New CGS Release - October 2008
10/22/2008 5:00:00 PM - CGS Datapool Services has upgraded the website with some new features to make the management of your data synchronization initiative easier than ever.
One of the first changes you will notice is that we have combined the inbox and the Outbox into one comprehensive Message Center. This allows you to view both inbound and outbound messages in one convenient place. As always, double clicking on any message will present the details of that message for your review and action. Inbound and Outbound messages are archived separately and each is accessible through the ‘Go to Archive’ button below each of the sections. This allows you to keep your Message Center mailboxes clean, while always providing you access to your historical transaction data.
We have also added a View Activity feature which provides you with a single view that summarizes all of the data synchronization activity related to your account. When you first open the Manage section you are presented with a static snapshot of your current activity. As a vendor you have a View Activity link on the left hand side where you are presented with a fully interactive activity chart. From this chart you are able to see what subscriptions you are currently working with, how many items in your catalogue match each subscription and the recipient status of items related to that subscription. For more detailed information on this chart please see the CGS User Guide Ver 2.1 in the documentation section.
That’s not all of the improvements that have been made! We have added improved search capabilities on a number of the pages allowing you to filter and search your messages and sync list based on important fields such as trading partner, GTIN, date, status and target market. In addition we have also implemented the GS1 AVP Extension for use by all trading partners. Managing your ongoing data synch initiative has never been easier!
We hope that you will be as excited about these new features as we are. If you have any questions please contact cgssupport@commport.comand we will be sure to address them as soon as possible.
db advantage releases O.P.DATA® Version 4
3/10/2008 5:00:00 PM - Commport Communications announces the release of db advantage’s O.P.DATA® Version 4. The response to this latest version has been excellent, and we have received glowing feedback from our users regarding the benefits of upgraded format and ease of use.
“Our users are happy with the new V4 file structure,” as quoted from Norm MacLoad, Basics Office Products Ltd., “The screens are more logical and readable. The dba descriptions are very helpful for our content team and we are using your French translations to assist us in developing our translations. We continue to use O.P.DATA® as our primary source for digital images and the system works very well. We are 5 weeks into our 2009 catalogue production and we are ahead of schedule because the process has never been smoother. The O.P.DATA® content is now being married with our group office content and we are updating our dealer files on a weekly basis.”
db advantage, powered by Commport’s CGS Datapool Services, is a data pool specializing in office products data synchronization and value added information. For more information contact sales@dbadvantage.ca
Commport and BookNet Canada rollout BNCDataSync Project
11/29/2007 10:00:00 AM - Commport Communications Intl, inc. is enthused by the success of our partnership with BookNet Canada and our shared initiative to bring the publishing industry into Global Data Synchronization. Through Commport’s CGS Datapool Services, our certified GDSN compliant datapool, we have begun the Pilot stage of the BNC DataSync project, which employs the BookNet regulated ONIX publishing standard directly with our specialized data synchronization solutions. BNC DataSync offers the trouble free addition of GDSN practices to traditional book industry data synchronization.
BookNet Canada is a not-for-profit organization which coordinates supply chain standards and technology for the Canadian book market. Our work with BookNet allows great opportunity for members of the industry with no disruption to the current industry model.
‘Publishers are familiar with the ONIX data sharing standard,’ said Meagan Ralph, Director of CGS Datapool Services, ‘And it was our goal to develop a strategy which would build on this proven system, rather than depend on its obsolescence.’
Global data synchronization is the direction of the greater retail community and there is no reason now that Canada’s book market cannot be in time with these trends. BNC DataSync makes it possible to use these same ONIX standards to open this industry to the global market at little cost by acting as what BookNet’s Michael Tamblyn calls the ‘ONIX-to-GDSN bridge’.
Mr. Tamblyn was quoted in Personanondata, which specializes in publishing industry news and events; ‘We selected a vendor with a strong track record in high-volume data processing who has made a name for themselves enabling whole industries on GDSN but who was also willing to toss out the rulebook on GDSN pricing to meet the needs of the book industry.’
Working closely with BookNet Canada, Commport is making it possible to utilize a trusted standard of business within the technology of the GDSN. The practice of utilizing the knowledge and experience of an industry association to ensure that the best interests of the organizations involved are met was proven in our highly successful partnership with dbAdvantage who provides a value-added Data Synchronization solution to members of the Canadian Office Products Association (COPA). On that note, The News Group, one of Canada’s largest book wholesalers to general merchandise and non-traditional booksellers, is already eager to participate in the BNC DataSync Pilot and is looking to start receive synchronized data in early January 2008.
We take great pride in our ability to serve the breadth of an industry and enjoy opportunities to allow the greatest potential for the technology, our partner organization, and the industry as a whole.
To view Michael Tamblyn’s interview visit:
http://personanondata.blogspot.com/2007/11/five-questions-on-global-data.html
BookNet Canada launches GDSN pilot for North American publishers
6/5/2007 12:30:00 PM - TORONTO – June 5, 2007 Kicking off a week of supply chain announcements, BookNet
Canada, the agency committed to innovation in the book industry supply chain, is beginning a new pilot project, BNC DataSync, to test the possibilities of Global Data Snchronization Network (GDSN) information sharing for Canadian and U.S. publishers and general retailers.
GDSN allows manufacturers and retailers to share timely product information through a global network of linked databases. It is a model with significant momentum in grocery, pharmaceutical, and consumer packaged goods sectors. Publishers have remained on the sidelines because of high fees and significant technical challenges even though “non-book” retail has become an important part of the book business.
“Publishers have long struggled with the challenges of providing product information to the mass market. We now have an affordable service to help publishers serve that market more efficiently,” says Michael Tamblyn, CEO of BookNet Canada. “Old GDSN pricing might make sense if you are selling toothpaste, but fees were crippling to publishers with hundreds or thousands of titles.”
BNC DataSync allows publishers to submit ONIX files, the book industry standard for data sharing, which are converted into the GDSN data format and submitted to the global network. This allows publishers to participate in GDSN with no additional development costs. BookNet Canada is now recruiting the first group of publishers who will be able to upload and share data at no cost during the year-long beta period.
“Our relationship with Commport Communications, Canada’s only certified GDSN data pool, allows us to offer what is probably the most cost-effective GDSN service in North America,” added Tamblyn. “Commport immediately understood that the book industry had unique needs, that ONIX was a valuable tool, and that a completely different pricing model was required to bring publishers on board.” BNC DataSync’s pricing model includes low per-ISBN fees, capped to encourage publishers to list all of their available titles.
For more information about BNC GDSN project or to apply to be a part of the project, contact gdsn@booknetcanada.com or visit BookNet Canada`s website, www.booknetcanada.com .
Contact:
Morgan Cowie
BookNet Canada
mcowie@booknetcanada.com
416 362 5057 x231
|
