Xerox unveils new products in knowledge-sharing line

Xerox has unveiled DocuShare 2.1 and the new AskOnce search tool as its latest in knowledge-sharing technology. Both products are expected to ship by end of year.

DocuShare 2.1 features three new stand-out features: saved queries, notification and summarization.

Saved queries or “query collections” can be saved so frequently used queries are available for future use. The new notification feature sends subscribers to a group a notification e-mail when new changes have been made to the group. The summarization feature creates document summaries on the fly, meaning users do not have to actually open the file.

AskOnce, a new product labeled as meta-search software (targeting metadata), is designed to provide access to internal and external knowledge sources including DocuShare, databases and websites. AskOnce passes queries to multiple search engines, directories and database and summarizes the results.

Xerox points to productivity gains from not having to form multiple queries as well as the real-time results the software delivers as advantages to the product.

“AskOnce demonstrates Xerox’s commitment to allow our customers to share knowledge regardless of where or how it is stored,” said Ranjit Singh, general manager of Xerox Internet and Software Solutions. “It is a prime example of how Xerox empowers knowledge workers to make better decisions that lead to competitive advantage.