Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading. Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.

1. Gold Partner status for
Collaborative Solutions
I S S U E F O U R
>> HOT NEWS:
>> T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E
< Copyright 2003 Intergen Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of Intergen Limited >
Intergen have recently been awarded Gold Partner
status for Collaborative Solutions. This adds to
our Gold Partner status for E-Commerce Solutions
which we have held for the past two years. To the
best of our knowledge we are the only double gold
in New Zealand and we are the only Gold Partner
for Collaborative Solutions.
As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we have passed the highest level of
requirements from Microsoft. The Gold Partner status means we have demonstrated
the most robust, efficient and scalable implementations of Microsoft technologies.
As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we have a track record of success in
providing advanced solutions, backed by customer references.
To achieve this status we were required to provide at least three customer references
for deployed solutions with a project focus on collaboration. Further, Microsoft
Gold Certified Partners need to have four premier-level certified professionals
on staff. We meet this requirement and our team is growing all the time.
As a result of reaching the required standard for Gold Partner status we receive,
and therefore can provide you the benefits of: prioritised access to advanced
training opportunities, MSDN access for
exclusive technical support, pre-releases
of Microsoft business products, and
monthly updates on the new products
and solutions.
Call us today to learn more about our experience and how we can work
with you to make the most of your technology.
>> B U S I N E S S S O L U T I O N S BUSINESS SOLUTIONS >>
INNOVATION CENTRE >>
TECHNICAL >>
PROJECT CASE STUDY >>
NEWS >>
CREATIVE STUDIO
& LEISURE >>
INTERGEN CONFERENCE >>
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The buzzword is “BizTalk”
As organisations have grown, so has the need to
deploy multiple applications and platforms to
fulfil their business needs. For example, accounting
has its own systems, as does finance, sales and
manufacturing. Most applications are run
independently with little or no integration.
The Creative Studio has recently
been refitted to provide room for
growth and an even more functional
working environment.
For more on the Creative Studio and
examples of what they have been up
to recently see pages 6 & 7.
Give us your feedback via the
questionnaire accompanying this
edition of SMARTS and be in to win
a bottle of wine.
Full story Page 2

2. < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E F O U R >>> B U S I N E S S S O L U T I O N S
Integration projects have focused on the
development of interfaces for specific
applications to meet an immediate
business need. Each integration project
is usually conducted in isolation, essentially
reinventing the wheel each time. The result
is considerable costs due to lack of
commonality and the increased effort
required to maintain unrelated interfaces.
Louder than ever,
organisations are asking
“How can we bring
disparate systems back
under control?”
To solve such issues, Intergen has
successfully utilised the considerable
advantages of Microsoft BizTalk Server
across projects in the private and public
sectors for the last 18 months. Projects
have included the integration of disparate
internal systems into a common XML
driven standard, through to the
automation of a previously manual paper
driven business process.
BizTalk allows organisations to connect
disparate systems in a common framework,
>>2
eliminating the traditional problems of point-to-point interfaces. Using standards
like electronic data interchange (EDI), XML, and SOAP frameworks, BizTalk Server
ensures flexibility and interoperability with any business partner, regardless of
their choice of application, platform or transport.
For example, when using BizTalk, a complex process such as fulfilling a purchase
order can be automated. The PO must be received and processed – often requiring
information to be passed between a number of systems including inventory,
financial and CRM. BizTalk can bind these systems together, controlling the entire
process from PO receipt to inventory, financial and CRM updates, through to invoice.
Previously, separate interfaces would have existed between each system, unrelated
to a particular order. BizTalk enables a process such as purchase order and
invoice generation to be managed as a single entity, allowing an organisation
access to real-time data on the progress of orders.
Microsoft BizTalk Server enables businesses to achieve application integration
through five key processes: document transport and routing, data transformation,
application integration, scalability and manageability services, and process
automation. Each process is achieved through receive functions, channels, ports,
schedules and tools.
