The last two decades of mainstream personal computers have been based on a 32-bit architecture.  That design allowed the computer to access 2 to the 32nd power of memory addresses (4 GB of RAM).  When the design was incorporated in the first x86 processors in the 1980s, the average PC ran on only 4 megabytes of RAM (4 MB) meaning the theoretical limit of the 32-bit architecture represented a 1000x multiple of the PC’s RAM.  Since then, Moore’s law of computer capacity doubling every 2 years has pushed memory limits against the 32-bit buffer.

Crushing the 4 gigabyte memory barrier are systems leveraging a 64-bit architecture (2 to the 64th power of memory addresses).  Microsoft and Intel have been selling 64-bit software and hardware for several years already.  While the number of users with 64-bit Windows operating systems is still low, the number of computers on the market with 64-bit processors capable of making the leap is huge.

Why the slow adoption?  The answer is compatibility – compatibility with software applications and hardware components.  Most enterprise scale applications on the market today are not available in a 64-bit format.  From a user perspective, upgrading to the 64-bit operating system and losing existing application functionality is not an option.  Luckily, Microsoft anticipated this and created their operating systems with support to allow most applications to run in 32-bit mode on the Windows 64-bit operating system.

Developing a 64-bit release of software is not always simple.  Many of the development tools used by programmers over the years are not capable of building software with a 64-bit architecture.  In addition, applications must be completely upgraded – any sub-components called inside the application must be fully 64-bit compliant.  Despite 64-bit operating systems and hardware being available for several years,  many common applications such as Microsoft Office have yet to make the leap.ColumbiaSoft invested in developing a 64-bit version of Document Locator for a number of reasons:

1. Microsoft Windows 7 is beginning Beta this month.  As a Microsoft partner with a deep integration into Microsoft Windows, ColumbiaSoft is committed to leading the document management industry by staying current with Microsoft.  This includes working with the latest releases of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system in both 32-bit and 64-bit mode.
2. Document Locator has significant clients in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry.  Applications used in the AEC industry like Autodesk Revit are leading the transition to 64-bit processing because of the significant computing required for rendering 3-dimensional models.
3. The ColumbiaSoft Engineering department prides itself on continuously pushing the envelope of Document Locator.  This includes refactoring processes to ensure optimal performance, leveraging the latest database technologies, and reviewing the overall system architecture as new development languages and methodologies become available.

In the coming months ColumbiaSoft will announce the release of Document Locator 5.3.  In addition to handful of other enhancements, version 5.3 will ship with a thick client installation package intended for 64-bit operating systems.  Users on the 64-bit platform will notice a performance increase due to the efficiencies of integration with Windows Explorer 64-bit.  Additional performance gains are derived from Document Locator’s revamped architecture of the Windows shell integration.  Stay tuned for more updates on a release date and the additional features included with Document Locator v5.3.

A standardized system for version control is a great way to improve collaboration, and increase accountability. There’s a new short video demo on the topic. To view it, click the “Watch Demo” button on our document version control page; or check out the video on the Document Locator YouTube channel.

It can’t be said any more succinctly than it was summed up by a Document Locator user at State Mutual Life & Health: “Hard drives are cheaper than warehouses.”

The storage of paper is a burdensome cost that, when you consider it, really brings no return or adds any value to a company. Office space consumed by filing cabinets or archive boxes could otherwise be used as productive work areas, and off-site storage fees could be better invested in areas of the business that return a real value.

As the economy forces everyone to tighten their belts and look for new ways to do more with less, document storage – the means of how you store and manage the multitude of paper and electronic files – should be a leading candidate among cost-saving considerations.

Consider this… an electronic document storage system not only frees up office space and eliminates warehouse fees, but it also improves productivity. Files that once took several minutes to locate in a filing cabinet, or days (and dollars) to retrieve from a storage location, are now instantly retrievable with the click of a digital search.

If you think improving document storage is for you, join us in a live Webinar next Wednesday called: Electronic Document Storage – Hard drives are cheaper than warehouses. We’ll explore all the cost and productivity benefits, and give you a tour of a very good electronic document storage alternative.

