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. BUSINESS SOLUTIONS >>
PROJECT CASE STUDY >>
PROFILE >>
PROFILE >>
NEWS & LEISURE >>
TECHNICAL >>
STRATEGY >>
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Where to from here?
I S S U E T H R E E
>> HOT NEWS:
Intergen has been ranked as the
6th best place to work for the
second year running.
The just released Unlimited magazine
Best Places to Work survey involved
over 10,000 staff from 117
organisations. For more information
see the next edition of SMARTS, or
check out www.unlimited.co.nz for
results, tips and much more.
>> 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
SMARTSmagazinedesignandproductionbyIntergenCreativeStudio
Welcome to 2003 and our third edition of SMARTS.
Typically at this time of the year we have an
opportunity to look back at our achievements over
the past year and to set some objectives for the
coming 12 months.
From a technology point of view, the .NET Framework has been huge. We spent
much of 2001 preparing for its launch and we really hit the ground running in
2002. We have now completed more than 20 applications based on .NET.
We have developed applications using ASP.NET, VB.NET and C#.
We have also gained a lot of experience with web services. I'm
looking forward to .NET solidifying its position in
2003 with the release of more .NET enabled server
products from Microsoft and a growing adoption
of web services as a standard for inter-
application/inter-company communications.
It's not all been .NET though. 2002 was the year
that pure bespoke development started to give way
to implementation and customisation of products.
Where we would have previously developed Portals and Intranets from scratch
we are now building on the features provided by Microsoft SharePoint Portal
Server and Microsoft Content Management Server. We have had a lot of success
with these two products, including provision of them in a hosted environment,
and look forward to doing even more in 2003.
Other projects in 2002 included; Business Intelligence solutions based on OLAP
cubes provided by SQL Analysis Services and Enterprise Application Integrations
using BizTalk Server to interface to legacy applications. We also made several
forays into Mobility, primarily with SMS enabled applications.
We begin 2003 as a growing company. Our revenues are up more than 25% and
our staff numbers are up 15% on last year. Most new staff have been added
toouralreadystrongdeveloperteam,buttheprojectmanagement,
creative and business development areas have also been
supplemented. We have achieved the requirements to
retain our Microsoft Gold Certification for E-Commerce
Solutions for 2003 and we are well on the way to achieving
Gold Certification for Collaborative Solutions as well. We
continue to be at the forefront of Microsoft technologies
and are currently working with Beta versions of new
software due for release later this year.
I trust you had an enjoyable Christmas and we look forward
to helping you make 2003 a prosperous new year.
tony.stewart@intergen.co.nz
< Copyright 2003 Intergen Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of Intergen Limited >

2. >>2
InfoPath
InfoPath (codename XDocs) a new product in the Microsoft Office family,
streamlines the process of gathering information by enabling teams and
organisations to easily create and work with rich, dynamic forms. The information
collected can be integrated with a broad range of business processes because
InfoPath supports any customer-defined XML schema and integrates with XML
Web services. As a result, InfoPath helps to connect information workers directly
to organisational information and gives them the ability to act on it, which leads
to greater business impact. InfoPath is expected to be available mid-2003.
Source: http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/infopath/
Office
The next version of Microsoft Office, code-named "Office 11” is expected to ship
in mid-2003. "Office 11" is a significant step forward in the delivery of Microsoft's
vision for improving information worker productivity.
"Office 11" makes connecting and using data simpler through its broad support
for standards-based Extensible Markup Language (XML), enabling the exchange
of any form of data across heterogeneous systems, platforms and applications.
"Office 11" creates a more productive work environment by enabling information
workers to access the right data when and how they need it, and then apply
that knowledge within the familiar Office environment to better serve customers,
partners and employees.
Source: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/12-
09SmartOfficePR.asp
CRM
Microsoft Customer Relationship Management helps midmarket businesses build
profitable customer relationships. Integrated Sales and Customer Service modules
enable employees to share information to improve sales success and deliver
consistent, efficient customer service. Sales and customer service features include
leads and opportunity management, a complete view of customer history,
automated incident management, and a searchable knowledgebase. Microsoft
CRM also includes reporting tools for accurate forecasting and measurement of
business activity and employee performance.
