Mediachase Software

Instant Business Network™

(IBN) Collaboration Server
Web Based Project Management and Collaboration Solution

IBN-CS Web Portal:

User Guide

Version 4.5

28.02.2007
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IBN 4.5 – What’s new

Document history
Version Date of update Changes
V 1.0 9.02.2006

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Table of contents

CHAPTER 1 GENERAL CHANGES............................................................................................................... 5

1.1 USER INTERFACE...........................................................................................................................................5
1.2 CLIENTS/CONTACTS .....................................................................................................................................5
1.3 INTEGRATED WINDOWS AUTENTIFICATION AND IMPORTING USERS FROM LDAP DIRECTORIES ......5
1.4 PROJECT TEMPLATES SAVING .....................................................................................................................6
1.5 E-MAIL BOXES ...............................................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2 HELP DESK MANAGEMENT – ISSUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM............................. 7
2.1 ISSUE BOXES...................................................................................................................................................7
2.2 E-MAIL CREATED ISSUES ..............................................................................................................................8
2.3 SPAM-FILTERS ...............................................................................................................................................8
2.4 CONFIRMING MESSAGES BY E-MAIL............................................................................................................9
2.5 ISSUE MANAGING...........................................................................................................................................9
2.6 FORUM..........................................................................................................................................................10
2.7 INTERNAL E-MAIL ROUTING.......................................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 3 FINANCE AND BASE PLANS ............................................................................................... 11
3.1 FINANCE PLANNING ....................................................................................................................................11
3.2 PROJECT PLAN BY MILESTONES................................................................................................................13
CHAPTER 4 CONTACTS AND SUPPORT ................................................................................................. 14
4.1 TECHNICAL SUPPORT..................................................................................................................................14
4.2 CONTACTS....................................................................................................................................................14

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Introduction
This document is a detailed description of new features which have been implemented in
the new version of Mediachase software - Instant Business Network 4.5.

IBN 4.5 accentuates on Issue management - Help Desk Management. HDM changes are
exactly the most radical and remarkable. To get more details regarding these changes see
the second document chapter. Besides evident modifications in Issue management there is
Integrated Windows Autentification and new Finance management system, which are
described in separate chapters, among fundamental changes of IBN 4.5.

This document has been prepared for users who have some knowledge about working with
the IBN 4.1 and 4.0 versions. We have tried to emphasize all the substantial points
connected with functional changes and present them in the form which could allow users
with some experience of working with IBN to learn quickly new features and go easily to
IBN 4.5 using.

The detailed description of working with functional changes are left out, the document
contains just most substantial and crucial material. Therefore it is highly recommended
even for experienced users to see user and administration guides to get full information
regarding functionality of all the IBN 4.5 new objects, systems and services.

Note: The features described below are not final and can be modified in the process of
completion and testing of the commercial IBN 4.5 version.

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Chapter 1 General changes

1.1 User interface

There are no radical changes of design or interface in IBN 4.5 in comparison with the IBN
4.1 version. The reason of not making such changes was, on the one hand, the wish for
concentrating on the qualified realization of new functional features, and on the other hand,
providing users with an opportunity of easier and quicker learning of them using well
known interface.

1.2 Clients/Contacts
New section has been added – “Clients/Contacts”. This section contains the list of
contacts and organizations, which are your company clients or can become them.

“Organizations” section has been created to provide keeping of the expanded information
concerning partner companies and their representatives.

In the IBN 4.5 version this section is the same as expanded dictionary. Nevertheless it is
the first step on the path to realization of CRM-system principles (Customer Relationship
Management), which will underlie the next version of our product - IBN 5.0.

Client can be related to any of projects, Issues, To-Dos and documents created in the
portal. “Grouped By” section enables to view Issues, projects, documents, and To-Dos
which the required client is related to.

Export and Import abilities simplify the procedure of client information input.

1.3 Integrated Windows autentification and importing users

from LDAP directories
In addition to ability of users’ conversion from Active Directory, which has appeared in
the IBN 4.0 version, the Integrated Windows autentification has been implemented in the
IBN 4.5 version. If the connection of this type exists, logging into the portal is automatic
and does not require login and password input.

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Portal administrator establishes the connection between Active Directory and Windows
users.

IBN 4.5 enables importing of users not only from Active Directory (as it was in the
previous IBN versions), but from any LDAP Directory either. The ability of IBN and
LDAP Directory users synchronization has been implemented. This has been made to
relieve the administrator from the necessity of manual user creating or import procedure
repeating every time when he has to add new user account. Synchronization function
enables to bring the list of IBN users into correspondence with Active Directory (or any
other LDAP Directory). The information about the results of all made synchronizations is
saved in the administrative report.

To get more details see IBN 4.5 Administration Guide.

1.4 Project templates saving

The system of project templates saving has been improved. IBN 4.1 templates could save
just the information concerning roles and task structure. New IBN version includes the
ability of Meta data saving, system project fields saving and team saving. User can define
by his own, if this new data is to be saved in the template or not.

1.5 E-mail boxes

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IBN 4.5 keeps just external file boxes. Mail processing for these boxes is run by
File.Pop3MessageHandler, which saves mail body and attached files in the IBN file
library.

Note: Use route template for choosing the folder where the message information will be
placed.

IssueRequest.Pop3MessageHandler, which used to convert messages into external incident

(Issue) messages, is refused. Now Issue external messages are run in another way. To get
more details see the following chapter.

