The Internet and intranets are revolutionizing the way we communicate and do business. Businesses are turning brochures into electronic billboards on the Information Highway. Corporate documents (such as policy manuals or technical documentation) are becoming part of searchable electronic library on corporate networks (intranets).

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the language of the World Wide Web. Until now to publish documents on intranets, you were forced to convert them to HTML. Converting documents was time-consuming and complex. For a handful of pages it was bearable, but converting hundreds or thousands of pages was often too expensive and time-consuming to consider.

"Within an hour we were able to import a 400 page policy manual, create a table of contents with hypertext links to each chapter, and publish it with full-text searching capabilities. The askSam Web Publisher is a fantastic product that could save state agencies or companies thousands of dollars by allowing any user to control and develop content for the Internet."

Dennis Cook, Florida Department of Management Services

Most Web publishing tools assist either in converting files to HTML, or in creating HTML files. The askSam Web Publisher takes a different approach. askSam lets you import existing files or enter information using our WYSIWYG word processor. Your information is stored in an askSam database. It is not converted to HTML. You place the "live" askSam database on your Web server. The askSam Web Publisher automatically converts necessary documents to HTML as users access them. Because documents are stored in an askSam database, you can easily add to and update them. This dramatically reduces the cost of maintaining your Web site.

"With the Web publisher we were able to complete projects in a fraction of the time we expected. Publishing large documents on the Web became quick and affordable. Just as important, it was easy for us to update the information. I've yet to find any other tool that is as simple and powerful as askSam."

Anyone can create documents for an intranet using askSam's WYSIWYG word processor.

This is how the same document looks when viewed using a browser.

Whether you publish a technical manual, helpdesk queries, or a corporate directory - the ability to search your information is vital. The askSam Web Publisher gives you access to the powerful askSam search engine. Users can access a wide variety of searches including full-text searches, Boolean searches, proximity searches, date searches, numeric searches, wildcard searches, and fuzzy searches. The Web Publisher lets you define custom search forms for a specific database, or you can define a form to search your entire Web site.

Take information entered on your Web site and save it directly into an askSam database... it's easy. The askSam Web Publisher can automatically save the contents of an HTML form into a searchable askSam database. You can use askSam to query, edit, evaluate, and create reports from this data. This is a great way to collect user registrations, job applications, suggestions, customer feedback and other kinds of information.

Make the information you collect even more valuable by saving it into an askSam database.

Everyone wants to have complete, up-to-date information on their Web site. But maintaining a Web site is expensive. askSam lets any user create and edit content for your intranet site. Your Webmaster will no longer have to edit and reformat documents before they are placed on the server. This saves time and reduces the costs associated with maintaining a Web site.

Rather than creating our own Web server, we designed the Web Publisher to run with popular Windows Web servers. This allows you to choose the Web server software that best meets your needs and still enjoy the advantages of the askSam Web Publisher. The Web Publisher is a CGI (Common Gateway Interface) application that runs on Intel-based Windows NT and Windows 95 Web servers.

"askSam has consistently performed with their database products winning 'Product of the Year' from us for 3 years running. Their move to the Web will in my opinion, produce many more awards..."

Getting information onto the Internet has been a time-consuming and complex task. To place a document on the Internet you were forced to convert it to HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). With even single page documents requiring considerable time, converting a 300 page manual was often too expensive and time-consuming to consider.

The askSam Web Publisher was designed to change this. The Web Publisher lets you create full-text searchable documents for the Internet without knowing a single HTML code. You simply type or import the information into askSam. Set formats like you would in a word processor, and you're ready to go. With askSam even novice computer users will be able to create documents and databases for the Internet.

Publishing tools for the Internet either assist you in converting your files to HTML, or they assist you in creating HTML files. Our approach with askSam is different. We let you import or create content in askSam. The file you place on your server is a "live" askSam database (not converted to HTML). You can add to and update the askSam data file that resides on your server.

1 ) A Browser sends a request for information in an askSam data file.

2) The askSam Web Publisher translates the URL to an askSam request and passes the request to the askSam engine (which is included with the Web Publisher).

3) The Document or Search Results are converted to HTML by the askSam engine are sent back to the Web Publisher.

1. Rather than a conversion tool to help a Webmaster create HTML files, askSam is a system that lets any user create content for the Internet. Without knowledge of HTML a user can compose documents which can be placed directly on the Internet. It is no longer necessary to for Webmaster reformat documents before they are placed on the server. This saves time and reduces the cost of maintaining and a site.

2. askSam lets you rapidly develop content for your Web Site. Anyone can easily import, format, and set hypertext links. Many of the current tools are designed to convert and format one page at a time. askSam is designed to create a database - this database may contain a single HTML page or it may contain thousands of pages. You do not need to edit each page separately.

3. Since the information on your web site is in a "live" askSam database (not in separate HTML files), the information can be easily edited and updated. This cuts the costs associated with maintaining a web site. askSam is an idea solution for corporate intranets.

4. Rather than creating hundreds of HTML files from imported documents, askSam holds your documents in a full-text searchable database. Users can search and page through your information without forcing you to create hypertext links between all the documents and without forcing you to index the information.

5. The askSam Web Publisher offers powerful searches: full-text searches, Boolean searches, proximity searches, date searches, numeric searches, wildcard searches, and fuzzy searches.

6. The Web Publisher also lets you take information from HTML forms and save it in an askSam database. For example, you could have job applicants apply over the Internet. Their applications could be automatically saved in an askSam database.