TMC(TM) labs review: KnowledgeSync 2000

Customer Inter@ction Solutions, Jul 2002

Vineyardsoft aptly refers to Knowledge-- Sync 2000 as a business "smoke detector." KnowledgeSync's major function is to alert the proper personnel when data conditions reach pre-determined criteria. This is accomplished by monitoring company data stores, scanning and processing incoming email and generating and distributing Crystal Reports. Professing the ability to enhance any database-centric application, KnowledgeSync 2000 can be used, for example, to alert an account manager via pager that the company's (and his) largest account just e-mailed tech support. Or, it can be used as a human resources tool to email a supervisor that an employee is out sick and automatically append a Crystal Report detailing that particular employees attendance record over the past year along with a company attendance policy file.

Put simply, KnowledgeSync 2000 is an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) solution designed to synchronize and filter information from disparate sources by alerting the proper personnel when data meet specific criteria or conditions. This provides a tool for all staff to address and respond to time-sensitive issues without having to spend their time unnecessarily "putting out fires," when a neglected situation is conveyed by an angry customer, rather than through an alert from KnowledgeSync.

Via an EventPAK (a software add-on), KnowledgeSync 2000 is capable of using VB (Visual Basic) scripting to interface with operating systems. The Event Log in Windows XP, 2000 and NT can be monitored by KnowledgeSync to identify events such as security breaches, network problems and low disk space. In addition to alerting MIS personnel, KnowledgeSync can be programmed to take corrective action when certain conditions occur by restarting a server or deleting log files to recover disk space.

Implementation

A software based solution, Knowledge-- Sync 2000 is sold through resellers and partners such as SalesLogix and FrontRange Solutions. If a customer opts for alert functionality only, Vineyardsoft says their solution can be up and running in one or two days. Implementing more complex data-pushing functionality for checking, creating and generating records, such as lead management, may take up to seven days. Additionally, resellers have started developing EventPAKs such as Integrated Service Alerts and Opportunity Minder, both created for SalesLogix. Integrated Service Alerts, for example, provide preconfigured queries and events for monitoring support-related events and incoming email to generate support calls. EventPAKs for other KnowledgeSync 2000 partners can be found on Vineyardsoft's Web site: http://www.vineyardsoft.com/html/event paks.html

KnowledgeSync is licensed per connection. A connection is defined by Vineyardsoft as monitoring one application database, monitoring incoming e-mail or monitoring a server's operating system. A KnowledgeSync license allows one copy (iteration) of the KnowledgeSync Event Manager, KnowledgeSync Monitor and KnowledgeSync Administrator to be run only from the server on which the KnowledgeSync database is installed. A license for one connection is $1,995 with an annual maintenance cost of $399. More than three connections are categorized as an unlimited license with a fee of $4,995 and $999 for annual maintenance. Separate upgrade licenses are also available starting at $1,250 with a $250 annual maintenance fee.

Alert Messaging

Since the purpose of Knowledge-- Sync 2000 is to synchronize information, its backbone is based on queries able to traverse different databases and applications. Part of the "ease of use" of this solution is weighted heavily upon the interface design. The Query Definition interface, for example, allows a database administrator to define any data condition desired. The process to define a condition, or query, is broken down into different tabs, allowing a user to quickly set up and define a query using multiple tables in disparate databases. SQL script is then generated, and can be edited manually if desired.

Once data conditions are defined, creating an Event is the next step to effectively using the data selected by the query. Queries are kept separate from events so a single query can be used in multiple events. We created an Event that was triggered when shipping charges reach seven percent of the order total for the previous week of business using a sample database. In addition to sending out an alert via e-mail, fax or pager when an Event is triggered, KnowledgeSync is also capable of automatically generating one or more Crystal Reports using the Crystal runtime engine 8.5. The reports can also be automatically appended to an outgoing Alert e-mail message, can be Web cast or can be posted to an FTP site. Files can also be added to an outgoing message; for example, appending a freight calculation worksheet to the Shipping Supervisor along with an e-mail alert.

Reports

The reporting feature of Knowledge-- Sync 2000 allows its owners to pre-define, automatically generate and distribute Crystal Reports. Reports can be distributed via e-mail, fax, FTP and by linking the reports to a Web page. Similarly, reports can be generated based on a variety of criteria such as specific data that trigger a report, or an on-request report via e-mail. Since the Crystal runtime engine is backwards compatible, existing enterprise reports can be appended to an event by pointing KnowledgeSync 2000 at the existing report.