We again turn to STC’s Corporate Value Program for a spotlight. This month we talk to ComponentOne, with answers by Communications Manager Eve Turzillo. The Spotlight consists of a series of questions—some informative, some entertaining, and others pure nonsense—that help readers get to know the STC community better.
What is the name of your company and where is it located?
Doc-To-Help is part of ComponentOne, which is located in Pittsburgh, PA.
When and how did the company start?
APEX Software and VideoSoft, two Microsoft partner companies established in 1987, were merged in 2001 to form ComponentOne.
Is there a story behind the name ComponentOne?
The two companies that formed ComponentOne were primarily vendors of development components. Since they came together as one, the name made sense.
What products do you sell that are relevant to STC members?
We sell Doc-To-Help 2009 which has been the premier authoring and publishing tool in the market. It enables technical communicators, policy writers, and other content creators to author in Doc-To-Help’s XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML, and publish to the web, Help systems, or printed manuals with a single click. What sets us apart is that we are the only vendor that gives you everything you need to create your documentation deliverables in one application. Its unique combination of editing, single sourcing, and publishing technology translates to significant time savings and the highest level of quality. Since Doc-To-Help is the complete documentation solution, your need for additional tools has been eliminated.
What other types of products do you sell?
Our portfolio of products also includes a wide range of Microsoft Visual Studio components, IDE tools, and Web Parts for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Windows SharePoint Services. Being a leading component vendor in the Microsoft Visual Studio Industry Partner program, we offer tools and solutions for Microsoft Windows, Web, and Mobile application developers.
Your website suggests people “Prepare for the world of tomorrow.” What’s that in reference to?
That is the theme of our development tool Web presence, but it applies to Doc-To-Help as well. Doc-To-Help always has and always will support Microsoft’s latest technology. The latest release works with Windows 7 and in our next release we will support Help 3 (now being called Microsoft Help System). With your subscription to Doc-To-Help, you are guaranteed compatibility to future technologies.
If you visit www.doctohelp.com, you will see that the theme is “Everything You Need in One Box.” This refers to Doc-To-Help’s unique ability to serve all authoring and publishing needs in one application, with one project. You would be surprised how many people write a manual in Word or Framemaker and then copy and paste the content into another application to create online materials. Doc-To-Help takes care of all those needs.
How is being a member of the STC Corporate Value Program valuable to your company?
Being a member of the STC Corporate Value Program has helped us to maintain a close customer relationship with technical communicators.
Can you share an Easter egg in one of your products with us?
It’s not really an Easter egg, but more of something that people don’t know. Doc-To-Help’s architecture makes it programmable. Users can use scripts to define their own behaviors for styles, and XML transforms or .NET assemblies can be applied to the NetHelp output. Essentially, you can make Doc-To-Help do anything.
Let’s say, hypothetically, that STC’s Summit 2015 is announced for Pittsburgh; where would you suggest everyone go for dinner?
Eleven: a sophisticated restaurant and bar in the Strip District. Or Primanti’s for a traditional Pittsburgh sandwich with coleslaw and fries.
Since you’re in Pittsburgh, home of Heinz, I consider you an expert on this question: Catsup or ketchup?
Ketchup, but that will always be a debate.
Speaking of Heinz, it seems that lots of things in Pittsburgh have “Heinz” in the name. If you were forced to put the name on something with ComponentOne, what would it be and why?
It would apply best to our line of development tools for Visual Studio. We have hundreds of components that span every Microsoft development platform. So, 57 varieties would be a good analogy.
Finally, feel free to brag a little bit—about anything you want.
Released in 1991, Doc-To-Help was the first tool of its kind and has not only withstood the test of time, but has evolved with the technical environment. It started as a set of macros in Microsoft Word that were used to produce WinHelp, but now it is an end-to-end authoring and publishing system that produces any output you need (and you can still write in Word and produce WinHelp!). Throw in the fact that the new interface is really cool and we have a lot to brag about.