and-drop publishing, and automatic document conversion, only Net-It Central presently delivers 100%.

In fact, I found few drawbacks to Net-It Central 2.0. The biggest problem for now seems to be lack of customization for the new document tool bar. It would be nice to be able to configure this option, or at least customize the look. Especially for designers intent on maintaining a consistent look and feel across their Intranets, this is a sticking point.

Another area for improvement is document security. While this is hopefully in the works as a Central Tool, its absence in the current package is worth mentioning. The ability to selectively turn off printing, text copying, and downloading for jDoc documents is convenient, but real document security comes from access control: the ability to limit who sees particular documents. The addition of user- and group-based security features, for example, would help boost Net-It Central into the space of scalable document management solutions. I believe this functionality, which is needed by many Intranet managers and Webmasters (including myself), is well within the product's scope.

Summing up

Overall, Net-It Central 2.0 is a significant leap forward in the document-sharing universe, a great product with continued upside potential. I'm keenly interested to see who Net-It Software Corp. partners with for their Central Tools, which will add critical functionality for the product's growth into the document management space.

Net-It Central is a server-side solution that runs on Windows 95 or NT. Source documents can be published to any platform including Windows 95/NT, UNIX, Novell, and Macintosh. Net-It Central is priced on a per-server model and is available at three price tiers. The Starter Edition ($1995) allows for the management of up to 100 documents. The Standard Edition ($4995) can manage an unlimited number of documents. Net-It Central Pro Edition comes with all of the features included in the Standard Edition and adds a custom API. All versions can be purchased by calling 1-888-NetItNow ext. 646, or directly from company's Web site at www.net-it.com.

The Author

>Rob Bilson is a freelance writer and the Senior Webmaster at Amkor Electronics, the global leader in semiconductor IC packaging, assembly and test. In addition, he can often be found doing consulting work for the Hard Drive Cafe, a Delaware based Internet/Intranet consulting firm.