Users only need an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla and others to operate their applications. No additional software is required to be downloaded or installed.
Aware IM automatically generates an intuitive user interface so that even users with no special training (like external customers of an organization) can use Aware IM applications.
Aware IM can work in an office without Internet connectivity. Users in the office can access their applications via local area network using an Internet browser.
Aware IM applications can be easily integrated with existing web sites of an organization.

Computer platform independent

Aware IM works on any operating system supporting Java technology including Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

Works with SQL-compliant databases

Aware IM works with several popular SQL databases, such as MySQL, Oracle, MS SQL Server, MSDE and Cloudscape/Derby. Aware IM imposes no limits on the amount of managed data. This depends only on the capacity of the selected database.

In addition to the native support of the above-mentioned databases (where Aware IM automatically creates and modifies database tables according to the definitions of business objects) Aware IM can also work with any existing database that has a JDBC driver or with data stored in Active Directory/LDAP server.

Multiple users

Aware IM allows multiple users to access an application at the same time. Aware IM imposes no limits on the number of concurrent users.

Multiple languages

You can develop applications in any language.

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Data Definition and Search

Easy data definition

Aware IM does not require users to describe their business elements in terms of database tables, columns, files or records. Instead, business elements are defined as objects with attributes describing either some simple facts (textual, numeric, etc.) or links (single or multiple) to other related objects.

Automatic relationships

Aware IM fully supports data relationships including one-to-one, many-to-one and many-to-many relationships. Relationships are easy in Aware IM because It fully automates both definition and management of related data at run-time. Read more...

Automatic table management

Aware IM creates database tables for each defined object and other tables necessary to maintain links between related objects. Aware IM automatically adds, removes, changes type or renames tables and table columns whenever changes are made to definitions of objects or their links.

Flexible Search

Aware IM has a number of powerful and flexible data search capabilities. It delivers the full power of SQL without requiring SQL knowledge. Read more...

Document and picture data types

Documents and pictures can be stored in the database just like any other data. While pictures are automatically displayed on forms, documents can be viewed within a browser by the appropriate document editor.

Business object groups

Aware IM allows grouping different data of similar nature so that it can be handled in the same way. Read more...

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Data Processing

Business rules

Business logic in Aware IM is governed by business rules. Business rules are very different from code-based scripts, routines or procedures used in other systems - they hide technical details and do not require programming. Read more...

Database transactions

Aware IM allows extracting data out of the system in bulk and inserting data into the system while preserving links between related data. This feature is useful for initial transfer of data to Aware IM from existing databases, spreadsheets, text files, etc. It can also be used for regular data exchange with applications that do not support other forms of communication.

Export and import

Aware IM has a number of powerful and flexible data search capabilities. It delivers the full power of SQL without requiring SQL knowledge. Read more...

Task scheduling

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Data Presentation

Aware IM requires minimal effort from the user to create intuitive fully functional web interface.

Automatic forms

Aware IM automatically generates forms for each data element and updates them when the elements are changed.

Automatically generated forms have professional look and feel.
A variety of useful widgets such as calendar controls, drop-downs, indicators of required fields are automatically generated.
Scripts validating user input are automatically generated and included with the forms.
Tabs are automatically generated when a large form is split into separate sections to allow users to switch directly to the desired section of the form.
Wizard-like forms are automatically generated when it is necessary to guide users through all sections of the form in the required order.
Order of elements on the form, number of columns and optional separators can be specified.
Portals to show related data are automatically generated and include buttons to link, unlink and navigate to the related data (see also Automatic relationships).

Calendar view

Aware IM allows displaying appointments or other time-based data in a calendar view similar to a diary. There are five separate calendar views: day, week, working week, month, and year. Users can switch between the views or create a new appointment with a single mouse click. View screenshots.

Customizable look and feel

Users can easily adjust look and feel of their application. They can choose colors and fonts, specify which panels are visible on the screen and their sizes (banner, footer, side panels, etc.), style and position of the application menu, etc. Users can also choose to have different layout for different parts of their application. All settings are controlled by dialogs, there is no programming or scripting involved.

The appearance of the application can also be optionally customized for different categories of users. Aware IM allows various level of customization, from colors and fonts to completely different look and feel including different data forms, menu, operations, etc.