Microsoft CRM ensures consistency of data across teams and departments,
streamlines processes, and empowers employees with a complete, accurate view
of customer information. Built using Microsoft®.NET technologies.
Source: http://www.greatplains.com
OneNote
OneNote, an application designed to allow people to capture notes in one place
and then organise and use them more effectively.
OneNote is a new application that enables you to capture, organise, reuse and
share your notes the way you want, so you can organise and use your information
more productively. OneNote will enable people to take typewritten notes on a
desktop or laptop computer. In addition, Tablet PC users will be able to capture
handwritten notes, pictures and diagrams. This new application is tailored to
meet the needs of note-takers who want a better solution for organising, accessing
and sharing notes. OneNote builds on the easy-to-use tools and features found
in Microsoft Office to enhance the way people take notes, which is often the
first step in creating a formal document.
Two other significant releases due in 2003:
Microsoft SQL Server 2003. The first major revamp of the industrial strength
SQL Server product from Microsoft for three years. We expect this will be
significant and look forward to seeing early betas.
SharePoint Portal Server 2003. This is one of the most successful products
released by Microsoft. Intergen has worked a lot with SharePoint Portal Server
and is one of two hundred companies currently beta testing this new version.
We believe SharePoint Portal Server continues to be well suited to the New
Zealand environment and such is our belief in the product, we have developed
CustodianRMS, a Records Management plug-in.
What’s new and cool?
>> B U S I N E S S S O L U T I O N S < 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 T H R E E >
>> INTERGENITE:
Mark Orange
What do you do?
I’m a developer specialising in
Microsoft Content Management
Server. I helped build some of the
first deployed CMS sites in NZ, and
was picked by Microsoft to join an
early adopter course for the new
CMS2002 in Seattle.
What are you known for?
I am known for having a real passion
for creating things and improving
existing processes.
How do you make a difference?
My mix of developer and creative
skills helps me see the big picture.
This is important in large content
managed solutions as the sites are
all about how non IT users interact
with them.
What do you love about your job?
I work in a really great team
environment with people willing to
go above and beyond to help you
out. I enjoy coming into work each
morning with a sense of anticipation
of doing new and cool things.
Tell us about yourself?
When I can escape from my kids for
an afternoon I like to do a bit of
computer gaming. I was even in the
Listener in November with a gaming
article (under the alias AgentOrange).

3. Domainz: You name it,
they can do it
The Challenge
When an individual or organisation wants to register a domain name, where’s
the first place to turn to, or should we say click to? The name most of us know
is Domainz. New Zealand’s biggest registrar of domain names with over
100,000 registered .co.nz names alone. But the registry environment is changing
and new competitive players will enter the market. Domainz were determined
to be streamlined and ready for the
new environment.
Much needed to be reviewed - from
the way Domainz interacted with
customers, to improving internal
financial accounting processes and
looking at the whole design and
usability of the site.
“Our focus was to make Domainz a
viable company in the competitive
market. We’re not just talking about
a facelift to the way the site looks. It’s
about proactively giving our customers
more service. It's vital to keep our
customers rather than see them leave for our competitors”. Tim John, IT Manager,
Domainz Limited.
To retain and grow business, Domainz wanted to remain the top of mind choice
with internet users.
Working within Domainz’s Domain
Discussing the implications of what’s possible and making it happen doesn’t
just happen from a distance.
“Intergen seconded staff to work on site with us which really made it a total
success. They understood our business inside out, and Intergen got it absolutely
right in matching the development team and us together”. Tim John, Domainz.
When personalities click, you know you’ve got the relationship right. Time spent
working together on projects that had their ups and downs meant Intergen and
Domainz knew what was required to make things work. Jointly turning things
around has cemented the partnership and laid the basis for why the redesign
was able to achieve an incredible amount in such a short time. As Domainz
puts it, “this wasn’t just a facelift, but going back to the foundations of customer
service. Without our history together, or without the
resources they put onsite, we wouldn’t have achieved
what we did”.
