Background
In 2002 Storwave was facing a number of challenges over the future of their product Fileline, a system for the storage and retrieval of Electronic Documents. The technical legacy of the product was preventing it from evolving to meet the growing requirements of resellers and end user customers. In order to offer a web based service with enhanced functionality, including customisation and configurability, a major overhaul of the product was required, at considerable cost to Storwave.
The Challenges
Fileline, Storwave’s Document Management System was first written as a bureau service, then offered as a product. As a result it had a number of legacy issues which restricted further development of the product and had a serious business impact:
Product issues:
- In-house, simple web front end - static, non-configurable and non- brandable
- ‘One product fits all’ - required re-building of each front end for new clients if there were any client specific requirements
- Inflexible & difficult to maintain (static coded, written in FrontPage, CGI scripts)
- Small installed base
Management Considerations
Partnership requirements:
- Technical engineering skills
- Partnership relationship - proactive advice, guidance & expertise
- Rapid development capability
- Low risk - extending existing application
- Proven ability (Product & Company)
- Stability (Product & Company)
- Business development
- Vision & innovation
Product requirements:
- Customisation - client specific functionality, ability to rapidly re-brand/skin entire application
- Add new functionality - user administration, user tracking / reporting and billing capabilities
- Web service provisions - new function to upload documents and images using web application (remote)
- Improved document management (all locally)
- Edit indexed information
- Save documents to local PC in original format
- Delete documents
- Email and print documents
- Reseller configurable (branded reseller skin, and end-users)
Business issues:
- Facing increasing competition - more flexible products, e.g. Filenet, new entrants
- Growth - looking to expand their re-seller network but were limited due to the product flexibility
The Solution
In March 2002, Storwave took the decision to proceed with product development through partnership rather than through an internal project or a high risk outsourcing arrangement.
Storwave selected Rubicon Software as its partner for the next phase of development. Rubicon met all of Storwave’s partner and product requirements, and as a company had a proven track record of assisting companies with a project of legacy modernisation. In addition to the specified requirements, Rubicon also suggested a number of extra features to compliment the new Fileline Solution.
Product Enhancements
After the Rubicon modernisation, Storwave was able to rapidly re-brand its application for resellers and clients; this could now be completed in half a day. Storwave was able to offer resellers additional functionality, which allowed it to develop a generic reseller skin and then re-brand for each end user. There was the additional option to customise functionality, e.g. add User administration where previously this had been prohibited due to the thick client hard coding of the product. Rubicon functionality also enables Storwave to add billing capabilities to its offering.
Benefits
There were considerable benefits to choosing this path over that of outsourcing or internal development. In addition to the product enhancements, Storwave saw a rapid expansion of its reseller network. The partnership model led to an ongoing business development relationship between Storwave and Rubicon, with both organisations continuing to work on specific client requirements / projects, further enhancing the generic Fileline offering.
 
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