RE CE IVE
FUNCTIONS
MESSAGING
P O R T S
ME S SAGE
Q UE UE S XML W E B
S E RV ICE S
.N E T CO M
COM
CO MPO N E N T S
SCRIPTING
CO MPONENT S
CHANNEL S SCHEDULES
The buzzword is “BizTalk” continued from cover
Receive Functions – monitor HTTP, File locations and MSMQ message
queues for files to be submitted to BizTalk.
Channels – modify the structure of documents, manage encryption,
digital signatures and logging. Also ensure incoming documents adhere
to a formal specification and transform them to meet the target
system requirements.
Ports – send documents to schedules, components or to external
organisations and trading partners. Many third party providers have
developed adapters that allow BizTalk to communicate natively.
Schedules – orchestrate business processes by receiving documents from
a messaging port then passing them to COM components, other BizTalk
Server messaging channels or XML Web services.
BizTalk offers “once only” delivery of documents, comprehensive document
tracking, and logging and support for failover clustering to ensure documents
are delivered to their destination and are not ‘lost’ in the process. It supports the
latest security features available today, including public key infrastructure (PKI),
multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME), secure/multipurpose Internet mail
extensions (S/MIME), digital signatures, and more to ensure the security of data.
Think of Microsoft BizTalk as the glue that binds
the enterprise.
In summary, BizTalk will make it possible for you to
easily integrate internal products and technologies,
securely connect with business partners over the Internet,
and rapidly automate your business processes.
Give Intergen a call to discuss how we can deliver
the maximum benefits of BizTalk to your business.

3. Microsoft’s Innovation Centre is all about
being rich in ideas, not rich in funding
Kahu Kirikiri
Kahu has extensive technical consulting
experience in the government, energy,
and insurance sectors.
What do you do?
I am a Developer with Intergen’s
Development & Integration team.
How do you make a difference?
My background is in customer service
and business analysis, with a strong
focus on business solutions. In my
role as a developer, I now get to use
my technical skills to further hone in
on that business solutions focus.
What do you love about your job?
I love the buzz of solving problems,
creating smart solutions and knowing
that people will get practical use
out of something that I had a part
in developing.
A bit about yourself?
My greatest passion is sharing my life
with my wife and children. Any time
I do get to myself is generally spent
playing soccer in the dizzying heights
of Division 8 and hacking my way
around 18 holes of golf.
>> INTERGENITE:
>> I N N O V A T I O N C E N T R E < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E F O U R > >>3
You can’t put a price on innovation, and that’s
exactly the angle that the Microsoft New Zealand
Innovation Centre is coming from. At no cost, the
Innovation Centre and selected IT partners such
as Intergen, are working with national and local
government agencies to help turn innovative ideas
into proof of concept prototypes. MAORI LANGUAGE COMMISSION
Solution Overview: The Maori Language Commission’s website was finding
it difficult to maintain fully bilingual content, causing inconsistencies in
the information available to Maori and non-Maori audiences. Microsoft and
Intergen developed a Proof of Concept solution, based on Microsoft CMS
2002 and Visual Studio .NET. All content is now translated efficiently and
consistently into Maori and English, setting an outstanding example for
other government agencies wanting to implement bilingual sites.
By providing Microsoft services and commercial partner expertise for no charge,
government agencies are getting an opportunity to address key business
challenges. They can put a toe in the water to test technologies and ideas that
might otherwise never be tried.
To date, this virtual centre has received two rounds of applications from government
agencies and proof that it is working couldn’t be clearer. Twenty high quality
proposals in the first round have accelerated into a number of projects, with
Intergen being selected to partner on two of the first six projects. The first is an
innovative CMS 2002 solution, to provide the Maori Language Commission an email
driven multilingual workflow engine translating all English content into Maori.
The second also uses CMS 2002 to deliver a first of its kind online learning
programme being piloted for 20,000 students at The Correspondence School.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION THE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL
Solution Overview: The Correspondence School sought to launch an online
learning program to provide a greater degree of flexibility for students to
collaborate on projects. Intergen used CMS 2002 to create a mini website
that gives students a number of interactive tools and a ‘live’ learning
experience. Paddy Payne, Intergen’s Professional Services Manager explains
“We were selected to partner The Correspondence School because of our
acknowledged expertise in CMS. They tell us we have more than exceeded
their expectations and are delighted at the flexibility the pilot delivers”.
