NewsGator Outlook 2.6 Beta 2

So far, the Outlook beta is coming along very well.  Beta 2 features some bug fixes and new features.

Bug Fixes:
- Outlooks "Check Names" dialog appears while downloading news
- FeedBurner feeds fail to retrieve and display webpage
- Setting your base news folder as the root of a PST causes error messages on startup
- NewsPage Tab not selected with clicking Customize NewsPage button from the NewsPage
- Apply Changes to Subscriptions message shown multiple times when global changes are made
- Sync causes NGOE to create new subscription folders in the base news folder instead of using existing folders
- Automatically Clip Post not working when using your My Podcast folder instead of a subfolder

New Features:
- Ability to import from Windows Common Feed List (if using IE 7 Beta 2)
- Synchronize read states with NewsGator Online when Outlook shuts down
- Remember size of columns in the Subscriptions dialog

Keep in mind that this is a pre-release, which means it's not done yet! So please don't download it unless you're comfortable using incomplete software that still contains bugs.

Install this version if you do not have the .Net framework installed:
http://www.newsgator.com/download/v26b1932006222/NewsGatorSetup193.exe

http://www.newsgator.com/download/v26b1932006222/NewsGatorSetup193.zip

Install this version if you already have the .Net framework
http://www.newsgator.com/download/v26b1932006222/NewsGatorSetup193N.exe

http://www.newsgator.com/download/v26b1932006222/NewsGatorSetup193N.zip

Install this version if you are using Visual Studio 2005
http://www.newsgator.com/download/v26b1932006222/NewsGatorSetup193NoShimN.exe

http://www.newsgator.com/download/v26b1932006222/NewsGatorSetup193NoShimN.zip

Enterprise RSS - More Than Meets the Eye

When you think about RSS, you probably think about using an RSS reader, which aggregates web-based content in one central location so you can quickly peruse content that you subscribe to.  If you think about Enterprise RSS, you may have a similar perception - aggregating more web-based content.  While both are true assumptions, and very valuable use-cases, they really only scratch the surface of RSS and and the core value of applying it to the enterprise. 

Companies looking for enterprise-wide RSS aggregation have a couple of options.  First, desktop applications.  Installing individual software on individual desktops throughout an organization of 10,000+ employees.  Each one polling for feeds (often the same feeds for many different individuals) at different times. Doesn't sound too practical from a resource or bandwidth perspective.

Second, server-based RSS aggregators (like NGES) that are centrally managed, centrally deployed and poll for feeds based on an interval determined by the adminstrator.  Sounds a little more practical. 

So, the benefit of a server-based solution is clear from an IT perspective, but what about a business perspective?  Sure, there are rumblings that the average knowledge worker spends up to 7 hours a week searching for information.  Aggregating RSS feeds can help alleviate some of that burden.  Sales guys can track opportunities, marketers can track their brands and competitors, PR pros can track their clients, execs can track industry news and trends, and the list goes on.  But what else is there?

Dykema, one of the Midwest's largest law firms, has selected NGES to improve information and content management efficiencies.  You can read the press release for a brief overview, or the case study, for a more in depth view into understanding how a large law firm is embracing RSS aggregation of externally generated content, as well as internally generated feeds to streamline internal communications.  Brilliant!

What else is RSS good for and who is taking advantage?  Stay tuned for Part 2 ...

NewsGator Will be Closed Monday 2/20/06

In observance of Presidents Day, NewsGator Technical Support will be unavailable on Monday, February 20th.

Support will resume its normal schedule of 8am - 5pm MST on Tuesday, February 21st.

Planned Outage Tonight - 2/15/06

NewsGator will be performing maintenance at approximately 11pm MST on Wednesday, February 15th resulting in an outage of 1 hour or less.

During this time, NewsGator Online and API will be unavailable. This will also impact our client side syncronization with NewsGator Outlook Edition and FeedDemon beta.

Skiing, Skeletons and Snowboarding

The Winter Olympics are upon us again.  Curlers, snowboarders, skiers, bobsledders, skeletons and speed skaters are strutting their stuff in Torino, Italy, battling for medals during the next two weeks.

So how can you keep up with all that action?  For the first time, NBCSports has placed RSS feeds on each individual sport and is updating its webpages as new results come in.

We have made it easy for NewsGator users to sign up for their favorite sport(s).  Click on "Add a Feed" and then on the "2006 Winter Olympics" folder to subscribe to and keep up with all your favorites.

SFGate.com Launches My Feeds - Powered by NewsGator

Today SFGate.com launched My Feeds, a branded RSS aggregator built with NewsGator Hosted Solution (the other day, we announced the general availabilty of NewsGator Hosted Solution).

