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What is
WebCD? |
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WebCD is a new media type that
combines the best of the World Wide
Web and CD-ROM. As the leading
hybrid Web/CD-ROM publishing tool,
WebCD lets Web site owners deliver a
Net-connected "Web site on a disc".
By combining the portability,
inexpensive storage, and rapid
access times of a CD-ROM with
tethered links to the Web, WebCD
delivers a rich multimedia
experience while avoiding the delays
associated with traditional Web
access.
WebCD consists of two main
components, the WebCD Packager and
the WebCD Viewer.
The WebCD Packager retrieves your
Web content and relocates it to
CD-ROM. You can select which content
to include on the CD-ROM and which
links bring you back to the live Web
site by simply pointing and clicking
at a graphical view of Web site. The
Packager also makes it easy to
integrate non-Web content onto the
CD-ROM, such as multimedia
presentations, software executables
or any electronic content that may
be too large (or too sensitive) to
be placed on your Web site.
The WebCD Viewer provides everything
needed to install, view and search
your WebCD. The Viewer works with
industry standard browsers from
Microsoft and Netscape, and installs
Microsoft Internet Explorer if no
browser is present. WebCD's Live-LinksT
connect users back to your live Web
site, making it easy for users to
place orders, submit forms and
retrieve the latest updates. The
Viewer also includes full-text
searching to simplify the location
of documents on the WebCD and
provides Graphical Bookmarks for
highlighting "must-see" information
on your WebCD. |
Why do
I need WebCD? |
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WebCD enables business customers to
bypass Internet bandwidth
bottlenecks, and blast through the
crowded cyber-market, by allowing
their Web site audiences to view the
bulk of their Web site from a local
CD-ROM, and use Internet hooks to
conduct electronic commerce and
provide real-time content updates.
With WebCD, businesses can
proactively reach out to thousands
of prospects and customers who
suffer from slow Web performance or
lack convenient access to the
Internet. And sensitive information
on corporate Intranets can be shared
with key business partners or mobile
employees without access to the
Intranet.
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What are some
typical WebCD applications?
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Direct Marketing and Sales
Collateral - As an integral part of
your marketing mix, WebCD works as a
cost effective fulfillment kit,
trade show handout and direct mail
piece that generates more
high-quality leads better close
rates than paper based collateral.
Sales Training and Reseller
Communications - By combining
"off-Web" sales intelligence (such
as Word, PowerPoint files and
multimedia) with your existing Web
content, WebCD lets you quickly
build an electronic support package
that shortens sales cycles and
captures more attention from your
sales and reseller channels.
Customer Service - WebCD slashes
print and distribution costs, lowers
call volume and increases customer
satisfaction by delivering your
technical support knowledge base,
interactive training, tips and
multimedia demos directly to your
customers. |
What exactly is a "live-link" and
how does it work? |
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A live-linkT is an icon-driven
connection from WebCD out to your
live Web site. If you are using a
computer with a permanent Internet
connection you will experience no
dial-up delays as you jump from
WebCD to the live Web site. However,
the page download times will be
longer coming over the Net. If you
rely on dial-up access, your dialer
program will be triggered by your
request to "go live".
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Why can't I simply copy my Web site
to a CD-ROM? |
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On first glance, it might seem that
getting Web content onto a CD-ROM
could be as simple as copying files.
The truth is, because the Web is
fundamentally a Client/Server
system, and because HTML files are
linked together, content must be
retrieved using HTTP and then
"relocated" to a local storage area.
Experienced Web developers know many
of the pitfalls that surround
relocating HTML files. But a whole
new set of issues arise when
building true hybrid Internet
/CD-ROMs. The MobileVue White Paper,
Challenges in Building Hybrid
Web/CD-ROMs , points out a few of
these challenges and shows how a
dedicated tool set like MobileVue®
WebCD can allow anyone in your
organization produce high-quality
hybrid applications in far less time
than manual procedures.
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On what platforms does WebCD run?
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The WebCD Packager runs on Windows
98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. The WebCD Viewer adds
installation, bookmarks, Live-links,
and searching and is available for
Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows
2000 and Windows XP, but content
produced by the WebCD Packager is
stored in an open format, allowing
the CD-ROM to be viewed by any
browser on any operating system by
simply opening the CD-ROM home page.
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What can I put on a WebCD?
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The WebCD Packager runs on Windows
98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. The WebCD Viewer adds
installation, bookmarks, Live-links,
and searching and is available for
Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows
2000 and Windows XP., but content
produced by the WebCD Packager is
stored in an open format, allowing
the CD-ROM to be viewed by any
browser on any operating system by
simply opening the CD-ROM home page.
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