Where to next for the Innovation Centre? The site, itself created by Intergen using CMS 2002, is attracting more and
more attention. Manager Shane Bartle anticipates another round of proposals being called for and encourages
government agencies to act on their ideas. Applications can be made via www.nzinnovationcentre.net.nz
Shane Bartle, Manager of the Microsoft NZ Innovation Centre, sees “collaboration”
as the lynchpin to why the Innovation Centre is working so well. “Achieving
the ‘right fit’ between each government agency and their selected partner is the
real catalyst to results”. “Intergen were able to demonstrate their considerable
investment into Content Management Server 2002 and could support the
Maori Language Commission beyond just development by providing a complete
hosting platform”.

4. < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E F O U R >>>4 >> T E C H N I C A L
>> 1 R E L I A B I L I T Y
With the new architecture of the server, the core runs as a
kernel mode driver (runs as part of the operating system), and
then individual web requests are farmed out to processes which
run as standard system users. This allows all 3rd party code
to be executed away from the core web server, preventing
an error prone component or application from crashing the
web server.
Another major feature provided with IIS 6 is health
monitoring/recycling. This feature allows you to configure
on a per application pool (group of websites) basis, the running
characteristics of the pool. Characteristics include expected
CPU usage, memory usage and any temporal restrictions.
IIS 6 then actively monitors this, and will recycle worker
processes exceeding the limits imposed. In this way badly
written applications are prevented from consuming
excessive resources.
Because the web server runs as part of the operating system, requests are caught,
and queued until the system is in a valid state for servicing requests, at which
time the requests are then processed. This allows websites to be restarted without
clients receiving unwanted error messages.
Where “modified kernels” have nothing
to do with Corngate
IIS 6 (Internet Information Services) is included with Windows 2003 Server and
represents a huge improvement over previous versions of IIS. Microsoft have
re-engineered IIS from the ground up and have focused on four main areas of
improvement to make a very robust and high performance new web server.
>> 2 S Y S T E M M A N A G E M E N T
Administration in IIS 6 is easier than ever. Command line tools have been made
available to allow scripting against any action under IIS 6. It is now possible to
never use a GUI! Additionally the metabase (configuration) can be exported as
XML for easier offline administration or collation in a central repository.
>> 3 S C A L A B I L I T Y
The new architecture of a kernel mode core and user mode workers, allows for
several performance benefits. High usage websites can now be tuned to have
multiple workers serving requests, whereas a low usage website can stick with
a single worker. Parsing and caching is handled by the kernel mode core,
allowing for extremely fast performance and scalability.
>> 4 S E C U R I T Y
IIS 6 comes locked down by default (initially it only serves static
content), and is not installed by default when you install
Windows Server 2003. This means you don’t have to immediately
worry about forgetting to apply complicated lockdown policies
and scripts. You switch on only what you need for your specific
server instance.
Configuring application pools allows worker processes to execute
under the context of a standard Windows NT account to maximise
ACL based security.
Websites can easily be transitioned from IIS 5 through to IIS
6 by using the “compatibility mode” provided. The need for
this may be limited, but it’s comforting to know Microsoft are
catering for backwards compatibility.
In summary, the four areas of improvement add great value
to what already was a very solid performing web server.
For more information about IIS 6, its functions, and how to deploy it, contact
Jeremy Boyd (jeremy.boyd@intergen.co.nz) or check out the following
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/iis/default.mspx

5. >> INTERGENITE:
>> P R O J E C T C A S E S T U D Y >>5
Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives
Intergen takes Parliament publishing system online
Gina Harper
What do you do?
I am Intergen’s Receptionist/Office
Manager, I greet our clients and keep
the office running smoothly.
How do you make a difference?
I see my job as making my colleagues
working life as hassle free as possible.
