OfficeX provides sophisticated groupware functionality for small to large corporations through an easy-to-use friendly user interface. From the ground up, OfficeX was designed to take advantage of the latest technologies to provide a cost-efficient, yet effective method for even large-scale groupware necessities.

OfficeX utilizes key technologies such as a 32-bit operating environment, public-key encryption for all messaging and file transfers, 3-tier transaction-oriented client-server architecture, key integration with the Internet and web-based technologies, ActiveX technologies, complete drag-and-drop capabilities, event/real-time notification and chat, rich-text editing and many other technologies.

Unlike other existing office groupware products such as Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange, OfficeX from its very conception, has built-in support proposals with approval line editing and status monitoring, a universal Inbox, and document sharing for files of any type (including multimedia files).

The powerpoint presentation discusses some of the key aspects about OfficeX that make it the ideal solution for office automation.

The OfficeX Interface

The OfficeX interface design consists of a series of major sections that the user can select by clicking on the icon along the top toolbar. The design philosophy of OfficeX is based on a concept of private and public folders and documents. Everything in OfficeX exists as a document of one form or another which furthermore lives in one or more folders.

The concept of documents and folders will be discussed in more details in the subsequent discussion of each section. The below screen image shows the main layout of the OfficeX application:

The major sections of OfficeX include:

• Inbox and E-Mail - The OfficeX Inbox provides complete and comprehensive electronic mailing capabilities through the corporate intranet and the Internet. It functions as a universal inbox that handles all e-mail, proposals, and bulletin envelope types.

• Document Storage - The documents storage section can be used both for a private storage area of personal documents and a public shared area for a collection of people to review and modify documents together via checking in and checking out documents.

• Proposals Section - The OfficeX Proposals adds sophistication to ordinary e-mail messages. It is an e-mail of a proposal that can be sent to multiple users, but each user must first approve of the proposal before the next user receives the e-mail.

• Bulletins Section - Similar to e-mail and proposals, bulletins are rich-text capable as well as being able to accept a recipient list or group list or favorites list. You can include any OfficeX document as an attachment in a bulletin.

• Schedule and To Do - The folder concept of schedules allows you not only to maintain multiple private schedules distinctly but it also enables users to share their schedules with other users so that entire groups can schedule cooperatively. A convenient private "to do" list is also included in the schedule section.

• Internet Addresses - The OfficeX Internet basically serves as a way to store and organize Internet addresses. It again is based on the folder metaphor so it allows you to organize your Internet addresses in private folders as well as publicly. Entire departments can publish their URL sites to the rest of the organization through this section.

• Users Section - OfficeX provides an interface for multiple users over a network. The OfficeX Users displays all users currently assigned in the system based on a hierarchical group structure. Each group is, in essence, a special folder type that can have permissions assigned to it as well.

• Contacts Section - The Contacts section is similar to the Users section except this is a collection of non-company user information where a user name, password and group are non-applicable.

• Deleted Items Section - Any OfficeX document that is deleted is placed in this section before permamently deleting.

OfficeX Toolbar

The top toolbar of OfficeX allows you to perform a variety of functions that are available over all sections. The toolbar looks like the following image:

• Toggle Function Bar -- this feature allows you to turn on and off the top function bar display of the main OfficeX interface. The top function bar allows you to easily switch between sections by clicking on the major icon. Hiding the function bar in OfficeX will can give you more screen real estate.
• Toggle Preview Bar -- this feature allows you to turn on and off the bottom preview bar display area of the main OfficeX interface. The bottom preview bar area displays preview information for every document item that you select no matter what section you are currently in.
• Toggle Folders View -- this feature allows you to turn on and off the side folders display area of the main OfficeX interface.
• Auto-Fit Columns Toggle -- this feature allows you to turn on and off the auto-fit columns feature of the main listing view in the OfficeX interface.
• Options and Preferences -- this button allows you to select from a series of options and preferences in the OfficeX environment.





• Sticky Note Window -- this button will pop up a new sticky note that you can quickly and conveniently have on your Windows desktop to take simple notes or reminders.
• Refresh Documents Cache -- every time you view an OfficeX document (in the Documents section), the file is automatically downloaded to your local PC and displayed. The files are downloaded into an internal cache area that can build up over time. You may wish to clear out the cache with this button.
• Chat Conferencing Window -- this button will display the chat conference window that allows you to communicate with other users in a conference room-type environment. The chat conferencing window can be invoked from any section in OfficeX. It is a web-based conferencing facility so that you can even hold meetings over the Internet.

To use the chat facility, first specify what room you wish to enter in the Room Name field. Your user name will already be filled in for you. Click on the Join Chat button and you will be brought into a chat session with other users. Close the window or click on the Leave Chat button at any time to exit the chat.

OfficeX Folders

The concept of folders and documents within folders are fundamental to the OfficeX design. The following items are classified as documents in OfficeX:

• Envelopes (mail, proposals, bulletins)
• Documents (files such as word processing files, spreadsheets, images, reports, etc.)
• User Information
• Contact Information
• Schedule Information
• Internet Address

All documents must exist in either a folder or an envelope. If they exist in envelopes, they can be included as an attachment and sent to a list of recipients or groups. If they exist in folders, they can be shared among a group of people if that folder has the correct permissions applied to it. The below image shows what the folder information dialog box looks like.

You can specify a folder name that has up to 32 alphanumeric characters. Folders are hierarchical by nature so be sure to select the appropriate parent folder when creating your new folder.. There are various folder types that exist in OfficeX. The most common is the "folder" type (which is the regular public and private folder). Other types of folders include "group" folders as well as certain other system folders found in the Inbox section.

Permissions can be assigned to any folder so that other users can view your folder contents. Group folders are by default public folders and therefore can be viewed by all users. If you wish to create a "private" group, simply create a regular folder and assign users into that folder.

In order to assign permissions to any folder, simply click on the permissions button in the folder properties dialog box. The below screen image shows what the permissions dialog box looks like:

As shown above, both users and groups (even private folder groups) can be assigned to have access permission to any folder. For example, the above screen image shows that you can specify everyone to have read permissions, the entire "Admin" group to have read and write permissions over the folder as well as full permissions for the singular users Nathan and Steven.

The access permissions available in OfficeX for folders and documents include: read-only, read-write, and full access (which includes read, write, and delete permissions).