Eloquent adds pull to push
With the advent of its Enterprise Communications Portal, Eloquent is bringing what could be categorized as pull technology into a knowledge transfer package that was already quite rich in pushing information to users.
The newest version of Eloquent's Portal Server "is not the corporate information portal that so many vendors are developing," said Eloquent president Abe Kleinfeld. It's designed for delivering learning content -- providing services and applications around capturing and delivering the presentations of experts to the masses.
Eloquent 4.0 encompasses both production and delivery of rich media applications, including RealAudio, RealVideo, simultaneously-updating PowerPoint slides and other displays. It also provides the foundation for the Eloquent Enterprise Communications Portal, which delivers information in a format appropriate to each individual user. ECP presents five key benefits towards knowledge transfer: aggregation, personalization, flexible delivery, reporting and E-commerce.
"By aggregating corporate information in a central location and personalizing it to meet each individual's needs, the Eloquent Enterprise Communications Portal is a practical and scalable solution for business communication in today's fast-paced, multimedia world," said Guy Creese, a senior analyst at the Aberdeen Group.
Content accessible through the Eloquent Portal Server comes in three forms: Eloquent presentations, proprietary content transferred into Eloquent presentations, and other formats such as computer-based training. Pricing for the software begins at $125,000.
One application of Eloquent's portal: instead of being sent on the road to conduct live briefings where capture and reuse is limited, a company's best product manager (i.e., an expert) can be made "scalable to the organization," according to Kleinfeld.
Another example of the technology in action comes from The National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, a nationwide community-based not-for-profit organization offering treatment programs and public awareness and public awareness to troubled kids.
Rather than putting at the forefront knowledge about its programs, the group can offer in-depth information in Eloquent format via CD-ROM or the Web, dramatically reducing the time and cost required to fulfill the hundreds of information requests received each day, according to Bernie O'Connor, director of creative services