Script: Open Xchange Express Edition
Overview
This is a commercial demonstration I made for Open Xchange, an open source company that has a web-based Email/Groupware server product. They produced a nice modern web interface for it. I produced it using the same technology used for regular Letexa content.
0. Introduction
[START audio – 10s]
[0:0.050s Screenshot OX + Picture of Speaker, text introducing him] Welcome to this introductory tour of Open-Xchange Express Edition.
In this tour you will get to see an overview of Open-Xchange Express Edition.
- Install
[Install audio – 51s]
[Text bubble: 1st part: The Installation]
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Si2 : 0:16.000 language
Si4 : 0:19.000 hostname
Si5 : 0:22.000 partitioning
Si7 : 0:25.000 installing
Si9 : 0:28.000 apache license
Si11 : 0:31.000 password
Si14 : 0:37.300 summary
Si16 : 0:44.300 (lasts 5 s)
If we start at the beginning: The installation process.
[0:14.250] Open-Xchange Express Edition is a fully self contained out of the box product that can be installed by anyone even without any Linux expertise.
Right now we can see the process in action.
[0:28.200] A machine was booted into the Open-Xchange Express Edition installation package;it then asked some simply questions and then proceeded to create a fully functioning Smart Collaboration Server.
[0:41.250] Once complete the machine can be left alone with no more interaction required. It really is that simple.
[0:47.650] After this tour you really should try this for yourself
Si17 : 0:50.500 3s popup screenshot of website with the downloadable evaluation copy off the Open-Xchange web site.
Si18 : 0:55.600 Picture: full-screen with webbrowser The administration console is then accessed with any web browser that is pointed to the installed machine.
Si19 : 0:57.100 Zoom into webbrowser area, showing S1 of next section (login screen), end at 1:01.0 – 3.9s
- Admin
[Admin audio – 33s]
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[1:05.750] If we have a quick look at the administration console we can see how simple it is to create a fully functioning user.
[1:13.050] All it takes is a few mandatory pieces of information and there you have a user account created and ready to use.
[1:21.550] We can see that in a very short time we have a fully functioning system with user accounts ready to be used.
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1:27.500 This is one reason why this product is so popular with smaller organisations.
[ends at 1:33.000]
- Start Page
[Start audio – 5:18s]
S11 : 1:34.500 (zoom from full screen to webbrowser with Slide_11 in it)
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1:34.500 Let us go to the actual user interface. Again it is very simple to launch and is fully self contained in a browser.
(put this sentence into text bubble) This gives full flexibility and lets the user access this system from any machine anywhere in the world with internet access
Description
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1:43.650 Now in this view we can see that I have already logged on and found myself at the Start page.
[1:49.550] Notice that it looks very much like any normal client interface that you might already be familiar with, but it is in a browser.
[1:57.900] You can see that it is clearly divided up into
A1 : 2:00.450 highlight all sections
several sections.
[2:02.150] This gives you an at a glance overview of all your prioritised work in one single view and makes planning your day much simpler.
Let us look closer at these sections.
i. Side bar (Description)
A2 : 2:15.500 highlight side bar
2:15.500 First on the left hand side we have the Side Bar. This lets the user jump very quickly to desired content. The Side Bar itself is split into four sections:
A3 : 2:25.750 highlight shortcut buttons
At the top there are shortcut buttons for fast navigation.
A4 : 2:30.200 highlight folders
Under that we have the folder section. We will go into that later.
A5 : 2:35.500 highlight calendar
Under the folder section we have a monthly calendar that acts as a short cut to the calendar module itself and various modules within it.
ii. Panel/Sections/Functions (Description MS Ribbon)
A6 : 2:45.750 highlight panel section
2:45.750 If we now look to the top of the console we can see the Panel section. This is a dynamic set of functions that are related and change according to the context the user is currently in.
[2:57.150] It can be considered like a dynamic toolbar with more functionality.
[3:02.350] It streamlines the interface to only show relevant functionality for the context the user is currently in. This really cuts down on interface clutter.
iii. Content Area (email, Cal, Infostore, Tasks) (Description)
A7 : 3:14.150 highlight content area
3:14.150 Finally in the middle we have the content area itself.
This is where the user information is presented and manipulated.
Sidebar
i. Folders
3:22.500 So let us take a deeper look into these sections.
A8 : 3:26.250 highlight folder structure on left
If we start by looking at the folder structure on the left. We can see it is split into 4 main headings.
1. Private folder – Personal only
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3:34.000 The first folder you can see is your Private area. This folder contains all your personal and private data.
[3:41.600] You can see here that it contains data for email, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and the users personal InfoStore.
[3:49.500] We will see later that the personal InfoStore is actually a shortcut to the users' entry in the public User Store.
2. Public Folder – Group areas
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4:00.250 Next we have the Public Folders. This is where all the groupware items can be shared amongst teams.