Default and custom menu

Aware IM provides the default menu allowing users to perform standard operations such as creating or searching data, generating documents and reports, etc. Users can easily customize the menu by adding specific operations arranged in the desired way.

Designer forms

Aware IM includes a visual designer where users can create advanced data presentations as an optional alternative to auto-generated forms. The presentations can display data differently depending on specified conditions, include hyperlinks to start operations, etc.

Custom forms

As an alternative to auto-generated forms users can design custom forms in their favorite HTML editor and import them into Aware IM.

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Documents, reports and e-mail

Report Designer

Aware IM includes a visual Report Designer that allows users to easily design comprehensive reports that may include:

Nested grouping of data with summaries for each group. For example, a time-tracking report for an organization arranged by departments, teams within departments and individuals within teams.
Sub-reports including nested sub-reports. For example, a report on customers where data for each customer includes a list of orders placed by the customer and each order has a list of order line items.
Conditional aggregate operations. For example, a report on customers where data for each customer includes a total amount for all orders placed by the customer and shipped by a certain date.
Conditional data presentation where the same report field can show data differently depending on some conditions specified for the field. For example, account balance can be shown in black if it is positive, red if it is negative or shown as a special icon if it is zero.
Charts, including bar, area, line, pie charts, support for data series.

Document management

Aware IM allows working with any type of electronic document or file. Documents can be stored, retrieved, printed, exported and saved to disk, imported from disk, attached to e-mails and viewed within a browser with the appropriate editor.

Personalized documents

Aware IM can automatically generate personalized documents from document templates that users can create in MS Word, MS Excel, HTML and plain text formats and import into Aware IM. Document templates may include:

Placeholders for data (like client name) to be taken from the database and inserted into the generated document (also known as "mail or document merge").
Placeholders for related data to be shown as lists in the generated document. For example, a customer letter may include details of all orders of the customer.
Conditions indicating when a particular section of the template should be included into the generated document.
Sub-documents to improve structure and formatting of complex templates.

Outgoing e-mails

Aware IM can automatically send e-mails. Business rules are used to specify conditions when e-mails should be sent. E-mails can be easily personalized:

Subject and body of an e-mail may include placeholders for data (like client name) to be taken from the database and inserted into the e-mail.
E-mail attachments can be specified as document templates, which are automatically converted into personalized documents when e-mail is sent.

Incoming e-mails

Aware IM can receive e-mails sent to a particular e-mail address and automatically take actions based on the e-mail contents as instructed by business rules. For example, Aware IM can recognize a customer by e-mail address and register the e-mail with the customer. Aware IM can even register customer orders sent through e-mail provided that order details are specified in a particular way.

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Access Control

Access to data

Aware IM supports access restrictions based on user categories and access restrictions based on data ownership:

Access restrictions based on categories of users allow selecting, on a very detailed level, which data is available to users of different categories.
Access restrictions based on data ownership restrict users other than the data owner from viewing/changing the owner's data. For example, staff members may be allowed to change their own details but not those of other staff members; customers may be allowed to change their own details, but not even see details of other customers.
Aware IM automatically makes data read-only or removes it from data forms altogether based on data access restrictions for a particular user.

DAccess to operations and documents

Aware IM supports access restrictions to operations and documents based on user categories. Operations and documents disallowed for a particular user are automatically removed from menus and other operation lists.

Conditional access

Access restrictions may be specified conditionally using business rules. For example, no order details can be changed after it has been submitted.

Authentication

Authentication information can be stored either in the Aware IM - managed database or in Active Directory/LDAP server. Aware IM supports Single Sign-on through Active Directory, which allows users on a corporate network to login without specifying their credentials - Aware IM will use their current Active Directory credentials. Remote users can specify their Windows user name and password. Aware IM also supports anonymous user access where users are not required to login.

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Application Control

Separation of configuration and operation data

Aware IM keeps configuration information of applications (such as data definitions, business rules, forms, reports) separately from the operational data resulting in the following major advantages:

It is possible to configure an application or study an existing one in isolation from any database.
Operational data is not affected by changes in configuration.
New versions of application configuration can be applied on top of the existing operational data.