Let’s name some new developments
>> Registering a name is simpler and more streamlined
than ever.
>> The new design can acknowledge customers with
a password.
>> The customer sees an easy, simple to use format.
>> Behind the scenes, the internal structures for payment
are quick and responsive.
>> Content Management tools have also been a big
factor - Domainz can manage all content themselves with
no ongoing cost.
More than ready for the competitive environment, Domainz
also have a host of other customer services imminent in the pipeline.
Feedback is highly positive. Domainz hopes to remain the domain registrar of
choice whether it be .co.nz, .net.nz, .maori, .govt or one of 8 other different
registration choices – you name it they can do it.
Sharon Ross
I currently work as a Solution Manager
in the Professional Services team but
started as a developer four years ago
with Glazier Systems.
How do you make a difference?
As a Solution Manger I am
particularly interested in seeing the
customer’s concept come to life.
Delivering a solution which is of value,
and bringing together all the
necessary elements to produce the
solution is rewarding.
What do you love about your job?
We have the ability to go as far as
we want with our careers. The support
is there to continue to learn and new
concepts or ideas are always listened
to. The people here are a major draw
card as they are all passionate about
their work which is inspiring.
Tell us about yourself?
I have a very active role with the social
club organising, with the help of
others, the staff Christmas party, work
conferences, and other smaller events.
After a lot of hard(ish) training, I have
just completed the Speights Coast to
Coast.
>> INTERGENITE:
>> C A S E S T U D Y < 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 T H R E E > >>3

4. >> P R O F I L E>>4
DEVELOPMENT & INTEGRATION
Intergen’s Development and Integration Services team have developed and
deployed some of the largest E-commerce and Internet application projects in
New Zealand. Our team has extensive technical strengths specialising in the
Microsoft product set.
Intergen supports the latest development technologies, exclusively delivering
applications using the Microsoft .NET framework and Microsoft .NET enterprise
server suite including:
Content Management Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Portal Server, BizTalk,
Exchange, Commerce Server
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Intergen’s client services model focuses on providing clients with structured
account management that ensures a strong partnering relationship is built up
and maintained across projects.
We offer many years of experience with staff in this area including company
directors, account managers and support staff. We believe time spent by the
Business Development team is critical to the success of your business and
therefore do not charge our time to clients.
Consulting and analysis skills in this
group range from Market Strategy
Development and Internet Strategy
Development through to project
based Business Analysis and
Requirements Development.
< 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 T H R E E >
Intelligent Integration
Intergen integrates the disciplines of business knowledge, information technology and creativity. We are
small enough to work together seamlessly, and large enough to have the breadth and depth of experience
to offer a comprehensive range of services.

5. >> P R O F I L E >>5
Andrew Jamieson
What do you do?
I am an analyst, I help customers to
disclose their solution requirements
in terms of their business issues,
priorities, processes, customer and
information needs.
What are you known for (famously
of infamously)?
Being the Methuselah of the tech-set,
and the oldest cyclist in the company.
What do other people call you?
AJ, grandad, and some even less
complimentary names.
How do you make a difference?
As a business resource I make small
but numerous contributions to
projects and business development
where understanding business drivers
and having experience is useful.
What do you love about your job?
Being a part of a highly energetic team,
whose sole focus is consistently beating
the odds, being successful and
achieving leadership with its solutions.
Tell us about yourself?
I've done a lot of things; VSA in
Sarawak, a lawyer, company secretary,
operated a microcomputer solution
development company, a principal in
Ernst and Young. I joined Glazier
Systems in 1997 and have been here
ever since - through its various guises.
>> INTERGENITE:
CREATIVE STUDIO
Intergen Creative Studio specialises in the design of interactive user experiences
for business tools and visual communications.
