| Infoprint® Server for System i is an integrated program product that extends core IBM System i output capabilities to address the information communication demands of
e-business.
|
|
|
InfoPrint Server provides the facilities for electronic distribution and presentation of business information, enabling critical business processes to be re-engineered to drive increased service levels, decreased transaction costs and competitive advantage.
When printing is reduced, then costs related to printer hardware, maintenance and operations can be reduced. You may also see savings related to distribution costs such as labor and mailing. InfoPrint Print Server also addresses the network flow of documents and reports. It enables you to apply System i printing management and System i-attached printers to the task of managing application output generated within your extended computing network. The result is improved reliability and increased throughput, and potentially lower overall printing costs.
Electronic Output
Integral to e-business success is the re-engineering of business processes, particularly the flow of information. This often means moving from a traditional "print and distribute" model to an electronic distribution model. In this new "electronic output" model, information should flow to the desired destination in the appropriate format. For example, an e-business re-engineering project might require that shipping or order confirmation documents, formerly printed and mailed, must now be produced and distributed electronically. InfoPrint Server provides the tools to make this transition.
PDF for System i
InfoPrint Server for System i integrates PDF support into the i5/OS output architecture. The PDF subsystem enables the production of PDF from any standard System i output format — SCS, AFP™, Intelligent Printer Data Stream™ (IPDS™), even OfficeVision/400™. PDF transformation creates text-based, non-image ASCII PDF. This ability to create full text PDF files delivers document fidelity while preserving the ability to navigate through the document or report. Text-based PDF is far smaller than PDF created as a full-page image, improving network performance as users access and download these files. PDF files can be written to the Integrated File System (IFS), System i output queues, or passed to the automatic e-mail function.
Integrated e-mail of System i output
Automatic electronic distribution via e-mail, a core function in the implementation of e-business applications, is integrated into the PDF subsystem. This means that a newly created PDF file can be attached to an e-mail and sent. For example, sales reports that have previously been printed and distributed can now be distributed in electronic format via e-mail. The receiver can then view, print, or even forward the report as required. This kind of re-engineered business process can reduce costs, decrease cycle time, and make it easier for customers and vendors to do business with you.
Document segmentation
It can be advantageous to segment reports and documents, dividing a larger output file into several logical sub-documents or sub-reports. For example, a sales report print file may actually contain sub-reports for each region and it would be desirable to create separate electronic distributions for each region. Both i5/OS and InfoPrint Server have added new functions to place segmentation "triggers" within the output data. InfoPrint Print Server can act on those triggers and create separate PDF files for each logical segment. These multiple PDF files can then be written to the System i file system or automatically sent via e-mail. Customization exits give you additional control over the electronic distribution process.
Intelligent Routing
The Intelligent Routing subsystem of InfoPrint Server puts all of these key elements together. Intelligent Routing provides for fully customized output management. It enables you to define target documents and reports, or sections of those output files, and then provide precise instructions on how that data is to be delivered. For example, a section of a sales report can be identified, target recipients defined, and a set of delivery functions encoded for each recipient. Delivery functions can include any combination of Web, e-mail, PDF, and print as well as integration with additional "downstream" options such as fax and archive.
Web-ready AFP output
A key strength of the System i AFP architecture is the structuring of documents into logical components, facilitating efficiency, control, security, and performance. An electronic AFP invoice, for example, may physically only contain application data while its overlay, image, and font resources are stored externally. This works well for printing when the System i is in control but limits the ability to distribute this data electronically.
InfoPrint Server resolves this problem by enabling the creation of portable, or Web-ready, AFP data. This is accomplished by embedding the external resources within the distribution file. InfoPrint Server also adds the ability to index the AFP data, enabling easy navigation through the document or report. At the receiving end, there is a downloadable AFP plug-in for Web browsers for fully resolved viewing.
Networked printing
Networked printing InfoPrint Print Server provides the ability to apply the substantial print management capabilities of System i servers to non-System i documents and reports. In today's typical System i enterprises, there are client, network, and even some ERP applications that generate ASCII datastreams — PostScript, PDF, and PCL — print datastreams that were designed for personal printing.
InfoPrint Server provides a set of integrated transforms to convert these print formats into AFP. This enables the system management, page-level error recovery, printer scalability, and control that comes with IPDS to be applied to these additional types of documents and reports.
Web-based images made System i-compatible
Web and client applications typically use GIF, TIFF and JPEG image file formats where the System i uses AFP image file format. In many applications, there is a need to bridge these format differences and enable use of Web and client image in System i output applications. InfoPrint Server addresses this need in two ways: it supports the new System i capability of embedding Web image formats directly into System i documents, and it provides batch transforms to convert GIF, TIFF and JPEG to System i format.
|
