Effective communication handling

OfficePower Alerts Manager provides users with an effective method for handling requests communicated through their computer system

• An organised method for dealing with items that arrive in an ad hoc manner, no matter what application is being currently used
• The interface supplies summary information relating to the event that has occurred
• Alerts Manager allows you to determine how to deal with specific matters by setting handling rules
• Provides filter/ordered views of items that have arrived. Included in this option are priority levels.

Alerts Manager

Managing the flow of prompts from your computer system

Alerts Manager offers users the capability of effectively handling requests communicated to them through their computer system. With alerts manager, the user can decide how to deal with items arriving in an ad hoc way and requiring attention, for example a personal reminder to prepare for tomorrow's meeting or a phone message relayed by a colleague. It organises these alerts by presenting them in a uniform and structured way. By doing so, the user will not be disturbed when working on a key task, being assured that Alerts Manager handles them in a systematic manner.

The user can set up rules for handling specific instances or types of alert. Alerts Manager even offers the capability of handling some alerts automatically.

API is used to raise alerts in all user applications. Mail for example takes advantage of this capability. The user can choose to use Alerts Manager instead of being made aware by the familiar `new mail' flag (or `OfficePower status window').

Features:

• The user is informed of new alerts when using OfficePower or PC applications
• Alert management available from PCs or character terminals
• Alerts displayed as record list
• Alerts lists can be filtered/ ordered
• Alerts can be manually or automatically actioned e.g. application invoked
• Alerts can be received for events relating to other users:- proxy alerts e.g. colleague on leave has received new mail
• Alerts receivable from a wide range of applications.

Features in detail

User Interface

Windows and character based clients are available for users of OfficePower for Windows PCs and character terminals, respectively.

The interface displays a list of all of the Alerts currently active on a particular user. Each alert record contains summary information relating to the event that has occurred. This details the subject, the sender, arrival time and where the message is now stored.

The user controls their view of the Alerts list by specifying the sort order of the list and detailing which Alerts they are currently interested in. Thus they could restrict the view to only show high priority Alerts relating to a given search criteria.

Alerts

The user is made aware of new alerts when they arrive regardless of the OP application being used (even on character terminals)

It is also possible to delay the delivery of certain classifications of alerts so that the user, for example, is only `alerted' daily or hourly or at a specific time.

Actions

Each Alert has an associated action, this action is specified by the raising application and in the case of mail will usually invoke mail update on the relevant mail box.

To invoke the associated action the user needs only to double click alert that they are interested in and the action will be performed.

Proxy Alerts

It is possible for a user to receive alerts which relate to another users objects, so for example an appointed secretary can be made aware of new mail in the manager's mail box.

Applications

Applications that are suitable for raising alerts include:

• Mail (including mail filtering)
• Reminder
• Telephone messages
• Message of the day

Technical Specifications

Requirements for Server

• OfficePower 2000 (or OfficePower/Xtra), available for ICL DRS/NX, UNIXWARE 2 or 7, or SUN SOLARIS)

Requirements for Windows Client

• PC with Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows 95 or 98, or Windows NT 4 (Windows 95 or above recommended).
• 486 or Pentium PC with 16MB memory (Pentium with 32 MB recommended), 8MB hard disk space for installation.
• Networking: TCP/IP connection to the OfficePower system (using Winsock 1.1 compliant interface). Dial-in access is supported using the Dial-Up Networking software supplied with Windows 95, 98 or NT4.

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