Amgraf, Inc.
Building a Forms Portal
Ray H. Killam, CFSP, CFC
Amgraf, Inc.
1501 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
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Amgraf, Inc.
What is a Portal?
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A site featuring a suite of commonly used services,
serving as a starting point and frequent gateway to
the Web (Web portal) or to a niche topic (vertical
portal)
www.marketingterms.com
Portals provide a secure, single point of interaction
with diverse information, business processes, and
people, personalized to a user’s needs and
responsibilities
IBM Corporation
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Amgraf, Inc.
Definition of an Internet Portal
Used as a marketing term to describe a
Web Site that is intended to be the first
place people see when using the Web.
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Amgraf, Inc.
Definition of an Internet Portal
Typically a Portal has a catalog of web
sites, a directory of departments or
subjects, a search engine, and may also
offer other services (news, bulletin boards,
maps, etc.) to entice people to use that site
as their main point of entry to the Web.
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Amgraf, Inc.
What is a “Forms Portal?”
A Vertical Portal That Provides Access To,
and Information On, An Organizations
Forms
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Amgraf, Inc.
What Does A Forms Portal Do?
Starting with a complete catalog of all the
organization’s forms, it allows each user to
develop customized catalogs for their
individual use.
 It serves as a deployment tool, enabling
levels of access and control while providing
Users with detailed information on forms.
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Amgraf, Inc.
Common Features
Links to form owners
 Personalized page for “My Forms”
 Links to forms-related sites
 Links to sites of personal interest
 Link to forms policy
 Link to Style Guide
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Amgraf, Inc.
Additional Features
Complete catalog, with search capability
 User-defined categories
 Edition management
 Thumbnail images of forms
 New form availability notification
 Launch for POD, eforms and iforms
 Requisition system for paper forms

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Amgraf, Inc.
Additional Features
Store and recall filled forms
 Forms usage tracking, with reports
 Routing control and reporting
 Signing and approval process management
 Report on associated forms (envelopes, etc.)
 Record retention information

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Amgraf, Inc.
Additional features
Easy administration on at least three levels
• System administrator
• Forms administrator
• User
 A “Set-up wizard” for easy customization

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Amgraf, Inc.
Forms Portal Overview
Internet Forms
Portal and
Web Site
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Mainframe
or Other
System
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Issues
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Portal Design
Management and Maintenance
Access
Security
Hosting
Hardware Choices
Software Choices
Database Management
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Amgraf, Inc.
Issues
Selling the portal concept to management
 Gaining IT support
 Managing costs and ROI

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Amgraf, Inc.
Design
Presentation format
 Content selections and management
 Colors, fonts and graphics choices
 Search engine
 Customizable sections

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Amgraf, Inc.
Design and Organize Your Web Site
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Home Page
Categories and Classifications of Forms
Log-In Page
Page to Search for Forms
Other Features
• Related Links
• News
• Calendar
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Amgraf, Inc.
Choose an Web Page Authoring Tool
(Adobe GoLive Recommended)
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Amgraf, Inc.
Choose an Forms Tool
(OneForm Designer Plus Recommended)
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Amgraf, Inc.
Building the Forms Portal
System Set-Up
 Creating Web Pages
 Creating the Forms Catalog
• Data requirements
• Data maintenance
• Form images
• Form owners

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Amgraf, Inc.
Building the Forms Portal
Creating and Testing Databases
• Forms data
• User data
• User choices
• Queries and reports
 Testing the Web Site

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Amgraf, Inc.
Create Internet Forms
Draw New Forms with OneForm
Designer Plus
 Import PDF Files for Existing Forms
 Overlay Form Images with Fill Fields
 Generate HTML and CGI Scripts
 Create Forms Databases on Server
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Amgraf, Inc.
Create Web Pages
Make the Home Page and the Interior
Pages for Each Area of Interest
 Add Links for Login Screens and
Forms

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Amgraf, Inc.
Test Forms Portal
 Test
the Web Site Pages and the
Links to Forms
 Check that the Databases are
Storing Fill Data
 Check that E-Mail Confirmation is
working
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Amgraf, Inc.
Managing the Forms Portal
Insuring Data Security
 Controlling User Access
 Forms Version Control Procedures
 Monitoring Usage

