StreamServe enables companies to simultaneously distribute content to customers, partners and employees through multiple channels (print, email, fax, online, mobile, etc.) based on the recipient’s preferred selection. Using online services, people can select how they want to receive information from their content providers. This means that the transition from traditional paper-based processes to less-expensive and more modern processes such as online, email and mobile doesn’t have to occur all at once; it can be at the pace you and your customers choose.

Content is managed by applications based on well-defined roles suited for the intended audience.

StreamServe also provides insight into how your company distributes content to its customers and other recipients. StreamServe manages both the content and distribution, and counts the usage. For example, it can monitor how many invoices have been sent out and through which channels. This enables companies to set benchmarks to analyze trends in their communications, as well to compare customer interactions among different regions, countries, business units and departments.

Capitalizing on the “any time” nature of the online world, StreamServe can also make electronic documents available for self-service access at the recipient’s convenience. And for those times when a customer service conversation is called for, StreamServe enables the service representative to rapidly access an identical copy of the document the customer is looking at. This cuts the time it takes to get in synch with the customer, and also shortens the conversation by minimizing confusion during the call.

StreamServe provides:

• Multi-channel Distribution
• Personalized Distribution
• User & Role Management
• Usage Management

 Figure 1. Multi distribution of business content via multiple channels

The final step in a typical document creation process is distribution to the recipients. Documents can be dispatched via a variety of channels. The choice of the channels can be made within the sending application that controls the document or outside the application using StreamServe to let internal and external recipients select their preferences using a Web application.

Dispatch to multiple channels:

• Email
  StreamServe can create email messages from input received from the sending application and distribute these via StreamServe connectors for SMTP, SMTP/MIME and MAPI. The email message body can be personalized to the recipient. Data included in the input file, such as the customer name, account number, etc., can be displayed in the email message. StreamServe can also attach several documents in a consolidated communication; e.g., the created document such as an invoice together with attachments such as customer letters. Emails can be produced in an entire batch or for individual documents.
• Fax
  StreamServe can take the inbound business content from the back-end application and create output to most fax solutions. StreamServe has dedicated connectors that support the most popular fax systems, including ZetaFax, FastFax, Faxination, RightFax, Topcall and Winfax, as well as a generic connector for other fax systems. 
• Internet
  StreamServe can send and receive files by using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is the standard method of transferring files from local computers to a remote Web Server. The FTP connectors can also be used to submit print files to print shops when production printing has been outsourced.
  
  Other commonly used transport protocols to send files to Web servers are HTTP and HTTPS. StreamServe provides connectors for both sending and receiving data via HTTP and HTTPS using submit and response actions.
• Archive
  Documents that have been produced and distributed by StreamServe to the recipient can also be stored in most archiving solutions available in the market. StreamServe provides connectors to archive systems such as iXOS, and FileNET. It is also possible to store documents in IBM Lotus Domino and IBM Content Manager. Since StreamServe can create images of documents in several popular storage formats, for example TIFF and PDF, and deliver these together with the corresponding index information, StreamServe generally supports most storage systems available in the market.
  
  StreamServe also provides a content repository that allows customers to store documents it creates.
• Mobile
  StreamServe provides the ability to exchange information using mobile devices that include cellular phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants. It supports global industry standards, such as Short Message Service (SMS) and the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), providing an open, scalable, end-to-end solution for content to be personalized and pushed to customers via wireless devices.

Usage Management

With StreamServe, you can monitor and identify resource usage (e.g. printers) to get a clear picture of costs and who is incurring them. Usage statistics are created in an XML format, as well as easily readable reports in PDF format. The reports can automatically be communicated to interested parties using electronic channels such as online, email and fax. Statistics can be used for inter-departmental billing or to improve operational efficiencies.