The Intergen Creative team is made up of the hottest new media talent combined
with proven senior brand and design skill from conventional media. The outcome
of this approach is one of the strongest web design teams in New Zealand. We
have an enviably close relationship with our Development, Project Management
and QA colleagues, ensuring powerful interface design solutions.
Our pragmatic approach to website design is based on one simple and
fundamental fact: “The web is a navigational system”.
We firmly believe that best of type interface solutions are not simply the product
of creative genius. Our project successes are the result of disciplined
understanding of navigation design, browser limitations and audience suitability.
The strong on-line brands we create deliver memorable user experience as well
as being intuitively simple.
Our experience ranges from stunning website brochure ware, multimedia and
motion graphics, to user interface design for web enabled applications.
We create, design and build intelligent web interface solutions that work.
TECHNICAL SERVICES
Intergen’s Technical Services team maintain a purpose built
computer and Internet hosting facility located on site. We offer
skilled technical services capability delivering specialist: technical
consulting; Internet hosting; and facilities management services.
The Technical Services team also deliver a breadth of technical
infrastructure services including – computer systems design and
implementation, systems upgrades, database and back-office
management, and security consultation.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Professional Services make up Intergen’s professional project managers, business
analysts and consultants. They are responsible for ensuring projects are delivered
within budgeted time and cost, and meeting client expectations. This team also
assumes responsibility for consulting and facilitation on matters of scope,
architecture choices, development approach, requirements gathering and analysis,
and solutions design.
While they perform an important solution facilitation role for our projects, they
are also retained specifically by clients for the investigation of options, research
of requirements and solution-specific consulting.
< 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 T H R E E >

6. “The beer list please”
Thanks to beer writers such as Geoff Griggs, we all know a Blonde Mac isn’t
the latest desktop.
In recent times Geoff has introduced staff and clients of
Intergen to some exceptional brews and blown the froth
off a few good stories at beer tasting events. Here’s what
ales him about dining out and a few tips about enjoying
beer this summer.
“If there's one thing guaranteed
to wind me up when I'm dining
out, it's the feeble range of beers
offered by most restaurants.”
If you’re really lucky, the back page of the wine list will sometimes reveal
a list of half a dozen or so premium lagers and ‘big name’ draughts. If you’re
unlucky there’ll be no mention of beer at all.
A meal out is a special occasion for me and, just like the wine drinker, I’m
looking for a decent choice of different styles to match with the food I am
about to order.
Wheat beers, Pilsener lagers, lambics, India Pale Ales, Trappist ales, Black
beers and stouts; all have their place at the meal table and in some situations
perform better than wines.
Chocolate dishes can be difficult to pair with wine, but the beer world offers
rich Trappistes (like Rochefort 8 and 10) and roasty stouts and even a tricky
vegetable like asparagus can be well matched with a spicy Belgian Ale (try
Westmalle Tripel). Northern Germany’s hoppier Pilseners (like Holsten, Beck’s
and Jever) have a pleasing palate-cleansing astringency that can be utilised
in exactly the same way as the grassy acidity of a Marlborough Sauvignon
Blanc. As for cheeses and heavily spiced curries, well they’re just made for
beer! And that’s just scratching the surface.
>> INTERGENITE:
Andrew Tokely
What do you do?
I am a senior developer. I am
particularly interested in the software
development cycle and how best to
apply the theory with the reality of
software design.
How do you make a difference?
Developing software is more than lines
of code; it requires an understanding
of the entire development cycle. I have
worked in the IT industry for over 8
years and have gained a lot of real
world experience.
What do you love about your job?
As a kid I found nothing more
satisfying than solving puzzles,
jigsaws, Rubik’s cube, crosswords, I
loved them all. Now I get to solve
puzzles for a living.
Tell us about yourself?
I studied statistics at Victoria
University and before embarking on
an IT career was a freelance statistical
consultant. Besides work I am a keen
traveller, I’ve cycled through the
Canadian Rockies, picked bananas
on a Kibbutz in Israel, skied in the
French Alps, been a cycle courier in
London and explored ancient ruins
in Peru.
