Xpertdoc deploy its managed document output Automation solution on Windows Azure

As part of the real World Windows Azure series, we contacted Francis Dion, founder and CEO of Xpertdoc Technology, to learn more about how the company quickly deploys managed services using Windows Azure, A file-output solution to enhance its non-cloud. Read Xpertdoc's success story here. Read to find out what he is going to say.

Himanshu Kumar Singh: Tell me something about Xpertdoc.

The Francis Dion:xpertdoc technology provides an automated solution for document output that translates Microsoft Word into a high-quality customer communications platform. For Microsoft Word documents, we are Microsoft's first group of partners to support Office Open XML. Open XML is an xml-based file format that facilitates programmatic access to Microsoft Office documents.

HKS: What is a xpertdoc solution?

The Fd:xpertdoc solution has two main components: one is the Microsoft Word add-in for authoring document templates, and the other is managing and running their centralized, web-based portal. To select options and enter the required data, the portal reads the template and generates a web-based form that produces a final Microsoft Word document-for example, a plan for health insurance policy benefits, a sales contract, or client communications. Xpertdoc solutions can also be integrated with other enterprise systems, such as customer relationship management applications.

HKS: What drives you to move to a managed solution?

FD: Unlike competitive products that can require specialized training, take months to deploy, spend more than CAD $500,000 (USD 511,000) on annual license fees, Xpertdoc solutions are designed for fast, cost-effective applications- This is one area where we want to further differentiate our company. To that end, in 2011, we re-examined our traditional, non-cloud deployment model, with each customer running a xpertdoc portal copy in their IT infrastructure. This non-cloud approach poses a number of challenges, the biggest obstacle being applications. While non-cloud solutions can be deployed quickly, it still takes several weeks to help customers buy and deploy servers. As the use grows, customers have to manage, support, and extend the scale of Xpertdoc solutions that are not cloud-wide.

With the popular, fast-growing cloud-based solution, we know we need ourselves. However, we do not want to spend time, expense and distraction from building and managing the managed infrastructure. More and more customers need a managed solution. We have to meet their needs, but do not want to build and run a scalable and resilient hosting infrastructure in the business. Even if we use traditional hosting providers, we will still have to deal with issues such as system management, scalability, redundancy, disaster recovery, and geographic latency-not to mention convincing potential customers that we have the necessary capabilities in all of these areas.

HKS: How do you decide on Windows Azure?

FD: Before we chose to build on Windows Azure, we tested the cloud platform on Amazon and Microsoft. We have a microsoft.net library, and no other cloud platform supports. NET development better than Windows Azure. Some of our peers use Amazon, but compared to Windows Azure, we find this more expensive and more akin to traditional hosting providers.

HKS: How about the development process on Windows Azure?

FD: In July 2011, relying on the Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 Application Lifecycle Management, we started using the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional development system to modify our code, and run on Windows Azure. Until September 2011, a developer could work in this project in his spare time. We rely on Windows Azure to immediately turn our attention to the features of new products that can help promote promotions, such as providing customers with a way to register for free.

HKS: Can you tell me something about a customer who uses a managed solution?

FD: Well, Prologis, the world's leading industrial real estate provider with 45 billion dollars in managed assets and over 1000 employees, is a good example of this client. In 22 countries, the company operates a portfolio of about 3,100 industrial facilities, leasing more than 584 million square feet of space to manufacturers, retailers, transport companies, third party logistics providers and others in need of large-scale distribution.

In North America alone, the company's market personnel generate thousands of contracts each year, of which about 80% require One-third in-house counsel's attention. Many years ago, through market personnel Prologis for the leasing market to establish an internal solution, but it is fragile and difficult to maintain, so finally gave up.

In 2011, when the company evaluated possible solutions, Jason Murphy, First vice president and corporate legal advisor Prologis, envisioned that solution marketers could answer some basic questions, but could bring together the most complex contracts. He also needs a solution that can be deployed with the involvement of the IT team without him, which is what the recent merger is busy with. Talk to Forrester, which allows Murphy to choose Xpertdoc Solutions, which means the most cost-effective and simplest implementation and use. Murphy told me to join him before he needed to install the server, they would give up. They want a current solution that works in real time with any desktop, and the Xpertdoc on Windows Azure is exactly what he wants.

In December 2011, the leasing requirement was set down two weeks after Prologis's new solution was ready for use. New managed, subscription-based services offer the Prologis exactly what it wants: fast execution, minimal upfront cost, no IT staff involved in Xpertdoc solutions, and a hundreds of-hour annual effort to save company attorneys. It is also important that Prologis transfer its rental workload to market personnel in such a way as to ensure that there is no error in leasing.

What are the advantages of hks:windows Azure?

FD: By building on Windows Azure, we migrated Xpertdoc solutions for non-cloud to Windows Azure, costing only 160 hours of development work. Developers do not need any new tools or skills, and can easily improve speed. Now we use a code base to support non-cloud and managed deployments-the only difference is a compile switch and 50 lines of code.

Windows Azure also brings us a fully automated, self-service hosting and management environment that allows us to scale up or down within minutes. We started with an extra small calculation instance with two midsize instances, now running on six midsize instances. Can pay for some of the new features we might need, and when we need it, it's really good. Because it generates revenue without having to guess what functionality we will need six months ago, then make significant investments ahead of time.

Because Windows Azure is available in data centers around the world, when we add business to other parts of the world, we can approach our customers to deploy our applications. For example, if Prologis wants to expand the use of Xpertdoc,xpertdoc outside North America, it can deploy to a data center in Europe or Asia, minimizing any latency and performance problems.

What benefits does Hks:windows Azure bring to your customers?

FD: The increase in portfolio hosting services enables us to provide customers with more choices and convenience, thus creating new opportunities for sales. By building on Windows Azure, we can provide new services and spend minimal effort on business and customers. Don't worry about backup, scalability, etc., and can extend these same benefits to customers.

By building Windows Azure, we deliver more and more customer requirements quickly and cost-effectively: ease of adoption, strong scalability, and reliable availability. Customers now have more options, we have new ways to treat the market, and no one is worried about the server-this is a win for everyone. Some customers have even opted for a hybrid approach that runs Xpertdoc for day-to-day use and is used for disaster recovery on Windows Azure.

HKS: How's the new solution selling now?

FD: I estimate that one-third to One-second of transactions today are the company's new cloud-based service. We have recently completed a large business in three weeks, which usually takes several months in a non cloud situation. In addition, when we tell our customers that we run on Windows Azure, we mitigate any potential concerns about the quality of our managed infrastructure. Built on Windows Azure has been running smoothly, and by extension it is also good for our customers.