I take care of administrative things
and make them seem automatic so
everyone can concentrate on their
work for our clients.
What do you love about your job?
The people interaction, the energetic
fun atmosphere, and the variety.
Each day people require different
things so no two days are the same.
Tell us about yourself?
After graduating from Vic with a
degree in Computer Science I originally
joined Glazier Systems back in 1995
as a programmer. However, I got OOS
and coincidentally at that time our
receptionist/office manager left.
I started filling in till they found a
replacement, but found that I really
enjoyed it, so chose to continue in
this role.
What do you do in your spare time?
I love the cardio machines at the gym,
practising yoga with the Hare
Krishnas and reading novels.
< S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E F O U R >
When the Office of the Clerk of the House of
Representatives was confronted with the termination
of the printing contract for parliamentary publications
and legislation, Deputy Clerk, Mary Harris, turned it into
an opportunity rather than a challenge for the Office.
A programme of publishing projects was implemented
to automate both print and web publishing systems.
Intergen worked with the Office of the Clerk (the Office) and its other IT suppliers
to transform manual processes into a streamlined online web publishing process
using Microsoft Content
Management Server 2002
(CMS) and SharePoint
Portal Server 2001.
Publishing for
Parliament
The Office maintains
records of all proceedings
associated with Parliament.
It must ensure documents arising out of business transacted by the House are
available, in accordance with the parliamentary timetable, and in a form that
accurately represents the work of the House or a committee.
The walls of the Office are testament to the publishing responsibility. Rows and
rows of thick books are stacked to the ceiling, and these have to be updated
on an ongoing basis. The processes to maintain the records were, until last
February, mostly manual.
e-Government
The Office had also been tasked with finding ways to use technology in order
to improve the public ability to access parliamentary materials, as part of the
e-Government initiative; a government-wide initiative to improve the dissemination
of public information through greater use of technology.
For the Office, and many other government offices, if an interested party needed
to read a public document, in the past they would have had to physically locate
it, possibly in head offices or public libraries, and pull the document or book
from the shelf.
Moving Online with Intergen
“We chose Intergen to orchestrate the Web arm of the publication process using
Microsoft software. Intergen had a solid grasp of our needs as an organisation
and Microsoft’s CMS proved to be user friendly, which was one of our requirements.
In addition, Microsoft combined with Intergen’s support and expertise gave us
the peace of mind that we have backup if we need it.”
CMS has enabled the Office to quickly and efficiently build, deploy, and maintain the
Parliamentary website to host many of the documents the Office is required to publish.
Said Harris, “The Intergen solution means we can now write
and edit online and publish directly to the website.”
Increased Access
Said Harris, “We are very excited about the Intergen and Microsoft solution.
Initially we had to focus on getting the entire system up and running. Our next
focus is to improve continually and add to the site, which with the CMS ease-
of-management, we have the potential to do.”

6. >> N E W S>>6 < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E F O U R >
“Usability” – another Dotcom buzzword?
>> INTERGENITE:
Mark Johnson
What do you do?
I am a Solution Manager in the
Professional Services team.
What do other people call you?
Tina.
Why?
Being the fifth staff member with the
name Mark, my colleagues felt that
a nickname was called for. So Mark
became Mark V, then Mark V Cortina,
then it got shortened to Tina.
How do you make a difference?
I work with clients to help them
understand and define their
requirements. I then work to ensure
that Intergen delivers a solution that
not only meets, or exceeds the client’s
requirements, but delivers value.
What do you love about your job?
The job is about the people. Intergen
people are fantastic to work with,
always ready to go the extra mile.
Our clients are fun to work with, and
there is nothing more satisfying than
a happy client.
Tell us about yourself?
I am a Wellingtonian born and bred.
I have been doing IT stuff for over 14
years. I love sport, but now restrict my
activities to selecting All Black teams,
and critiquing Hurricanes games.