>> N E W S & L E I S U R E>>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 T H R E E >
Intergen Auckland
Intergen Auckland has had an active couple of months including the appointment
of Paul Quirk as Professional Services Consultant. Paul was previously based in
our Wellington office and has been with the company for over a year. With our
focus on .NET including Sharepoint, BizTalk and Content Management Server,
Paul's experience is welcomed - he has been involved in six major implementations
of these platforms over the last eight months.
Don't forget that we are also running the highly successful Twilight Seminars
in Auckland. We utilise Totem on the Viaduct for the sessions, providing a
convenient central venue. Twilights start again in February 2003. If you would
like to be placed on the invitation list please send me an e-mail:
shaund@intergen.co.nz.
If you'd like to know more about what makes us different in the Auckland
marketplace and the skills and expertise we can provide, please call me, Shaun
Donaghey, directly on (09) 488 1604. I look forward to talking to you.
CustodianRMS
Our locally developed records management product, CustodianRMS, is now
available for sale. CustodianRMS works within the “digital dashboard” environment
of Microsoft’s SharePoint Portal Server and provides the ability to search and
store metadata for electronic records as well as physical files and publications.
Last year we shipped the product to a large Australian corporate and our goal for
2003 is to have CustodianRMS included in Microsoft’s webpart gallery.
For more information: www.custodianrms.com

7. Making sense of OLAP
>> T E C H N I C A L
OLAP, or Online Analytical Processing, is a technology used to capture high
volumes of data from transactional systems and produce aggregated results
for analytical purposes. It provides speedy results for ad-hoc, real-time analytical
queries. OLAP technologies are used to implement data structures referred
to as (OLAP) cubes. Each cube represents a single subject area of the business.
The cube contains aggregate data of interest (for the given subject area),
which are referred to as
measures. These measures are
aggregated according to
attributes associated with these
measures, which are referred to
as dimensions. Examples of
measures include quantity and
price; while time, region and
product are examples of
dimensions that could be
associated with such measures.
Regardless of the specific technology used, there are a number of core stages
in the implementation of an OLAP based data warehouse.
1) Requirements analysis to identify the core business subject areas to be
modelled in the OLAP system.
2) Identification of data sources required by each subject area.
3) Design and build star-schema data models where data from the OLTP (Online
Transaction Processing) source systems will eventually be placed.
4) Design and build Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) processes for extracting
data from the source OLTP system(s) into a staging area, then transforming it,
before loading it into the star-schemas.
5) Design and build OLAP multidimensional cube structures by defining the
2) All operation key fields have
been replaced by surrogate keys.
Maintaining history as changes
occur within the source system and
in our case to avoid collision
between primary keys of the source.
3) The date/time field in the source
system has been replaced by a date
dimension with the appropriate
data hierarchies required.
The next step is to design and build
ETL processes using SQL Server’s
Data Transformation Services (DTS)
or alternative development tools.
Analysis Manager should then be
used to build shared dimensions for
product, date, region and customer
and define mappings to appropriate
columns in the underlying star-
schema dimension tables. Lastly
Analysis Manager is used to process
the OLAP cube which will produce
the aggregated data.
For more information about OLAP,
its functions and how to deploy it
contact Roshan Perera
roshan.perera@intergen.co.nz
mappings to the underlying star-schemas
6) Evaluate, choose and deploy the necessary OLAP end-user analytical tools.
To illustrate what is required for stages 2-5 we will use an example based on
sourcing data from a single (fictitious) OLTP source called InterFIN. InterFIN is
a large, highly scalable financial system. It includes AR, AP, payroll, order entry,
inventory, job management, fixed assets and timesheet modules.
Marketing staff are interested in sales data entered into the Order Entry system.
The quantity and sales total (=unit price * quantity) have been determined as
the measures of interest for the OLAP cube. Examination of the data model
has also determined that the product, product-category, date, store, region and
customer are attributes associated with the sale and should be included as the
cube’s dimensions.
A star-schema data model below
is then designed to hold this
information.
A number of things should be
noted about this model.