Configuration re-use

Aware IM makes it very easy to exchange configuration information between different applications. Large chunks of configuration can be moved between different applications or within the same application with one copy operation. For example, a business object is copied together with all its attributes, forms and relationships.

Change control

Aware IM has a built-in version control mechanism that allows making and testing changes in a separate version of the application. Once tested the new version can replace the previous operational version. The version history allows determining data definitions and business rules that were in effect at a given date in the past.

Test database

Aware IM maintains a separate database where application changes can be tested without disrupting the normal operation in any way.

Documentation generation

Aware IM generates a complete self-contained document describing all data, rules, and other essential elements of the application. The document can be used for reference and audit purposes.

Configuration efficiency

Aware IM has a number of features that significantly simplify and speed up the process of creating or changing applications and safeguard users from making errors. These features include the following:

Application configuration can be easily searched to see where a particular element is used. For example, which document template includes the client's name, when the customer registration e-mail is sent, etc.
The integrity checker uncovers consistency problems in the application. For example, a document template that includes a data element that has been deleted will be automatically detected before the application is made operational.
When a data element is renamed the change is automatically made to all parts of the application where the element is used, including other data elements, forms, rules, reports, document templates etc.
A context assistant suggests applicable data elements and keywords when business rules are being entered or edited. In many cases the context assistant allows creating a rule simply by pointing and clicking.

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For developers

Runtime builder

Runtime Builder allows application developers to prepare an installation package for distribution to their customers. The package includes an application configured with Aware IM bundled together with the Aware IM runtime engine that allows the customers to run but not change the supplied application.

Runtime Builder allows developers to include their own license, product name, copyright and documentation into the installation package. A customer simply needs to run the installation program to start using the bundled application.

Automatic application deployment

Developers can distribute an updated version of their application by sending a single application configuration file to their customers. Aware IM will automatically deploy the updated application and make any necessary changes to the database.

User-defined queries

In addition to queries defined in the application configuration, developers can allow their customers to add and run their own queries using a web browser. There is no need to change the application configuration to add custom queries for a particular customer.

User-defined reports and document templates

If allowed by the application developer the customers can add new reports and document templates, or even substitute those supplied by the developer. This allows accommodating specific logos, page design, etc. without any changes to the application configuration maintained by the developer.

User-defined choice lists

Application developers can let their customers maintain their own list of choices for data fields where a fixed but customer-specific set of values is required (product types, client categories, account states, etc.). No changes to the application configuration are necessary.

AJAX support

Aware IM offers an XML interface that allows developers and web designers to use it as a backend platform that will provide the data for the forms, persist the data, execute business rules and processes, run queries, create documents from document templates, etc. The presentation of data provided by Aware IM can then be done using multiple AJAX/JavaScript libraries available on the market. In fact, it is possible to use the Aware IM XML Interface not only in JavaScript/AJAX technology, but also in other Rich Internet Applications (RIA) technologies, such as Flex or Laszlo.

It is also possible to use AJAX technology to embed custom forms into the Aware IM-driven interface, rather than create the entire user interface from scratch.

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Technology

Works with J2EE-compliant application servers

These include JBoss, Weblogic and others.

Web services

Aware IM supports web services, a communication protocol commonly used for business transactions over the Internet. Aware IM can use electronic services provided by other software systems. It automatically discovers web services provided by other systems and converts their parameters into Aware IM objects. Aware IM also automatically generates web services that other systems can use. In both cases Aware IM automatically handles all communications. No programming or scripting is required.

Communication with other software

Aware IM can communicate with other software systems or devices via standard or custom-built channels. Custom channels can be developed and plugged into Aware IM to communicate with special software or hardware.

Long-running processes

Aware IM supports long running processes that can span hours, days, or longer. This feature is useful when services of external systems take a long time to complete. When a reply comes back Aware IM will automatically continue processing.

Scalability

Aware IM can work on a single personal computer, which suits smaller data management tasks. For large tasks the individual software components, including the database, the application server and multiple copies of Aware IM, can run on separate dedicated computers allowing for a very large amount of data and number of users.

Extendibility

If you are a programmer you can add custom functionality to Aware IM (plug-in's) written in the Java programming language. These include data processing functionality, custom communication channels, report extensions (charts, etc.), new types of document templates, and others.

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