[4:08.000] Team members can create, amend and delete items here, but a track is kept on who did what and all items are subsequently stamped with the creators name on them.
3. Shared Folders – For my PA to use
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4:19.650 Next we have the Shared Folders section.
In here we see items that can be viewed and accessed by others,
[4:30.000] but if an entry is created it is stamped with the original account holders name on it, in this case me.
but if an entry is created it is stamped with the original account holders name on it, in this case me. Why would someone want such a feature?
[4:36.500] Why would someone want such a feature?
[4:39.250] Well for example for use by a PA. They need to be able to make entries on behalf of other people that they represent.
[4:49.000] You would not expect to see the PA's name on the new entry, but you would expect to see the person name that is represented by that PA on it, in this case me.
4. InfoStore
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5:02.150 Finally in this section we have the InfoStore
This itself is split into two sections: The User Store and the Other Folders.
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a. User store – Physical structure
5:11.100 In the User Store you can see a physical representation of all shared items.
[5:17.150] This includes my personal user folder [Highlight Solveigh] with my shared items in it as well as other peoples shared user folders [Highlight Tom] with their shared items in them.
[5:27.200] It also includes publicly available folders [Highlight Dev, Mark, Sales] with no specific owner that are used for storing publicly available information for example sales material.
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b. Other InfoStore folders – Logical structure
5:39.100 Below the User Folder there is the Other Folders.
[5:43.200] This folder contains a logical view of any shared folders where root access is not given
[a12 5:45.000] [From Tom Green Expand out a window showing his OX EE Account] thus a physical representation in the User Folder was not possible.
[a13 5:53.000] [In Tom Green window show and highlight the physical structure to Publicity Videos]
[In Tom Green window pull out Publicity Videos folder, shrink away the window containing Tom Green's account and move the remaining highlighted Publicity Videos folder on top of the publicity folder in Solveigh account]
[5:54.300] This is a very useful and important feature as it lets you publish information without the need to expose physical folder structures.
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6:04.600 Ok, let us now start to delve deeper into the product. I think the obvious place to start is email.
[6:12.550] I can either press the shortcut key at the top on the left or go directly to an email folder.
[6:20.700] In this case I will press the short cut key
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and I am taken directly to my Inbox.
[6:26.200] The email component of Open-Xchange Express Edition is a very rich and easy to use module that rivals any stand alone email client, but as you can see is in a browser.
S36 : 6:38.000 highlight content area and panel (in that order!)
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6:38.000 The first thing to notice is the content area has changed to show me my emails and the Panel at the top has changed to give me my email functions.
i. Attachments
1. Save in InfoStore
6:48.000 One interesting feature of Open-Xchange Express Edition is how it handles attachments.
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[6:53.550] We can open them, save them to the computer or save the attachment directly into the InfoStore.
[7:00.450] We will look at the InfoStore later, but you can already see how tightly these modules bound and related and how easy they are used together.
[7:09.600] The saving of a document to the InfoStore is as easy as saving it to your computer. This will rapidly increase the sharing of information and the teaming aspects of this system.
Drag and drop emails to valid
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7:22.100 There are many other efficiency features in Open-Xchange Express Edition.
[7:26.950] For example the ability to drag and drop is used a lot within the product.
[7:31.800] Notice here that as an item is dragged around the screen the dragged icon changes depending on the validity of the movement.
[7:39.300] This visual feature is extremely useful for less experienced computer user and helps in the ease of use of this product.
[7:47.150] This feature is not often found in such web based interfaces.
RMB click to save attachments
RMB click on email list email to forward etc.
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7:52.400 Other usability features like the right mouse button is also used to save time and increase productivity.
[7:59.700] To see this in action if we right click on an email we can easily forward or reply to it.
Click on email address to create new email
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8:07.000 If we click on an address in an email we see that a new email to that person is instantly popped up – a feature not present in other email clients I have used before.
New email
8:19.200 When creating new emails there are many other new features:
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i. From Aliases
[8:24.000] It is possible to select your other aliases directly from this window. This greatly simplifies alias or multi-account handling.
ii. Hold and explain all std features
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8:33.900 All the other standard features relating to email are included here that I will not go into, but you can see that the editor is very feature rich but still remains simple to use.
[8:45.700] Even signature selection is made easy and very visual. Nothing is hidden.
iii. Signature
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- Calendar
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8:52.500 Let us now have a look at the Calendar module. This is one of the most advanced calendars I have ever used.
[8:58.600] I really do forget that I am in a browser and not a rich client. Let me show you.
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[9:04.200] I will select the calendar from the shortcut buttons at the top here.
[9:09.550] Like last time you will notice that the content area has changed but this time showing me my Calendar.
[9:15.350] The Panel at the top has changed to give me my calendar functions too.
Panel
9:20.500 The Panel now shows various new options including different views I can use as well as time ranges I can select.
i. View and Time range – Work week
1. Show Month
9:28.800 If we select the month view we will see the whole month depicted with all my entries in it.
