Barada Consulting Inc. is currently undertaking research and development programs to develop its own line of products. As these projects mature, more details will be posted here.

DMP

This project was developed to provide an easily accessible and structured multi-user documentary object management facility that can be attached to any application using any modern relational database system. The resulting plug-in will feature tools that will enable users to define documentary object organization structures (departments, projects), master templates, documentary object, security and version control. These object types can range from Microsoft Word to full scale multi-media presentations. Our solution will allow fast and reliable accessibility of these objects through Web as well as application interfaces and will enhance documentary object manipulation and security, as requested by business rules.

The Documentary Object Management Plug-in (DMP)’s functionality is to facilitate the moving, copying and deleting of files from the Public, Private and Temporary directories. In addition, the DMP manages the Viewing of files. It facilitates the copying of files from the Public or Private directories onto the current user’s View directory where the files are opened for viewing. It has a cleanup utility, which deletes the files in the user’s View directory as soon as the user logs out of the plug-in.

The DMP will operate ion a variety of platforms and process documentary objects of variable sizes and contents.

The DMP has been designed to process two queues, an Edit Queue and a View Queue. Requests that involve Check-In, Check-Out, and File Movements (Public/Private) are handled by the Edit Queue. Requests to view files are handled by the View Queue.

The View Queue copies the requested file for viewing onto the DMP user’s View directory. This copy of the file is the one launched by the user’s application. This methodology is aimed at eliminating the contention between users viewing a file and a user who is trying to check-in an edited version of the same file. When a user logs out of the DMP, a request is sent to the View Queue to clean-up the user’s View directory, i.e. delete the files that the user has opened up for viewing.

Barada uses several technologies for this project, namely Sybase Object-Cycle, Optix: internet document management system, BladeRunner: Enterprise Content Manager and Oracle version 7.3.

 
LCS

This project, identified as "Live Electronic Customer Support", is about developing a system to allow a person (the customer), on demand, to have a bi-directional and interactive conversation with a customer support representative via a standard web interface. The goal is to emulate normal human course of actions when someone presents him/herself to a store and desires to talk to a representative in order to get information, in opposition with the current process on most web based electronic commerce sites where customer support is based on electronic mail and hypertext data.

The challenge is to allow for the customer to identify where to go to get support, get a sense of how many people are being currently served and how many, if any, are waiting to be served before him/her, and finally talk to a representative. All of these actions shall occur from within a web browser for the customer, and in a way which will feel natural for the most non-technically oriented user.

In order to achieve these goals, different technologies will have to be exploited and/or developed and integrated, namely web session setup and maintenance (including connection security), database connectivity from web server, dynamic control of graphics on a web browser from the web server, real-time text/voice/data exchange between the web browser and server, digital processing of a live video image of a talking person to parameterize his/her facial expression in real-time, and synchronization of audio, data and dynamic graphics on the web browser.

Barada can count on a vast expertise within its pool of resources, and has put in place a permanent team undertaking research and development activities to achieve all of its goals in the context of this project. A functional prototype already exists, and will serve to promote the skills and originality of the team and attract potential customers.