IDEAlliance Announces New TechDoc Network

Alexandria, VA. - (October 30, 2003) - In an effort to serve the TechDoc community, IDEAlliance, a leading trade association dedicated to fostering XML and other information technology standards, today announced the launch of a new TechDoc Network. In addition, strong content and networking opportunities for this network will be featured at the upcoming XML Conference and Exposition 2003, being held Dec. 7-12, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

From the late 1980s until the mid-1990s, IDEAlliance (then known as the Graphic Communications Association) was highly involved with the technical documentation community, sponsoring an annual TechDoc Conference and Exposition, as well as smaller TechDoc workshops. According to Dianne Kennedy, Vice President of Publishing Technologies and Membership with IDEAlliance, the new Network demonstrates IDEAlliance's renewed commitment to the TechDoc community.

IDEAlliance is launching the new TechDoc Network in an effort co-sponsored by Antenna House, Arbortext, Architag International, Astoria Software, Data Conversion Laboratory, Empolis, Exegenix, Valley Forge Technical Information Services and XyEnterprise.

Brian Travis, Chief Technical Officer of Architag International and Chairman of the TechDoc Network, explains the goal of the community: "We want to create a forum to represent the technology user/buyer in the technical documentation community. The Network will provide for two-way communication between users and technology vendors and those creating the documentation standards. This creates a win-win situation. Users can share knowledge, develop best practices, have input into standards and specs, and assure interoperability of publishing tools. For vendors, the win is better products, more informed buyers, and a shortened sales cycle."

"To kick off the new Network, we are hosting online community events that make use of audio web-conferencing technology. We'll follow this up by providing program content and networking opportunities for those in the TechDoc community throughout the XML 2003 Conference," says Kennedy.

Getting Involved with the TechDoc Network
Anyone can register to join the TechDoc Network online at www.tech-doc.org. Initial community activities include a series of Web conference roundtable discussions focusing on critical TechDoc topics. Registration is free of charge. Upcoming TechDoc Webinars include:

• Content Re-use - Tues. Nov. 4, 1:30 pm EST
• Electronic Delivery - Tues. Nov. 11, 1:30 pm EST
• Converting Legacy Documents - Tues. Nov. 18, 1:30 pm EST
• Paper Composition - Tues. Nov. 25, 1:30 pm EST
• System Design for Technical Publishing - Tues. Dec. 2, 1:30 pm EST

Content from previous TechDoc Webinars are posted on the website.

TechDoc Content at XML Conference and Exposition 2003
The following presentations at XML Conference and Exposition 2003 will focus on topics of interest to the TechDoc community:

• Dynamic Reusability: The Multiple Personalities of an XML Technical Document - Presenter: David W. Cooper, Vice President of Technology, Antech Systems, Inc.; Tues., Dec. 9, 2 p.m.
• Saving $100 Million a Year with XML and SGML - Presenter: Joe Gollner, President, XIA Systems Corporation, Canada; Tues., Dec 9, 2:45 p.m.
• The XML Technical Publishing Environment - Presenters: Brenda O'Busek, Principal, Technology Design Resources, and Betty Harvey, President, Electronic Commerce Connection, Inc.; Tues., Dec. 9, 4:45 p.m.
• Adopting XML-Centric Publishing Workflows - Presenter: Daniel Nigloschy, President, Media Entities Inc.; Tues., Dec. 9, 4:45 p.m.
• How the US Federal Government is Using XML - Presenter: Kenneth B. Sall, XML Consultant, SiloSmashers; Thurs., Dec. 11, 2 p.m.
• Use of COTS XML and Web Services Technology for Current and Future DOD C2 Systems - Presenter: Joe J. Molitoris, Lead IS, Mitre; Thurs., Dec. 11, 2 p.m.

In addition to these XML 2003 presentations, Birds of a Feather (BoF) lunchtime discussions and evening Townhall Meetings have been scheduled to enable community members to interact at the conference. For more information, visit http://www.tech-doc.org.

About the TechDoc Network
The IDEAlliance TechDoc Network is a group of technology users/buyers with the requirement to produce quality technical documentation in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The Network enables users to share knowledge, develop best practices, have input into standards and specs and assure interoperability of publishing tools. For more information, see http://www.tech-doc.org.

About XML 2003
XML 2003 programs focus on critical XML topics such as B2B, content management, graphics and multimedia, publishing, vertical industry applications, Web services, and more. Keynote speakers and presenters at XML 2003 will include representatives from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT); Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW); Oracle Server Technologies (NASDAQ: ORCL); Reuters (NASDAQ: RTRSY); BEA Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAS); Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HPQ); and IBM Corporation (NYSE: IBM). For more information, visit http://www.xmlconference.org/xmlusa/2003/registration.asp.

About IDEAlliance
IDEAlliance is a not-for-profit membership organization. The goal of IDEAlliance is to enable publishers and other information-driven enterprises to strategize, innovate, standardize and implement information technology solutions in an open and cooperative cross-industry environment. IDEAlliance provides the opportunity for those who create, produce, manage and deliver content to interface with those who develop the software tools to facilitate these functions. Learn more about IDEAlliance at www.idealliance.org.

Contact

Longleaf Public Relations
Joy Scott
303.639.6069
joy@longleafpr.com