This is great for SFGate, the online arm of the San Francisco Chronicle (a top 5 online newspaper site) and their readers.  SF Gate can recommend Chronicle content to their readers as well as via Editor's Choice (which is content selected from around the web).  And, their readers can not only read news from SFGate, but they can also aggregate news from other sites, as well.  For example, if you are living in San Francisco, but are originally from Kansas City, you can aggregate your trusted Chronicle news, as well as your favorite hometown news all in one place.  And, if you are a current NewsGator user, you can import your existing OPML file and read your current subscriptions from My Feeds.

Go see for yourself ... it's free to sign up.

Read the official press release.

NewsGator On-stage at DEMO 2006

As you know, Greg and Walker will be on-stage at DEMO Wednesday at 10:47.  Today we announced that they will be demonstrating our latest RSS product offering - NewsGator Hosted Solution (NGHS).  NGHS is really a cool application of RSS aggregation, addressing some significant issues that online content providers (especially media sites) are constantly challenged with.

1. Site "stickiness", or keeping your readers on your site (viewing your ads, reading your content) longer.
2. Increased ad revenue opportunities.  NGHS not only allows readers to aggregate news from within the content provider's site, it also allows readers to aggregate RSS feeds from all online sources.

And, stay tuned into this blog.  We have several big-time customers who will be launching their readers (built using NGHS) in the next few ...

NGES 1.1 in the works

As you know, NGES v.1 launched last fall and is deployed at over 20 companies across the globe.  As you may not know, NGES v.1.1 is currently in Customer Technology Preview (similar to a private beta).  1.1 has numerous new features; most of which are based on suggestions from our current customers.  A few of the new features include:

For the users:

• Clipping Annotation - This feature is AWESOME!  The clippings feature (the ability to share feed you think are important with your colleagues) is a great in and of itself.  Now it is even better because you can add notes alongside the feed.
• Improved search function - when you conduct a search, and 15 feeds result, now you can subscribe to several feeds quickly and efficiently without navigating away from the page.  This is a big time saver for power users and knowledge workers.
• FeedBanner - contains information about the feed you are reading such as name, description of feed, ability to mark as read, or unsubscribe from feed.  Creates a more user friendly feed reading experience.

For the Administrators:

• Group and User filtering - finding and editing users is easier than ever.
• Group based administration - allows administrators to restrict the admin functions of a user to specific groups instead of allowing them to access all groups.
• Blacklists - of course execs are not going to buy into a system that gives their employees free reign to aggregate any kind of content, so we created blacklists.  Now you can deny access to specific content from the internet.
• Subscription Locking - Now the system admin can subscribe employees to a feed (say, the HR Blog) and users are unable to unsubscribe.

Press, analysts and customers are excited about RSS applied to the enterprise for a variety of reasons.  Take a look at this customer case study.  Dykema, a midwest based law firm with 800 employees and 10 offices across the US, is doing some really cool stuff enterprise-wide with RSS - including aggregating internal and external feeds.  Bill Gratsch, Dykema's web technologies manager, had this to say about NGES:

"NewsGator Enterprise Server will ultimately help us improve internal and external efficiencies in the form of faster research and knowledge transfer, improved communication and collaboration and enhanced service delivery to our clients.  This is a very compelling value proposition for a new technology."

We expect 1.1 to ship in a few weeks.  Stay tuned for more updates, customer announcements and case studies.  This thing is really taking off!

NewsGator Outlook 2.6 Public Beta

As Greg mentioned, and as posted in the NewsGator forums, NewsGator Outlook Edition 2.6 is now in public beta.  This is exciting on a couple levels.  First and foremost, there are many cool new features in 2.6.  To name a few:

• Podcasting support via FeedStation
• Clippings synch with NewsGator Online
• Option to retrieve webpages - this is a great feature since many RSS feeds only contain links.  So, in lieu of clicking through, you can opt to have a snapshot of the webpage display in Outlook.  Great for offline reading!
• Integrated search bar
• Nick Harris, the head Outlook developer, will be making periodic posts (like this one) in the beta forum that will contain tips and tricks for the new release.

It is also exciting because now we have two products in beta ... FeedDemon 2.0 has been in beta for a couple weeks now, and is getting rave reviews!  And, in a few weeks, NetNewsWire (with NewsGator Online synch) will enter a public beta.  Needless to say, the amount (and more importantly, the quality) of work that is going on around here is pretty astounding!  Not only in development ... QA, product management and support all work closely with development so this kind of magic can happen!

Finally, the standard disclaimer about beta software...please do not use this software if you are uncomfortable using unfinished software!