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IBM Adds Intelligent Routing, Ease-of-Use Features to Infoprint Server by Alex Woodie It's been two years since IBM introduced Infoprint Server for iSeries, and last week the company issued a new release of the product that shows it's serious about the document management game. Infoprint Server for iSeries V5R2 has many new features, including intelligent document routing, which adds flexibility for distributing documents the way the recipient prefers, and new capabilities to set up that intelligent routing without programming.  Infoprint Server for iSeries and its companion, Infoprint Designer for iSeries, were introduced back in 2001 with the landmark release of OS/400 V5R1, which included so much new functionality that IBM's foray into the document management business was lost on many. The software's role is two-fold. First, it provides a way to transform much of a company's OS/400 output to Adobe PDF files, then to distribute those documents electronically, by e-mail, the Web, and fax, as well as by traditional printing. Secondly, IBM offers a number of plug-ins for Infoprint Server that let companies transform their ASCI document files, such as PDF, PCL, and PostScript documents, to IBM's Advanced Function Printing (AFP) document format, which yields certain advantages in high-quality, high-output print environments. What's New with Infoprint Server One of the limitations in previous instances of Infoprint Server for iSeries had to do with distribution of documents. All print files in a specific processing were required to have the same action associated with them, which meant that users could either e-mail or fax a document, but they couldn't do both without respooling that document. IBM addressed this limitation with the new Intelligent Routing functionality delivered last week. With Intelligent Routing, IBM allows each file to be segmented in a number of ways, which lets the user distribute the same document via e-mail, fax, the Web (as a stream file in the IFS), or by printing that document, without having to resubmit a new job for each form of delivery. IBM also added a "re-spool" feature that formats the document in AFP for printing, faxing, or other "downstream" operations. These Intelligent Routing functions can be set up by using the existing user exit interface or with a new set of "PDF mapping" commands that IBM will deliver. IBM says that the new PDF mapping commands will let users set up profiles that govern how documents are to be distributed, without resorting to application programming. PDF mapping won't be available until September 26. IBM has delivered a number of other significant enhancements to Infoprint Server for iSeries, including encryption of PDF documents, full support for color PDFs, enhanced support for 2D and Planet barcodes, reductions in PDF size, improvements in PDF file naming and routing, and a new auto-orientation feature for PDFs, "so that you no longer have to turn your head 90 degrees to read them," IBM says. What's New with Infoprint Designer Infoprint Designer for iSeries V1R1, the Windows-based program used to design and maintain the documents that Infoprint Server distributes, also saw a refresh with last week's announcement. Like Infoprint Server, Infoprint Designer has been enhanced to support full-color PDFs, barcodes, and multiple copies. The biggest enhancement, however, is the introduction of a new wizard. The new designer wizard was introduced to help users cope with complex documents for which a number of requirements exist, such as a need for duplex or landscape printing, a need for multiple types of copies with different formatting, where different pages must be pulled from different printer input drawers or routed to different output bins, or where data on each page is tested and the specific overlay is chosen based on the results of the test. The new wizard walks users through setting up these types of documents. In addition to the new design wizard, Infoprint Designer for iSeries V1R1 received numerous other enhancements, including national language support for French, German, Italian, and Spanish; support for finishing operations, including stapling, punching, z-fold, and edge and saddle stitch; an enhanced document preview that provides a "full fidelity" view of complex documents; new support for SNA character stream output; support for magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) fonts (but only on the IBM 4028 printer); and a more consistent Windows look and feel. IBM delivered these enhancements last week via a program temporary fix (PTF). The Intelligent Routing, encryption, and PDF enhancements for Infoprint Server for iSeries are available in the PTFs numbered SI09449 and SI09445. IBM says the new PDF mapping feature, which eliminates the programming requirement for Intelligent Routing, will be contained in the PTFs for Informational APAR II13623, which will be available September 26. Enhancements for Infoprint Designer were delivered via PTF number SF67733. IBM's product-naming conventions appear to be unconventional in the Infoprint family. Instead of calling this release Infoprint Server for iSeries V5R3, as the new functionality would seem to warrant, IBM labeled this release an "enhancement" to Infoprint Server for iSeries V5R2, which was released last year. This keeps it in line with the current version of the operating system--V5R2, for whatever that is worth. Infoprint Server was introduced two years ago at the V1.01 level. The Infoprint Designer designation follows well behind, numerically speaking, at V1R1. IBM has a deal going with Infoprint Designer whereby companies buying an Infoprint Designer license before December 31 can get free Web-based-implementation educational products, about a $1,000 value. Infoprint Server for iSeries ranges in price from $595 at the P05 tier to $7,995 at the P50 tier. A license for Infoprint Designer for iSeries costs $6,000.
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