The Dotcom bubble has long burst and with it many “smoke & mirrors” era buzzwords. The one that has endured
and is here to stay is “Usability”. The time has come to stop bragging about the number of “hits” a site has and
to focus on attracting repeat visitors who are able to engage in a quality experience on your website.
Benefits of the Website Usability Audit include:
The Audit is a fast turnaround process and can usually be completed in around
4-8 days at a cost of $3,000 - $4,000 depending on requirements and the size
of the website involved.
Contact Intergen now for more information on the value of a Website Usability
Audit for your organisation.
To draw a comparison with a conventional communication media, there would
be no point in an organisation investing in an expensive direct marketing
campaign if the printed document did not clearly
communicate the product, price and place to
the recipient. Why then do so many organisations
assume that because a website visitor has arrived
at their site , that they are also prepared to
“work” to find the services or offer?
The increasing breadth of audience expectation,
experience and literacy is creating an ever
widening range of users that need to be
accommodated in both the design of architecture
and interface tools. Usability addresses the issue
of maximising the experience and communication with your customer.
Subtle design and language improvements can deliver significant overall gains
in user acceptance and stickiness (increased site visit duration). Simplification
and Intuitive Logic are the new web objectives for success.
At Intergen we have taken a broad perspective on the term ‘usability’ as it relates
to a website. The Intergen developed “Website Usability Audit” system and
report draws on industry best practice and the experience of our team members
to analyse and recommend improvements to an existing website. The audit and
report covers the assessment of website objectives and audience profiles, content
– including copy, brand and design values – usability, functionality, interactivity,
marketing approach and a general impression.
>> An excellent starting point for the design
of a new site or improving an existing site
>> Assessment against current practices, often
based on new knowledge/understanding
>> Opportunities presented by new
technology standards
>> Identification of inconsistencies in
communication of brand values
and standards
>> Better facilitated communication
>> Improved site ‘stick-ability’ and/or function
>> An enhanced user experience and
associated brand benefit
>> Assistance in relationship development
with the users

7. Quiet achievers!
It’s a fact. We’re just not very good at bragging about what we do.
Think of us as the stealth team of the web design industry. Since the
last issue of Smarts we’ve been “bum up, head down” getting on with
designing and building some of the best content managed websites
in New Zealand. Just a few snap shots shown here, so get in touch if
you would like a presentation of full case studies.
>> C R E A T I V E S T U D I O & L E I S U R E < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E F O U R > >>7
state.co.nz
trcnz.govt.nzmeridianenergy.co.nz
serviceprinters.co.nz
Hot on the heels of the design and
implementation of the Meridian Energy
Intranet in Content Management Server last
year, we have just completed a total “clean
sheet of paper” redesign of their online
communication channel. A great result designed
using our Navigation Prototype methodology.
The Tourism Research Council set us an
enormous challenge: To design a usability driven
website that reflects the authority and strategic-
level involvement the TRCNZ has in
disseminating information to the tourism
industry and related sectors. The solution is
fully extensible and e-government compliant.
IAG were looking to achieve synergies with
their State and NZI (www.nzi.co.nz) websites
which we delivered by designing separately
branded user interfaces over a Content
Management Server solution. Both sites have
recently gone live and are already receiving
glowing feedback from staff and customers.
At the Intergen Creative Studio it’s not just about
large enterprise level solutions for our corporate
clients. Earlier this year we completed this
Flash brochureware site for Service Printers –
New Zealand’s pre-eminent offset printers. The
website is a great showcase for their exceptional
work as well as that of our design team.
The tight three: Eamon,
Jillian and Mark have been
Intergen’s leading
interface design team for
over three years.
Tori Amori’s Paua Fritters
Here’s a taste sensation from Intergen
Associate Mark Fowler’s Hawkes Bay clan.
This recipe is the result of much
prototyping and taste testing over the
last five years. It is now, by popular
acclaim, ready to seek the title of
“world famous in New Zealand”.