1) Unlike the highly normalised
data model of the source
system, the star-schema
is de-normalised resulting in a lot of data redundancy. There are
several reasons why data warehouse and OLAP modelling requires
deliberate de-normalisation. Firstly, most OLAP engines perform
the aggregation process significantly faster when the data is
held in a de-normalised form as there are fewer table joins to
perform. This is an important consideration when pre-aggregating
large volumes of data. Secondly, many data warehouse architectures
not only employ OLAP cubes, but may also use the star-
schema directly for traditional SQL-based reporting.
Constructing simplified star-schemas result in data
models that are easily understood by end users
and can be queried with simpler SQL statements.
>>7< 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 T H R E E >
FK1 SurrogateCustomerID
FK3 SurrogateProductID
FK4 SurrogateRegionID
FK2 DateID
QuantitySold
SalesTotal
Sales _Fact
Product_Dimension
PK SurrogateProductID
FK1 ParentProductID
Description
Product_Dimension
PK SurrogateCustomerID
CustomerName
Date_Dimension
PK DateID
Year
Quarter
Month
Week
Date
YearText
QuarterText
MonthText
WeekText
DateText
Region_Dimension
PK SurrogateRegionID
FK1 ParentRegionID
Description

8. >> S T R A T E G Y
SMARTSmagazinedesignandproductionbyIntergenCreativeStudio
Such thinking gives organisations and communities a head start in understanding:
>> What these road signs mean?
>> What they can do when future scanning helps identify the existence
of such road signs?
Since August, the Global Foresight Network research team have been tracking
over 30 topic areas, hunting for the early signals of significant future trends and
discontinuities. When viewed individually each “future thread” can only ever be
a small and very weak signal of future shifts. When clustered together – the
insights can be profound.
Take for example, the topic of “mobility and wireless”. It is now clear that the
information rich wireless mobility solutionshave crossed the “tipping point”. They
have moved from expensive early adopter business and consumer niches, to the
beginnings of mainstream volume demand in the home, and at work and play.
Knowledge workers and consumers across Asia, Europe and America are buying
into smart mobile devices in droves and will expect their information and
transaction providers to provide easy connection and access yesterday. The
momentum of this market demand will be unforgiving of late adopting suppliers.
How well is your organisation positioned to provide information to its newly
wiring customers? Can you afford to be a wireless laggard? How could wireless
services lower your costs or improve your competitive value proposition? What
are your competitors doing with wireless?
The wireless mobility trend is one of many tsunami change waves about to crash
around us. The speed of change is accelerating. Future trend watching is no
longer an interesting hobby. I commend it as critical business tool for remaining
competitive and relevant on this shrinking planet.
(Mark Fowler is an Intergen Associate and Director of Global Foresight Network. See www.globalforesight.net
for more Future Threads)
Strategic thinking can
be likened to the
headlights of a car
while driving in
darkness. The
headlights assist the
driver navigate
through what is often
uncharted territory.
In order to assist the driver it is
necessary to scan the future - to
imagine and visualise what the road
looks like beyond the next corner.
Or to extend the driving analogy -
what are some of the road signs
(key points in the future which can
lead to possible conclusions) to help
me on this journey?
Strategy: Wireless Threads
< 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 T H R E E >
Twilight Seminar Series
Time:
4.20 for a 4.30 Start, 4.30 – 5.30 Presentation, 5.30 – 6.15 Discussion/Drinks
Refer to the Intergen website for subjects/topics.
Wellington: Feb – Aug
February 19th
March 12th & 26th
April 9th
May 7th & 25th
July 9th & 23rd
Auckland: Feb – Aug
February 27th
April 3rd
August 21st
Other dates and events will be
scheduled as appropriate.
To be added to the Twilight Seminar invitation list contact Gina
Harper at ginah@intergen.co.nz or (04) 472 2021
Intergen’s popular Twilight Seminars continue
in 2003. A series of informal late afternoon
sessions are planned to inform you about
current trends, technologies and initiatives in
the space where business and information
technology overlap.
>> EVENTS: