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Navatec.com have provided CybaCity with a technical briefing on some of the details of how their Navatec Voyager (NV) works. NV is a multi-purpose and multi-media client platform which Navatec.Com is introducing on all of their online business applications services. NV supports all of the standard service items of VoIP, spam-free mail and texting, document flow management, a universal channel, instant data, barcoding technology and database management. NV integrates these in a seamless fashion into a range of business applications. Hector McNeill of Navatec, explained that,"With NV, the user is not faced with a new software pack with each application but simply an extension of existing capabilities leaving all the learned functions in place. This means the learning curves for added functionality are short. By way of example, NV document flow management is an easy to use application and customers have no difficulty in transitioning to far more powerful applications such as supply chain management, consignment tracking, product traceability and other business applications." Incorporating an additional application involves no more than button clicks new application integration is automatic.
NV is based on components created by Navatec's applied research & development program, Seel-Telesis®, at SEEL (Systems Engineering Economics Lab). These components include Seel-Telesis®-VCT (Virtual Client Technology) for the user interface with the main operation being completely server-based running largely under a DecisionScript server (Vanguard Software) which is controlled by server-end DecisionScripts (*.dsb) and embedded JavaScript (ECMAScript). Some part of the operation is also written in MacroMedia Action Script as well as Swish SwishScripts. DecisionScript, ActionScript and SwishScripts are all extensions of Core ECMAScript (the JavaScript standard). DecisionScript engine Hector McNeill explained that the system's engine is mainly DecisionScript. DecisionScript is increasingly controling VoIP interfacing functions and, for example, builds VoIP clients in real time. The VoIP communications are managed by a dedicated VoIP server. A Universal Channel (UC), built using Seel-Telesis®-UC components, is an "always open" communications channel between all Navatec-voyagers, and the DecisionScript server, which, for example alerts users to all communications relevant to them. The UC runs separately from the VoIP channel and in parallel. It has a multiplexer which routes data on the basis of one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one and some-to-some and keeps data flows separate and secure. The end point of every UC link is an NV. The UC is controlled by the DecisionScript server and DecisionScripts. Many of the capabilities described are not viable using standard browser technology but are only feasible because of the Seel-Telesis®-VCT's, powerful active data detect and pull through capabilities. A strengthening ECMAScript foundation McNeill explained that the system is only a hint at what can be achieved with the integration of implementation capabilities based on different ECMAScript extensions. He feels that the flexibility provided by these is enormous because it is relatively simple to use and liberates the programmer from the straightjackets of the coding environments where code is generated for the programmer. McNeill says there is a significant trade off between "designs" built on innovative coding and the modern authoring environments which today generate code which, in many cases, the programmers do not even understand or they don't want to know. There seems to be a dumbing down which is working against true innovative design. McNeill says that,"All of our systems are build from components known as Seel-Telesis®-Scripts which are now a very large processing and business applications library. But this library is not static, we don't just retrofit exististing components to a new job. Each circumstance is assessed from the standpoint of what we call "context". In a sense this is somewhat diametrically opposed to object orientated programming, but that is another story. We have found that ECMAScript extensions work with varying degrees of ease with JavaScript. On the other hand there are some issues concerning cross-compatibility between some parts of the extensions. This is why a significant part of our applied research and development program at SEEL concentrates on working out ways to make all of them compatible. We are very close to having all these extensions talk and work together and we are using DecisionScript as the "carrier"." He added,"We are going in this direction because in the Internet environment we have not been able to identify anything which can compete with ECMAScript extensions. This basis for development liberates systems engineers by providing design flexibility, small powerful scripts, very short concept-to-implementation cycles and very low cost. When you combine this with server-based management it is pretty magical. For example, the latest prototype version of NV is called "NVBasic" and in the last four weeks some 9 major innovative upgrades have been implemented involving client end NV and server-end modifications." The latest operational release of NV will be at the end of May 2006 with a version which has plug-ins to support AgriComex's international agricultural commodity trading system. |
