Re: Database Publishing Suggestions

[David Evans <devans@xxxxxxxx>]

For anyone interested in seeing PatternStream output we have compiled a
.zip that I will email to you per your request. It is 1 meg in size with
multiple examples. I have attached the .zip to a direct response to Mr.
Garriott's inquiry for his review and comments.  The body of that is
contained here:


Mr. Garriott, 
 
You wrote:

> But the issue isn't really what the products DO
> (your speculations about UniMerge's capabilities were unfair and
> inaccurate), but HOW they do it, and THAT is what you need to sell. 

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	FML's experience has been that business's are only interested in ROI, not
the methodology of accomplishing the task. How PatternStream accomplishes
its tasks are part of our patent application (PatternStream is Patent
Pending technology) submitted early last year.  None of our current
customers have inquired about the how -- just about "can it do" this (what
they need to get done). 

	After a bit of research, FML found a document in which Dan outlined the
Unimerge capabilities.  In this document, Dan suggested that Unimerge uses
a MIF format.  Now correct me if I am wrong, MIF is a tagged information
file format -- isn't it?  My assessment of what Unimerge does was NOT
incorrect -- at least by Dan's own admission with in this document.  But I
will hold out that Dan's document could be incorrect -- he was about
PatternStream.

	Please understand that I admit that both products have a value in the
market place and that I was not the one offering a product review or
comparison (and still don't). I just needed to stop the proliferation of
unwarranted information about PatternStream. I admit, I have no experience
with UniMerge and have no reason to believe that it is anything other than
a respectable product. That is why my comments came in the form of
questions and not statements.  The point I was trying to make is that Dan
has never evaluated or used PatternStream. I believe that he put forth an
erroneous view of PatternStream.

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Dan wrote:

> The answer is UniMerge, by Refined Reports. I've been using it for about 4
> years to produce all sorts of ready-to-print FrameMaker documents from
> database extracts. At $695 for Windows Platforms ($995 for Unix), it does
> everything PatternStream does faster and better, at a fraction of the
> PatternStream license cost. If anyone is interested, I'll send you a
> 6-page PDF file describing database publishing with FrameMaker and UniMerge.

######	I'm sure you understand that the words "it does everything
PatternStream does faster
and better" may be a point of contention. I was responding to this, which I
think you must admit is fair. You must also understand that your
understanding of PatternStream may be in error too. You wrote:

> I am running on a Pentium 133 MHz with 64 MB of RAM, so I'm not even in
> the ballpark for running your product. The amount of data we condition and
> format with the solution we have seems to easily beat the the figures you
> have given. I guess that makes sense, as UM runs without the Windows NT
> overhead your product requires. In fairness this may not matter for many
> of  your users who are going to set up a "run" and take a break.

######	PatternStream does not require Windows NT. It can be run on Windows
95 and 98. The overhead is not due to the operating system, it is due to the
FrameMaker engine. PatternStream drives the FrameMaker engine using the
Frame Developers Kit (FDK).

######	Have I stated how much data we condition and format? We typically
access databases containing Gigabits of data and format it into 1000+ page
books (e.g., Baseball Encyclopedia [3,026], CBI CPA and NTPA directories
[1200+], catalogs [1200+], etc.).  

	But what's a few speculations amongst friends?

######	I guess I equate the product of your choice to MS Word -- not a bad
product, many novice users find it quite acceptable -- but if you want
high-end publishing features -- get FrameMaker.  They both have value in
the market place, and they both serve different masters.
 
######	For the publishing of forms, like the sample Dan sent me, I believe
products like UniMerge will serve certain customers well. PatternStream was
NOT developed to do that. Though it has the capability to easily publish
things like Dan's example, its cost will not provide the appropriate ROI
for customers -- and we admit that!

###### Lets be clear, Dan's sample, nicely laid out as it is, doesn't
dispute my point.  As I see it, most the content in Dan's example is
published using insitu information -- very little data is placed.
PatternStream publish's into FrameMaker templates that may or may not
contain information (headers and footer etc. only) -- it can be 100%
variable, 100% data driven.  This permits the use of many different master
page calls if desired.  It also provides 100% dynamic table generation.
This means the number of columns needed are
created on-the-fly, the number of header rows needed are created
on-the-fly, the number of rows needed are created on-the-fly based on the
data coming from the database!  This is important to major publishing
entities like corporations because they only want to enter new data -- not
determine a complex set of values like: 
 *	how many columns and rows are needed
 *	do I need to create a special table
 *	do I have to included all of this information in my database etc. (very
time consuming)
 
######	For example, our directory questionnaire forms have database
information published into multiple FrameMaker page flows that are
dynamically established. (please see the sample included in the .zip file)

PatternStream's philosophy applies the KISS principle.
 
