To try DocuShare on-line please visit our web site at www .xer o x.com/docushare/
SUCCESS STORY
Jet Propulsion Labs (JPL) is perhaps best
known recently for its highly publicized
Mars Pathfinder mission. It is the lead
U.S. center for robotic exploration of the U.S. center for robotic exploration of the
solar system, and since 1958�s launch of
the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, JPL has
been in the forefront of technology in space
exploration. Throughout, JPL is recognized
worldwide for it� s innovative solutions to
complex problems, from launching satel-
lites and �rovers� to developing advanced
computing techniques for data-analysis.
In the spirit of true innovation, JPL seeks
out equally creative solutions for managing
space and technology missions, in particu-
lar the enormous amount of associated
research, documentation and collaboration.
Products such as DocuShare now play a
leading role in helping JPL develop and
manage an increasing number of space
and technology missions �faster, better,
cheaper.�
JPL manages information for over 5,000
employees, 700 on-site contractors, and
several thousand partners and affiliates
around the world. Projects involve project
managers, administrative staff, engineers,
and scientists working together , and
can last from several weeks to decades.
Capturing, finding and sharing important
documents is more than just a challenging
task in this environment; it is critical to
the ongoing success of projects and the
laboratory itself.
Several years ago JPL began seeking a
single application to replace a number
of �project library� solutions then in use.
Different organizations had developed
different solutions for JPL projects, and
day-to-day documentation of projects was a
struggle. Hundreds of documents would be
stored for each project, each individually
named. It was not only difficult to find doc-
uments, but users often had no idea if they
were reviewing the most current version of
the document. JPL recognized they could
not continue to meet all their goals, and
maintain the level of ongoing document
management with their current solutions.
This combined with a reduction in the IT
workforce forced JPL to look for a commer-
cial, off-the-shelf software solution. �As the
rate of development increased we needed
to provide much faster ways to capture,
find and share important documents,� said
Susan Hess, system engineer , enterprise
information systems for JPL. �We needed
a web-based solution due to the variety of
partners involved in our work and our lack
of control over their desktop software. The
solution also needed to be very simple to
administer , as well as low-cost,� said Hess.
A requirement analysis and technical
survey was conducted. JPL�s design
methodology includes pilot testing of
products before deploying them widely.
�Being easy-to-use was critically important
to DocuShare�s adoption within JPL.
Engineers and scientists in the �faster ,
better, cheaper � era simply do not have
the time to learn new information systems.
They use tools they are familiar and
comfortable with,� said Sugi Sorensen,
a systems engineer with JPL. When you
have project teams designing new space-
craft or figuring out how to land on Pluto,
it is important to keep them focused on the
project at hand rather than the software.
DocuShare� s ease of use has encouraged
widespread deployment and adoption, from
a single server in March 1998 to 47 servers
and 3,450 users in just 17 months. Users
span the gamut, from researchers, develop-
ers and scientists to administrative assis-
tants and interns. JPL�s DocuShare libraries
JPL Explores Space
Faster, Better, Cheaper
with Xerox DocuShare
Content is stored in a familiar nested
folder structure so users are immediately
comfortable with DocuShare
DocuShare installs in minutes and
immediately sets up a default home page
DocuShare�s powerful search tools make
finding the right information effortless
PN 610P65226 SS3 2/17/00 10:54 AM Page 1
primarily store project documentation
which includes memoranda, presenta-
tions, reports, plans, engineering notes,
policies, requirements and specifications,
reviews, proposals, schedules and proce-
dures. Financial data and product data
have historically been stored in their
own information systems; because of
DocuShare�s ease of use, some groups
have also begun to store product and
financial data in their DocuShare
libraries. �Line organizations will use
DocuShare to store their local policies,
procedures, memos, presentation and
basically anything else that is generated
by standard office applications. In short,
if someone creates a document that
more than one person needs access to,
then a logical place for it is a DocuShare
library,� said Sorensen.
�DocuShare maps to the way people
work today, sharing information across
geographical, functional and system
boundaries. In the spirit of the Web,
DocuShare creates a common ground
among users so regardless of their tech-
nology expertise, they can participate in
the collaborative process of developing
and sharing information,� said Doug
McLean, vice president, sales and
marketing, Xerox Internet and Software
Solutions (XISS).
As a web-based, community-maintained
solution, DocuShare reduces administra-
tive and technical support requirements
to a fraction of centralized systems. At
JPL only one full-time and two part-time
technical staff members are required to
customize each of the project �libraries,�
and provides technical support for the 47
DocuShare servers and 3,500 users. �The
DocuShare solution removes the require-
ment for an administrator/librarian in
the loop. Users can easily post their own
information to share in a work area,�
said Hess.
The success of DocuShare�s initial
implementation has led to it being
part of several larger initiatives at
JPL. Central to these is the move from
Document Management to Knowledge
Management. While the project informa-
tion management process is in develop-
ment to further standardize methods to
build, document and maintain informa-
tion throughout a project� s life cycle, JPL,
like most organizations today, is seeking
strategies to manage its knowledge. �Our
knowledge management solution must
enable one of the projects primary objec-
tives� sharing and re-use of information.
Our future plans call for centralizing
the authentication mechanism enabling
users to search multiple DocuShare
libraries from a single search interface.
We plan to provide access from JPL�s
new enterprise portal that will replace
our current static internal home page.
Even in its current implementation,
DocuShare allows the knowledge
management team to work together
even though we are spread out over
multiple buildings and site locations,�
Sorensen said.
DocuShare�s standards-based repository
and community-maintained model for
sharing information is contributing to
solutions for space exploration. With its
eye firmly set on the 21st century, JPL
has embarked on a course propelling
their projects to the outer reaches of
the galaxy.
To try DocuShare on-line please visit our web site at www .xer o x.com/docushare/
FOR MORE INFORMATION
OR TO ORDER DOCUSHARE
Please contact your authorized
Xerox Channel Partner or Xerox sales
representative. Or call the DocuShare
sales department directly:
United States: 1-800-428-2995
Outside U.S.: 1-650-813 -7279
Europe: +44 1488 657686
Questions? Comments? E-mail us at
xissinfo@pahv.xerox.com or visit our
web site atwww .xerox.com/docushare/
Copyright � 2000 Xerox Corporation. All rights reserved. Xerox
�
, The Document Company
�
, the digital X and DocuShare
�
are trademarks of Xerox Corporation.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies and are recognized as such.
P/N
610P65226 2/00
DocuShare�s ease of use
has encouraged widespread
deployment and adoption,
from a single server in
March 1998 to 47 servers and
3,450 users in just 17 months
JPL Explores Space Faster, Better, Cheaper
with Xerox DocuShare.
HOW THEY DO IT
The end-user computing environ-
ment at JPL is heterogeneous�
about 1/3rd each of Macs, PCs
(running Win95 and NT), and
Unix workstations�mostly Sun
but also with pockets of Silicon
Graphics and HP machines.
Serving 3,450 users and 47 servers,
this load is spread out among two
Sun and three NT servers. Clients
access the servers primarily
through the DocuShare web
interface, using either Netscape
Navigator or Microsoft Internet
Explorer.
Users connect to the DocuShare
repositories in a variety of ways,
from 28.8K dialup modems to
dedicated T1 lines.
(Continued)
PN 610P65226 SS3 2/17/00 10:56 AM Page 2