It’s official… we are Gold Certified for another year. Today, ColumbiaSoft announced that it has renewed its partnership with Microsoft. One aspect of this announcement that is significant is that this will be our 6th straight year of being a Gold Certified Partner – the highest level of partnership possible, and no small accomplishment. But, another important point to be made here is that this partnership really exemplifies our commitment to making document management as seamless and user-easy as possible. Since most people use Microsoft applications everyday… we focus our attention towards Microsoft and integrating our document management software right where people already work.

You can read more about today’s announcement in our news release: ColumbiaSoft Renews Partnership with Microsoft.

Are you grappling with how to automate document version control?

We’re all familiar with this scenario: There’s an important document with a critical deadline that has to be worked on by a group of people. Round and round the document goes, often by email, with edits written over edits. And… as the document progresses through stages, each person appends the file name to indicate their own ad-hoc, individualized versioning scheme. File names like “CustomerRFP-Sally-version 5-June7-DRAFT.doc” start to appear. In the end, it’s impossible to retreive prior versions (stored on individuals’ computers), and it’s a nightmare to assemble all the changes.

This is just one example where automated version control can save the day. There are many others, and we’ll touch on them all in a 20-minute webinar on January 22 called Managing Document Versions – Organizing chaos with a record of every change.

We’ll talk about how standardized version control software improves productivity and collaboration by eliminating ad-hoc and individualized versioning schemes; how document versioning increases accountability by logging information as it changes over time; and how version control reduces information loss and the need to duplicate or recreate information content.

Learn more and register for the webinar on Managing Document Versions.

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday break!  Here in Portland we were blessed (some might choose other adjectives) with a white Christmas.  Portland typically has a very temperate climate thanks to its proximity to the ocean, however this December we were inundated with snow.  The winter blast provided the local kids with some reprieve from school and wreaked havoc on those last minute holiday shoppers who were trapped by the impassible roads.

For those of us lucky enough to return to work after new years, the calm and relaxation of vacation came to a grinding halt on Monday morning.  What is different returning to work in 2009, as compared with last year, is the slowing economy.  Many employees find themselves conflicted about their jobs.  On the one hand they are grateful for gainful employment while on the other hand they are being stretched by increased workloads caused by companies downsizing their workforce or by freezing necessary employee hiring.

When you are being asked to increase your workload beyond what is reasonable to accomplish during the 8 hour work day, lots of things come to mind.  Once the expletives subside, you can hear yourself asking “how do I work smarter, not harder?”  Conceptually we all know what that means, but how would I do that? Sometimes it is truly difficult for a person who is trying to juggle numerous tasks, interruptions, emails, meetings, and more to step back and truly self-examine how to work smarter.

Some of the more popular recommendations for improving your productivity are to:

• Read email at scheduled times only.  Be sure to close Outlook completely to avoid being interrupted each time a new email arrives.
• Keep detailed task lists indicating what needs completed today, this week, etc.
• Block out time on your calendar to work on larger tasks so you have uninterrupted time to make headway.

In addition to streamlining your schedule, there are ways to work smarter around the documents you create and consume on a daily basis.  For example, how many times have you cringed when you realize the document you want to work on fell off Microsoft’s most recent list – What did I call that thing?  Below are productivity benefits companies realize after implementing a quality document management system.

• Version Control – Eliminate needlessly comparing and merging documents with various extension names attempting to create a new master version of the document.
• Index Searches – Quickly retrieve documents by searching against indexed information including document type, due date, client name, and more.
• Approvals and Notifications – Automatically route documents for electronic review, digital approval, and digital signatures using a robust workflow engine.
• Scanning Paper Documents – Eliminate needless walks to and from as well as rifling through filing cabinets by having your paper documents digitally archived and accessible from every computer in the office.

These represent only a handful of the possible benefits derived by implementing an enterprise document management system.  With the ever increasing demands being placed on employees, providing them the necessary tools to handle the workload will goes miles towards improving employee morale and allows resources to focus on your business’ core competency.