MadCap Software Launches Feedback Server 4.0 to Enhance Community-Based Content and Collaboration Between Technical Authors and End-Users

    LA JOLLA, CA, July 06, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- MadCap Software, Inc. (http://www.madcapsoftware.com), the leader in multi-channel content authoring and a showcase company for Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft XPS, today announced that MadCap Feedback Server 4.0 is now available.

MadCap Feedback Server 4.0 (http://www.madcapsoftware.com/products/feedback/overview.aspx#introduction) is a server-based feedback system for content development teams that provides Web 2.0 features--such as blog-style comments and topic rating--to capture readers' insights and opinions on content such as knowledge bases, online Help, intranets and more. It also delivers valuable statistics, such users' search terms, the results they are getting, and more importantly, which users' search terms are not providing results. Working in concert with MadCap Flare, MadCap's flagship native XML publishing software, MadCap Feedback Server enables unprecedented collaboration among technical authors and the readers of their Flare-based documentation.

With version 4.0, MadCap Feedback Server adds several features for enhancing analysis and interactions between authors and their readers, helping to optimize both the value and ease of accessing critical information:

* Email notifications. With version 4.0, both administrators and users can reply to comments directly from the email notifications they receive; clicking on the reply link allows a comment to be added directly to the topic. Additionally, a new Email tab lets administrators customize the email notifications that users receive.

* Statistics reporting. The Brower Statistics and Operating System Statistics window panes now offer the option to reset the statistics in order to track only new data. Browser Statistics also offer more detail about the browser versions being used by readers for better analysis.

* Comments handling and workflow. In addition to enabling anonymous comments and requiring that new comments be reviewed, Feedback Admin can now be used to automatically hide comments after a certain time period. Also, the Comments window can be used to modify a comment's subject, status and text--enabling for example, a misspelling to be corrected.

* Charts. Administrators can now assign different colors to data, and new drop-down menus make it easier to specify the information and legends to be used in the charts. When printing reports, the Print and Print Preview views show the graphics and data together.

* Usability enhancements include a shortcut for exporting Feedback data to CSV and TXT files, and the ability to specify the name of the online documentation or Help system to which specific feedback belongs.

MadCap Feedback Server is part of the MadCap Software native XML state-of-the-art suite of technical communications software, which provides the only complete content workflow solution, from authoring and casual contribution; to single-source, multi-channel publishing of print, desktop, Web and mobile content; to content analysis, localization, and collaboration. MadCap Feedback Server is also available as the hosted MadCap Feedback Service, which can be purchased and used on a monthly subscription basis.

"Using our MadCap Feedback Server, companies worldwide are increasing the value of their Flare-based content by enabling dynamic interaction between authors and readers--whether they are customers, partners or other employees," said Anthony Olivier, MadCap founder and CEO. "With version 4.0, our Feedback Server further enriches community-based content and collaboration through more intuitive comment features and adds several new functions to enhance analysis, providing authors with greater insight into readers' usage, and ensuring the rapid system response that encourages Web 2.0-enabled community interaction."

MadCap Feedback Server 4.0 Builds on Proven Customer Success

Version 4.0 builds on the proven success of MadCap Feedback Server and the hosted MadCap Feedback Service in revolutionizing how enterprises get live user feedback on documentation, whether Web-based or on the desktop. Expanding beyond functionality for viewing and tracking reader activity, Feedback Server and Feedback Service offer cutting-edge Web 2.0 capabilities that allow readers to post immediate, blog-style comments in Flare-based content--for example, clarifying or updating information in the documentation--and the comments can become part of the page that future readers see. They also enable readers to rate published information using a standard five-star system, so authors can find out what information readers truly find beneficial. Readers' topic ratings are tabulated, providing an overall community average score that all readers can then see on a page-by-page basis. At the same time, content teams retain full control of which features are used and by whom through rules-based access.

"Since using MadCap Feedback Service to improve our Flare-based Help systems, our support team is seeing anywhere from a 10 percent to 30 percent drop in 'how-to' calls, which suggests that customers are finding it easier to follow the Help instructions," said Riyaz S. Adamjee, CCC Information Services Inc. manager of communications services.

"We have been using MadCap's Feedback Server to gather customer input on our Flare-generated Web Help content through the rating and tagging features, and customers have given us very positive feedback, said Patrick Calnan, N-able Technologies documentation team leader. "We look forward to using Flare and Feedback Server in future projects to further extend the dialogue with our customers."

Pricing and Availability

MadCap Feedback Server 4.0 can be deployed onsite or is available as the hosted MadCap Feedback Service. Madcap Feedback Server 4.0 currently is offered at an introductory price of $1,799 per server product license (each product license includes multiple Feedback target licenses for authors to use). The MadCap Feedback Service is offered in increments of 3, 6, or 12 months, with prices starting at $399 for a 3-month subscription. Fees for support start at $799 per year.

About MadCap Software

MadCap Software, Inc. is a leading technical communication software firm specializing in integrated applications for end-to-end content development, delivery and management. MadCap's software products provide state-of-the-art content workflow solutions for multi-channel publishing, including the Web, print, desktop and mobile. Through its strategic partner Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), MadCap delivers solutions optimized for Microsoft Windows, Visual Studio, and the .NET environment. Headquartered in La Jolla, CA, MadCap is home to some of the most experienced software architects and product experts in the documentation industry. Learn more about MadCap Software at www.madcapsoftware.com.

MadCap Software, the MadCap Software logo, MadCap Flare, MadCap Feedback Server, and MadCap Feedback Service are trademarks or registered trademarks of MadCap Software, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.

# # #