>> Paua, 4 fresh, finely minced
>> Onions, 2, finely diced
>> Eggs, 2 fresh
>> Salt, 1 teaspoon
>> Black pepper, 10 coarse grinds
>> Spring onions, 3, finely sliced
>> Coriander, fresh, handful, washed,
chopped, including stalks
>> Mint, fresh, ten washed leaves
chopped coarsely
>> Chilli sambal paste, 1 level tablespoon
>> Breadcrumbs, 1 cup for fritter mix,
2 cups for fritter coating
>> Fish sauce, 1 tablespoon
>> Flour, 2 heaped tablespoons
The Mix Mix all ingredients, except the
flour, in a large mixing bowl. Once mixed,
sprinkle one heaped tablespoon of flour
over the top of the mix, and then mix in
thoroughly. Repeat with the second
tablespoon of flour.
Fritters While coating in breadcrumbs,
shape each fritter with your fingers, into
a small round shape: – 3/4” high by 1.5”
diameter. Fritters can be frozen, or fridged
for one day or cooked immediately. Cook
slowly on barbecue hot plate, or in a fry
pan which has a light coating of olive
oil for up to 15 minutes.
Serving Great as a drinks nibble or
entrée. Mix will produce 20-25 small
fritters. Serve warm, on bed of coriander,
garnished with lemon wedges. Sweet
Thai chilli sauce is a great dipping sauce.
A dry quaffing Riesling or Gewürztraminer
is an ideal accompaniment.

8. >> NE WS
Hi Ho, Hi Ho
For the second year running Intergen
has been ranked 6th in Unlimited
magazine’s annual Best Places to
Work survey.
Over 10,000 employees from 117
companies participated in this year’s
survey. Intergen have maintained
their reputation as a great place to
work even with sustained growth in
revenue and staff numbers.
“While staff enjoy themselves and
we have a tremendous atmosphere,
we continue to be very successful
developing business solutions for our
customers” said Intergen Managing
Director, Tony Stewart.
“Making Intergen so special is just
part of what happens” according to
Tony Stewart. “Intergen’s culture is
enhanced, by among other things,
staff having shares in the company,
therelaxedattitudetodress,recognition
of family needs, and a real sense of
participation in company events.”
Check out www.unlimited.co.nz for
more details and tips on making your
place a great place to work.
< S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E F O U R >>> I N T E R G E N C O N F E R E N C E
To be added to the Twilight Seminar invitation contact list email
ginah@intergen.co.nz, or call Gina on (04) 472 2021.
We look forward to your company. However, if you are unable to attend a
scheduled Seminar for any reason but are interested in the topic let us know.
We are often able to schedule another session and provide presentation materials.
Oct 8 Building castles on sand – Strategic information systems planning
for today – Andrew Jamieson, Paddy Payne
Oct 22 Template Design for Content Management solutions – Eamon O’Rourke,
Mark Orange
Nov 5 XML Web Services, what are they and why should we consider using
them – Derek Watson, Tony Stewart
Nov 19 Microsoft CRM Preview and demonstration – Wayne Forgesson,
Mark Trotter
2003
The Intergen Twilight Seminars are informal late afternoon sessions designed
to inform you about current trends, technologies and initiatives in the space
where business and information technology overlap.
The seminars consist of an interactive presentation followed by open questions,
drinks and nibbles. They are presented by topic experts either from within
Intergen or from one of our business partners. They are not “Sales” oriented but
designed to inform, educate and initiate informed discussion. Guests are welcome
to stay around for a drink and discussion with the presenters and fellow attendees.
>> EVENT S:
Twilight Seminar Series
Time 4:20 for a 4:30 Start
4:30 – 5:30 Presentation
5:30 + Q/A, discussion and drinks
>>INTERGEN ON TOUR: Early September the annual Intergen conference
was held in Turangi. This year the conference was dubbed Road Trip 2003. Here are some
shots of the team and what we got up to. Clockwise from top: Unsuccessful fishermen out on
Lake Taupo; Air hockey – fierce competition; Gretna Hotel Taihape – a drink on the way; Magic
Bus at Hunterville enroute; Shortcut over Barbed Wire; Rob MC’ing; Parking ticket for AJ in Taupo.