Sneak Preview: Autonomy WorkSite iPhone/iPad App v2.0

Written by Rob Ameerun  | 22 November 2011

Autonomy’s iPad/iPhone WorkSite App is very popular amongst users of WorkSite. Version 1.4.4 is available in Apple’s App Store, but Autonomy is already working on version 2.0, which will be available for WorkSite users in Q1 2012.

Legal IT Professionals had the unique opportunity to play around with a pre-release version and we were impressed with the improvements. To summarize, the new version comes with Split View, the ability to synchronize matters for off-line use, document version support, advanced search functionality, single sign-on via AD trusted login, a local encrypted document store, and much more.

Ubiquitous access to the repository from the latest preferred user devices is critical to ensure broad adoption of document and email management systems as well as enforcement of filing policy. WorkSite Mobility brings key capabilities of Autonomy WorkSite to the iPad and iPhone, as well as other smart phone devices. Through an innovative user interface, mobile professionals can now interact with client files, find and view documents and attach files to emails to collaborate with colleagues and clients.

The new WorkSite App v2.0 will work with a new version of the WorkSite Mobility Server in order to support these new capabilities.

New Features

The following features are planned for v2.0 of the iOS WorkSite App:

• New User Interface with Split View –an intuitive user interface with two panes similar to the mail app on the iPad
• Synchronize Matters – allows users to manually synchronize a matter for offline access, similar to how users synchronize matters with OffSite (expected to ship with version 2.1)
• Versions – the iPad app will display an expandable version list for documents with many versions; the app will show an accordion style list, exposing version 100, 99, 98….. 2,1 – the user can click the middle of the version chain to expose more versions
• Clustering Support –iPad users login to the WorkSite cluster for fault tolerance & load balancing
• Advanced Search – Simple and easy profile and full-text search; users can search the entire library or limit their search scope within a container
• Auto-configuration - (expected to ship with version 2.1)
  • Administrators send a configuration file via email; from the iPad, the user can click on attachment and automatically configure theiPad client to connect to the right server or cluster
  • Administrators will be able to set security policies that enable/disable connectivity from an iOS device; additional policies can be configured to limit functionality by user on the device
• iPhone Support – Initially focused on the iPad, release for the iPhone will follow in version 2.1

Enhanced Security

• HTTPS / SSL – communication has been enhanced to support HTTPS
• Single sign-on via ADS Trusted Login – allows customers to leverage network passwords
• Enhanced Audit Trails – operations executed from the device are fully audited
• Encrypted Document Store – prevents direct data access in the event the device is lost

Benefits

• Keeps users in touch with the latest client information anywhere and anytime for faster response times and better overall client service
• Delivers powerful WorkSite capabilities to a user's fingertips, enabling them to be more productive while out of the office
• Keeps professionals on top of their workload. Either connected or disconnected, users can locate and file emails while on the go
• Addresses key challenges of document and correspondence retention by making it simple for professionals to locate and file important information to the matter file
• All communications are encrypted and compressed for security and optimal use of network bandwidth

WorkSite Mobility on the iPhone or iPad delivers seamless integration with Apple’s popular mobile devices and provides users with powerful, easy and secure access to information in WorkSite repositories. Being a native application and leveraging Apple technology provides multiple advantages for document access including high-fidelity document viewing, multi-touch zooming, document rotation and the speed of current networking capabilities. The integration allows WorkSite users to effectively access and manage their email and engagement related content from anywhere and enables them to stay productive and responsive to client needs.