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Management and Legal Issues
Controlling Access to Forms
 Maintaining Forms Version
Control (Editions)
 Monitoring Usage
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Amgraf, Inc.
Controlling Access to Forms
Database of User Profiles and Privileges
 Classification of Forms
 Login/Password Authorization
 Use of Session “Cookies”
 Store Date/Time and IP Address at Login
 Hidden Fields on Search Panels
 Hidden Fields on Forms
 Fill-Field Security for Signing and Viewing
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Amgraf, Inc.
Forms Version Control Issues
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Every Form Version must be Retained
Saved Fill Data should be Linked to the
Form Version Actually Used
Must be able to Redisplay Old Form Versions
Should Provide Non-Refutable Method to
Prove Transaction
Should Allow New Form Versions to be
Used with Notification
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Amgraf, Inc.
Monitoring Usage of Forms
E-mail Confirmations to all Interested
Parties
 Automatic Periodic Transfer of Fill Data
 Reporting from Forms Databases
 Web Site Management Reports
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Amgraf, Inc.
Security
Maintaining login database
 Intranet versus Internet
 Maintaining access authorizations
 Secure servers
 Digital signatures
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Amgraf, Inc.
Gaining Management Support
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Know your current forms situation – is Portal
realistic?
Compare and contrast current to proposed
Be realistic on costs
Relate to Marketing benefits – how does it help
customers?
Don’t oversell – Use stages for proof of concept
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Amgraf, Inc.
Gaining IT Support
You cannot do it alone
 Be knowledgeable on issues
 Develop a well-defined plan
 Be realistic on support requirements
 Develop a complete cost-benefit statement
 Resolve budget issues in advance
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Amgraf, Inc.
Configure a Web Server
Choose Hardware, Software,
Database Management System, and
Internet Connection Service
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Amgraf, Inc.
Physical Installation Choices
Self Hosting
• Employ In-House Expertise
• Acquire Server Hardware/Software
• Obtain High Speed Connection
• Maintain Environment 24/7
 Co-Locate System at ISP
• Contract for System, Services, and Expertise
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Amgraf, Inc.
Technology Platform Choices
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UNIX
• Sun Solaris
• Linux
• FreeBSD
Windows 2000
Web Server Software
• Apache
• Microsoft IIS
• iPlanet (Sun + Netscape)
• NCSA
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Amgraf, Inc.
Web Site Server Software
70%
35%
0%
1995
1996
Apache
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1997
Microsoft
1998
1999
iPlanet
2000
NCSA
2001
2002
Other
Source: Netcraft.com
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Amgraf, Inc.
Relational Database Systems (RDBS)
Oracle (UNIX and Windows)
 Microsoft SQL Server (Windows)
 IBM DB2 (UNIX and Windows)
 MySQL (UNIX and Windows)
 Other
• Informix (Now an IBM Company)
• Sybase
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Amgraf, Inc.
RDBS Market Share
35
30
25
Oracle
IBM
Microsoft
Other
20
15
10
5
0
Year 2000
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Source: Gartner, Inc., May 2001
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Amgraf, Inc.
Best Price/Performance Configuration*
Standard Intel Pentium PC Hardware
 FreeBSD UNIX (Open Source)
 Apache Web Server Software (Open
Source)
 MySQL Database (Open Source)
 Co-Located at ISP with T1 Connection
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* Based on Open Source Software
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Amgraf, Inc.
Typical Pricing for Web Server
Hardware/Software/Installation
$5,000*
Typical Pricing – Co-Location Service
$300 / Month
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* Based on Open Source Software
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Amgraf, Inc.
Typical Pricing for Forms Portal
Design/Development
$25,000*
* Varies with Complexity,
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Numbers of I-Forms,
Login Users, and Databases.
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Amgraf, Inc.
Forms Cost Justification
 Saves
•
•
•
•
Money
Captures Keystrokes 24/7
Real-Time Data Validation
Potential for Faster Transactions
Paper-Optional Forms on Demand
 Makes
Money
• Customer Convenience and Preference
• Opportunity to Upsell and Sell
Additional Products/Services
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Amgraf, Inc.
Forms Hosting System
System
Demonstration
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Amgraf, Inc.
AMGRAF, INC.
1501 OAK STREET
KANSAS CITY, MO 64108
(816) 474-4797
http://www.amgraf.com
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