InformationWeek

Gathering - Wincite provides a model that, while it focuses on librarian-made entires, makes it easy for others to suggest additions. With its external file linking feature, Wincite makes it easy to gather lots of material without too much difficulty.

Organizing - The programęs structured form of data base storage imposes organization on the information.

Refining - The program doesnęt refine data; it sets up structures so librarians can add and update information with the help of all users and it presents reports that are shaped to help the reader perform useful analysis.

Disseminating - Wincite has no alert or e-mail integration mechanisms. It flags fields to which users have added notes for proposed changes making sharing easier, and creates useful output on demand.

Gathering - Intraspect delegates gathering to the users as a whole, and this is a strong model in an organization thatęs capable of collaboration.

Organizing - The definition of contexts provides organization. The custom organization each user imposes on her own data takes advantage of the individuality of knowledge organization.

Refining - The program doesnęt refine data; users may be set up to better refine information by discovering and exploring multiple contexts.

Disseminating - Intraspect integrates well into existing e-mail systems and the collaborative responsibility for collection and distribution is a strong one.

Gathering - ChannelManager is a well-developed gathering tool. It makes it easy to save to distributable HTML pages and to incorporate both internal files and information from t he public internet. Thereęs a ceiling on how widely a channelęs publisher can delegate collection.

Organizing - The product helps a little in organizing with users having customizable desktop structures, though the subject hierarchy goes to only three levels.

Refining - By providing the ability to collaborate on specific subjects, the product set up an uncertain possibility of refining.

Disseminating - ChannelManager is a strong dissemination tool, sending multiple kinds of content and using multiple kinds of alerts, including e-mail, using key industry standards such as XML.

Gathering - KnowledgeX concentrates the entry of informatio n into a few hands ę good for quality control, tough on those few who do it. The process is cumbersome, but effective.

Organizing - The productęs usefulness is predicated on a useful categorization of information, and therefore requires forethought and planning.

Refining - The program refines data by providing connections you request or by presenting information in a way to make it possible for a human to find patterns that connect and relationships between information.

Disseminating - KnowledgeX disseminates notifications via e-mail, both messages that something noteworthy has occurred or pieces of data to be integrated into a local, customized view of the information.

Gathering - Backweb is a strong gathering mechanism, using pre-programmed channels and saved searches to bring in information both from within and beyond the firewall.

Organizing - The program is a rudimentary organizer, bundling collections into channels and creating a desktop client system that has categories.

Refining - By providing the ability to collaborate on specific subjects, the product set up an uncertain possibility of refining.

Disseminating - Backweb disseminates information, using its "push" technology and with flexible alert features. Thereęs no audit mechanism or process-centric flow control.