New app synchs site builders

NetObjects is trying to centralize control in the Web site building process with its release of a new client-server application that provides joint authoring, centralized control, and automated content control.

Responding to customer demand for a software package that meets the needs of Web site building teams, the Web development tool maker designed the TeamFusion application to recognize the roles different people play in Web site production, the company said.

"A number of our customers have said, 'Hey, there is more than one person working on this Web page, help us synch up'," said David Kleinbarg, NetObject's executive vice president of product management. "This is a direct solution to that problem."

The new release features the NetObjects Authoring Server, an open server that works with any standard Web server to store site, asset, and team information in one secure central repository. The NetObjects Administrator is a control module that creates and manages sites, teams, and editing privileges. The Java-enabled Content Contributor is a browser-based module for automated content contribution that lets content owners automatically publish information to the site.

In addition, NetObject's Fusion 2.0 toolset, whose price was slashed recently by the Redwood City, California-based company, is included in the package. This site-building application has check-in/check-out features to let team members work on sites together. Today, NetObjects announced it will release an upgrade to Fusion 2.0. Availability is scheduled for the end of the year. Pricing starts at $995; upgrades from Fusion 2.0 cost $795.

TeamFusion's authoring server runs on Windows NT and the Fusion Client runs on Windows 95 or Windows NT.

Based on the number of NetObjects Fusion clients that can be connected to the server, pricing begins at $995 for one server. Current NetObjects Fusion 2.0 users can upgrade to the entry-level configuration for $795.