Chapter 2 Help Desk Management – Issue Management

System
Issue (Incident) Management System has changed significantly. As a result of fundamental
review of approach to Issue processing and working with them, some inconsistencies with
previous IBN versions have appeared. To remove these inconsistencies some functions
and elements of IBN 4.1 Issue management system were reserved. This will enable to
move painlessly the information during transfer from IBN 4.1 to IBN 4.5.

2.1 Issue boxes

Basic element of Issues processing is Issue box. Issue processing logic is set exactly
through the boxes. Every new Issue is tightly related to one box.

Issue box has one corresponding manager which is responsible for controlling the deadline
and quality of working with Issues.

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The second significant Issue box characteristic is set of rules. These rules enable to define
which box the Issue will belong to if it wasn’t mentioned while creating.

2.2 E-mail created Issues

As in the previous IBN versions external messages about Issues are just usual e-mail
messages which are sent to the special box.

In the IBN 4.1 version messages were being transferred into Issues with the names
according to the message theme; body text and attachments were being added in the file
form. IBN 4.5 provides you with more wide opportunities of setting the accordance
between message body and fields of an Issue which was based on it.

The accordance between the Issue and message fields is set by special adapter. There is
one adapter set by default in the system, however an administrator of the IBN portal can
connect up one or more required adapters in addition.

Note: contact with us to get the guide regarding development and connection of additional
adapters.

E-mail boxes’ settings for external Issues are placed to the “Issues/HelpDesk” unit.

2.3 Spam-filters
Messages which were sent to boxes for external Issues are being checked up in order to
spam in according to the accepted rules. Three check rules are set by default:

Ticket (action: accept)

Checks up messages for the purpose of the code in the theme, that points which Issue
box the message has to be referred to; in case of positive result the message is being
confirmed automatically. The message is converted into an Issue in the Issue box
which is corresponding to the code.

WhiteList (action: accept)

Automatically confirms the message which is in the White list of addresses, converts it
to an Issue and places it to the Issue box, which is defined in according to Box rules. If
none of rules sets satisfies the Issue, it is being placed to the default box.

BlackList (action: decline)

The message is being automatically deleted without converting to an Issue.

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Portal administrator can delete (or modify) any of the existing rules of message check and
add new ones.

2.4 Confirming messages by e-mail

If the incoming message has not been confirmed automatically or deleted by spam-filter
rules system, it is being placed into the list of unchecked messages. Any user of “Support
service” group can delete or confirm this message manually. In case of message deletion e-
mail address is moved to the Black List, in case of confirming – to the White one.

2.5 Issue managing

After confirming the external message is being converted into an Issue in the “New”
status.

Working with Issues is an activity of a responsible user, which is being selected from all
portal users. There are several ways of responsible assignment:

assignment by a manager;

assignment for the whole Issue box ;

selecting from the pool.

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Special feature is “Assign a group of responsible”. To save the accordance with previous
IBN versions, the ability of resources assignment has been reserved. This function is being
activated on the Issue box level.

2.6 Forum
The page of Issue view does not contain “File library” and “Discussion” tabs anymore.
There is a forum instead of them, which contains the whole history of working with an
Issue including comments, files, internal and external e-mail messages, and system
messages concerning Issue status changes.

You can point the rules of message output: place the decision above, possible decisions or
questions.

There is an ability of forming the list of external message recipients for the specific Issue.
Outcoming messages will be sent to the addresses of this list.

2.7 Internal e-mail routing

There is an absolutely new ability of working with e-mail. External e-mail messages,
which are sent to the internal e-mail box defined by an administrator, will be registered in
the system and sent to responsible users.

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In the IBN 4.5 version activated internal e-mail routing enables to work with mail either
through the portal page and common mail clients. In this case an external user sends the
message to the internal box pointing in the message theme the code of an Issue, and the
message is automatically sent to all the stakeholders. Special plug-in for Microsoft
Outlook enables to view the information concerning the Issue, in the context of working
with which the message was received, to send the decisions for the Issue by e-mail and
change Issue status.

Such an approach can, for example, effectively organize the work of the support service.

Chapter 3 Finance and base plans

3.1 Finance planning

There are some remarkable changes of project finance managing. All the abilities of
finance account which were implemented in the IBN 4.1 version are reserved, however the
control system has changed significantly.

One of fundamental innovations is expense planning system. The structure of financial

plan is set using the one of four templates, which are defined by default in the portal. Portal
administrator can design and connect up additional templates by his own.

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The current (or planned) expense structure can be saved as a base finance plan. New report
which is available in the “Management center” unit (left menu) enables to compare finance
plans of different projects between each other and with base plans.

Using these functions you can set project finance plan, save it as a base plan and control
real project expenses comparing current expenses with base plan.

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IBN 4.5 – What’s new

3.2 Project plan by Milestones

The system of task stages planning is similar to the expenses planning system. By saving
base plan, you save in the plan both finance structure milestones.

“Project analysis Plan/Fact” (“Management center” in the left menu) enables to compare
plans by milestones of several projects with safe base plans.

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IBN 4.5 – What’s new

Chapter 4 Contacts and support

4.1 Technical support

If you have any difficulties connected with installation or working with our products,
contact us by sending an email to support@mediachase.com

4.2 Contacts
If you have any questions concerning Mediachase products and services, please email us at
info@mediachase.com

or phone:

PBX: +1 323-988-1071

Fax: +1 323-908-3960

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