######	I am still looking to review a major product that has been developed
using your application of choice. I am gaining permission from my customers
to show their products.  I have attached a PDF for your review of those
that have granted permission.  One that I will draw your attention to is (a
subset of a 1250 page book) book that just came of press.  These are "real"
database publishing projects and the type of products that PatternStream
was designed to resolve.  I too am hoping that I may share one catalog that
was
just published using PatternStream -- it alone should end the conversation!

######	Additionally these were run internally -- by their personnel. Their
information didn't have to be sent out-of-house, it was run in-house
against their database engine -- not a dump. Dan  has reason to be
concerned, that is why he should be an adopter.  

> You wrote:
> On your product's web site I think you need to show a lot more screen
> captures with details on how the product works, as you will want to
> capitalize on the marketability of someone using a GUI. I think you would
> want to download Dan Emory's excellent PDF as an example to follow in
> showing exactly how the product works step by step from data to finished
> product, and create a PDF of your own. Maybe one's there on your site, but
> I didn't see it.  

###### Thanks, I will take that under advisement -- I believe it to be a
good suggestion. We are not trying to capitalize on someone who wants a
GUI, we use PatternStream to satisfy needs and complex requirements. We are
in the process of developing a new PatternStream Web site which will
highlight some of this information.

> One other thing which was missing at your site was the cost of the
> product. I have to live within a world of budget constraints for both
equipment and
> software, and would have to weigh the convenience of PatternStream against
> cost for the software and new equipment (assuming I even have a prayer of
> getting them)-- vesus learning the 15 commands to set up a report template
> for UniMerge. 

######	Yes, PatternStream's cost is not advertised on the site, just like
other software products at other sites (i.e., Oracle). This is a business
decision we've made. We take great pride in being customer focused -- we
want to make sure that our product brings them value for what they need to
accomplish. Additionally, this also allows us to explain what they can do
using PatternStream within their database publishing environment - like new
and derivative product creation.

######	Though this could be a "box" sale, we prefer to sell solutions of
which PatternStream is part.  Most projects that we are involved with are
major in scope, PatternStream helps them/us build more applications faster
and less costly.  Again, look at the projects in the PDF that we go after
-- they are not forms, they are not things that Word of PDF Forms can
accomplish -- we are talking big projects, complex formats.

###### When looking at the enclosed CPA directory pages, I would suggest
that ALL applications would be challenged to do this -- PatternStream, one
person, under 10 days to set up the ENTIRE book. The database is MS SQL
Server, is over 1 GB in size, and contains 26 tables and multiple
relationships.
 
###### Please give me an honest opinion!  How long would it take you to
set-up the entire directory that I have enclosed - body, indexes and
cross-references etc. -- all 100% database published.

###### Are the applications you use this powerful?
 
###### I appreciate your position within in your environment.  But many
large corporations want to publish their database information directly.
Please hold your review of PatternStream until you see it.  Yes, it might
not satisfy your ROI requirements -- but that doesn't mean that it is not a
capable product. (Please review all the PDF's in the PSSample.zip file)  

> Of COURSE Seybold is going to pick a GUI based product over one which runs
> under DOS. Think about it -- could they really stand the jeers they would
> get from publishers who don't know anything about the UniMerge other than
> that it runs under DOS or Unix?

###### Interesting swipe, and I can't speak to that. I have seen other
Seybold Editor Hot Picks, some not GUI driven, I have more respect for them
than that. It is in Seybold's best interest to highlight good products,
that is a major part of their business. If they weren't successful, they
wouldn't be in business now. PatternStream was NOT picked over one which
operates under DOS, it was picked against hundreds of products that operate
under a variety of OSs including Mac and UNIX. 

###### I hope that you will take the time to understand PatternStream for
its many strengths.  A live connection allows much more capability and I
hope these samples demonstrate some of that capability.  

I look forward to hearing back from you.

"publish in minutes...Not days."

Finite Matters Ltd.
David V. Evans
703-807-2108 Voice
888-766-1087 Pager
mailto:devans@cmyk.com

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