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2. Team View
a. Day
b. Week
9:34.450 Now let me look at my Team View. This is extremely important view and is essential for promoting and simplifying teaming and true collaboration.
[9:45.750] Its simplicity encourages working in teams and becoming aware of other team members. It seems a simple thing but has huge benefits.
3. Week
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Working week
9:56.350 Now let us go to the working week. This simply cuts out weekends that for business are really considered working days and expands the view.
ii. Create with drag and create
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10:07.150 Let us now create a new calendar appointment.
[10:10.400] The simplest way to do that in this view is
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to place the mouse on the start time of the meeting and then drag out the duration.
1. Title
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10:17.650 Now I just enter the title and we are done. It is that simple.
2. select and inline editing
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10:23.150 If I make a mistake I can just select the appointment again and edit the title directly. Again very simple and usable.
3. Move
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10:33.500 If I want to move the appointment I can just take hold of it and move it to where it needs to be.
4. Resize
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10:41.550 If the appointment has changed and I need to extend the meeting, all I need to do is to drag it out to the correct size.
[10:50.800] All very simple and extremely efficient ways for a user to work.
5. edit (RMB)
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10:55.900 Now if I want to get into the appointment and edit it I can simply select it, hit the right mouse button and edit it (double clicking also works).
[11:07.300] In this window we can do all the things you are used to do with appointments and I will therefore
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not go into details
a. Series
6. Linking
11:13.750 Back in the calendar view I can now do something rather interesting.
a. Task
11:18.000 Let's say this meeting has a task associated with it. For example a report must be written before the appointment is held.
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[11:27.000] In this view I can associate a task with this appointment. This is done like so.
11:35.200 That task is now linked to that appointment and everyone will see that it has to be done before the meeting should commence.
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- Contacts
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11:42.550 Now let's jump briefly to Contacts. Here I would just like to point out that contacts are more than just addresses.
[11:49.500] If we have a look at a contact we can see it includes a lot more information than just a name and address.
[11:55.600] Here we can see a lot of information about this person from email address right down to photographs of the contact themselves.
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Note that if you click on the contacts email address the system automatically creates you a new email for that person.
Views,
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12:12.250 The panel view allows you to you view your contacts in two different ways: A brief phone list view or the more familiar Card view.
i. Phone list
ii. Cards
1. Big company example
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- Info Store
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12:21.000 Ok now finally and probably the most important section of all: The InfoStore.
[12:26.000] This is the key to smart collaboration and something not normally found in a product like this. Sometimes referred to as a document management system, but it is much more.
[12:37.000] In this view we are looking at all my items in the InfoStore.
[12:41.000] I said items and not documents because the InfoStore can contain almost anything that can be stored:
[12:48.000] for example documents, music, videos, graphics, computer code and as I said almost anything.
One item, all or one of
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12:56.200 If we open up an item and have a look we can see it can be a document item, but it can also be a link to something or somewhere (bookmark)
[13:07.500] or a direct piece of information (knowledge base item) or actually all three in one.
i. Document
ii. Knowledge base
iii. Bookmarks
Versioning
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13:15.750 Please note that if items are changed in the InfoStore then the system will automatically version it and keep a history of that item.
[13:23.600] Here we can see the history of this item.
[13:26.700] It is important to note here that the most current version may not be the set or default version of that item!
[13:35.000] Let me try and explain: If a document is being worked on, then a version has been approved, but this document still needs more work on it.
[13:44.750] You can set the approved version to be the default or set version while the most current version is still being worked upon.
[13:53.700] This means people will get the set and approved version and not the currently worked on version.
[14:03.450] Within this view you can also roll back to versions, purge etc.
i. Change - upload
ii. Set version
iii. Rollback
Send attachment or send link
14:09.150 Finally when I have finished working on this document and I want send it out to my team,
[14:14.000] I can decide if I want to send the whole
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document out as an attachment (the usual and uneconomical way of doing things) or
[14:21.550] I can choose to use the more efficiently method and send out the link to this document in the InfoStore.
14:28.050 If the link is sent then there is no physical move, copy or duplication of this document.
[14:34.150] This means I can send out huge documents without having any impact on bandwidth or storage: Only a link is sent.
[14:42.750] It also means that everyone is using the most current and up-to-date document. There are no duplicates floating around and no possibility of confusion.
[14:52.000] This makes everything so much more efficient.
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Go back to start page
14:56.250 [end] So just to wrap things up, this has been a flying overview of Open-Xchange Express Edition. We have just scratched the surface of this product.
[15:06.150] I hope you have an understanding now of what the Open-Xchange Express Edition is.
[15:10.800] [end2] If you think this is of interest to you please look deeper onto our website or contact Open-Xchange or one of the Open-Xchange partners for more information.
[15:20.800] Or simply download and use the evaluation version off the website.
[picture of speaker] [end3] Thank you from me and the Open-Xchange team.
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