Prosperoware today unveiled a new family of products that lowers the barriers for integrating Microsoft SharePoint and iManage WorkSite, an HP Autonomy product, when a firm uses SharePoint for their intranets and extranets and WorkSite for their document management system. Ascera for SharePoint simplifies a number of complex operations that involve sharing and synchronizing content between the two systems, provisioning SharePoint, and managing folders in SharePoint. For users of SharePoint 2013, which supports Macs, tablets, and smartphones as well as the PC, Ascera for SharePoint also enables a unified experience for end users regardless of the application and browser they are using.

Market perspective
Most firms today use a decades-old approach to integrate the two systems, which provides a window called a portlet from one application into the other.  This approach raises a number of challenges, including the need for users to know how to use both applications, the need for administrators to manage complex processes for granting access rights, and intranet/extranet performance issues that develop because data needs to be pulled from both systems.

In contrast, Ascera uses native SharePoint functionality to publish WorkSite content or links to content directly to SharePoint document libraries. This means users can work inside SharePoint with WorkSite content, eliminating the need for a separate interface and making WorkSite content searchable in SharePoint.  Optionally, content can be updated in either SharePoint or WorkSite, and the two systems are automatically synchronized.

“The world has changed,” said Keith Lipman, president and cofounder of Prosperoware. “We’ve gone digital broadly and deeply, which makes it incumbent upon software developers to operate efficiently across applications and browsers, commonly referred to as delivering a ‘responsive experience.’  Users today also expect a much higher quality experience. This means our business applications have to be as easy to use as Facebook or LinkedIn. That’s a tall order when you are trying to integrate multiple business systems. Bringing core WorkSite content into SharePoint to make it accessible via intranets and extranets is critical to delivering a responsive and quality user experience a well as better system performance.”

Product detail
The Ascera for SharePoint product family consists of four integrated products built upon a browser-neutral platform that infuses rich, web-based software functionality into legacy systems, such as SharePoint and WorkSite.

Ascera Publisher
Provides direct access to WorkSite content or links to content from SharePoint intranets and extranets and seamlessly synchronizes content between WorkSite and SharePoint.

Ascera Site Provisioning
Automatically generates SharePoint sites at the opening of a matter or engagement in the firm’s new business intake system, Time & Billing system, or practice management system.

Ascera Hub
Provides flexible, on-demand foldering options and stages deleted files in a cross-site recycle bin.

Ascera Web Parts
Provides a set of SharePoint web parts to expose functionality in WorkSite for firms that prefer the familiar legacy approach to integrating the two systems and are not concerned about delivering a responsive experience across applications and browsers or a common user interface.