Position Paper on Value of Technical Publications in the PC and Server Industry

1. Position Paper on
Value of Technical Publications in the
PC and Server Industry

3. Introduction
This paper presents the value and need for TWB – Leading Technical Documentation
qualitative Technical Publications in the outgrowing
PC and server industry; to market the products with Outsourcing Company
a higher value proposition.
TWB is a leading technical documentation company
Technical publications created in the PC and server
with an excellent record of providing unmatched
industry include a wide variety of materials such as
technical documentation to many major multinational
user guides, white papers, datasheets, cheat
companies.
sheets, reference guides, installation manuals, and
product demos.
TWB is the ideal choice for leading manufacturers of
computer peripherals, desktops, notebooks, and
These materials transfer processes and procedures
servers. TWB helps customers with all their technical
involved in using the latest technology,
and marketing documentation needs such as
engineering, operation, and upgrading of the
datasheets, cheat sheets, product summaries, press
products and related software.
releases, and brochures.
Global markets are showing positive trends, and
TWB works closely with client teams located globally,
the overall worldwide PC and server shipment
and assists them in meeting their worldwide product
revenue has reached billion dollar figures. Growth
announcements and launch deadlines. TWB’s
in the industry has also invited a bigger competition
documentation services enable customers launch
among the industry-leading enterprises.
their products with world-class documentation.
Every product that is shipped must be packaged
with supporting product documents. These
documents are used by home and enterprise “Knowledge is people, money, learning, flexibility
purchasers, and hence, must be presented in a and competitive advantage. Knowledge is more
professional and easily comprehensible format. relevant to sustained business than capital or
labor. And yet knowledge remains the most
neglected asset of a business. TWB helps you
With continuously increasing product models and
unlock and share your technical knowledge with
fast track product launches, the time to document the world.”
the products is constrained. For timely completion
of the documentation work, most companies
outsource their documentation requirements.
Outsourcing such requirements also involves steps
to protect Intellectual Property and Non-disclosure
of data of products that are not yet released to the
market. TWB ensures that business-critical data is
secured using well-structured business policies.
“TWB believes that technology cannot exist
without being communicated effectively.”
The Writers Block www.twb.in 1 1

4. PC and Server Industry – Technical Publications
The PC and server industry is one of the most Challenges and Solutions
competitive in terms of technology and costing. There
are no other products that are so technologically
sophisticated. The industry produces products that
are deployed in companies ranging from small and Some of the greatest documentation challenges
medium businesses to large enterprises. that most companies in the industry face today
include:
“Once again, the PC market shows its
 Timely availability of quality documents during
resiliency,” - Loren Loverde, program director
IDC Worldwide Trackers. product release
 Cost cutting in a multi-vendor business
environment
 Managing large volumes of documentation for
From a sharp decline in unit shipments in the year
new products releases
2009, the market is expected to increase the pace of
growth in 2010. There would be a significant year-on-
year growth in shipment volumes in key segments in The PC and server manufacturers rely on business
various geographies. The growth in emerging regions collaterals and product documentation for sales
will also lead the way with double-digit growth by and marketing, and also for reduction of support
2013. costs. TWB provided documentation solutions for
worldwide audience as well as internal global sales
and marketing teams.
The growth in the industry after a brief period of fall in
global sales is also accompanied by stringent cost-
cutting measures. Technical publications, being an Marketing PC and server products in different
integral part of product development has significant geographical regions also means providing
focus on the cost-cutting process. documentation in multiple languages. Most of the
companies prefer single sourcing as a solution, by
creating content in one language and translating it
Companies are looking forward to expanding their as and when required. TWB provided content ready
markets globally, with customer centric business to be translated to multiple languages.
models. For selling their products, these companies
need sales and marketing materials. Such materials
provide product specifications, accessory details, and It is sometimes difficult to manage high volumes of
services and support information. documentation requirements for upcoming product
releases on time. As a result, most of the
documentation requirements are outsourced to
TWB for quality and on-demand technical
publications.
Benefits
Association with TWB has immensely benefited a
leading manufacturer of PC and server products in
saving costs and producing professional
documentation along with services such as:
 Transferring complex technical data into easily
understandable language
 Protecting technical and commercial data of
newly developed products
 Providing knowledge and content management
solutions, single sourcing, and data migration.
This spending will further increase as the Indian
Defence Industry is determined to increase the
participation of private investors.
Presently more than 5,000 Indian companies are
The Writers Block25% of components and
supplying around www.twb.in 2
subassemblies to state-owned companies.

5. Value of Technical Publications
Technical Communication for Communication for Different Levels of
Transferring Product Knowledge Technical and Product Knowledge
The purpose of technical communication is to transfer In technical publications, audience is the focal
product knowledge to end users in a comprehensible point. Hence, the style, language, and content must
manner. The strategies of communication and levels vary depending on the type of audience being
of information vary depending on the type of product addressed. It is because every user has a specific
and audience. role in the implementation and usage of the
technology. Therefore, it is important that
Providing end users with information about a documents be created keeping in mind the role of
product’s operation and maintenance is critical to the the person who will use the document.
market performance of the product. Hence, the need
for quality documentation is imperative. For example, when you document a software
application designed for highly technical users, it is
In today’s business scenario, technical publications sufficient to provide the users with quick reference
are often developed as an afterthought. This usually information to use the application.
results in inaccurate and incomprehensible
documentation, which, in turn, renders the users For users who start without technical or product
incapable of using the products. knowledge, it is important to provide detailed
product information along with instructions on how
Accurate, readily understandable, and quality to use the product.
documents determine how a product sells in the
market and result in increased customer satisfaction.
Attractive Publications as Useful
Marketing Tools
Faulty Assumptions that Result in
Problems in Documentation
Besides transferring knowledge, technical
publications are also used for marketing a product.
The faulty assumptions listed below result in Before a product is released in the market,
incomprehensible document: information about the product needs to be
effectively communicated to the customers.
 Developers know their products better than
anyone else – due to time constraints and limited Well-designed, accurately presented, and attractive
resources, many companies assign their marketing collaterals increase the market prospects
documentation tasks to the programmers. This of a product and reduce support costs.
more often results in the creation of technology-
centered information, while end users require
task-oriented information.
 Documentation of complex applications requires a
longer learning curve for the writer - learning the
product will not be a major obstacle for writers
with the right technical background.
The Writers Block www.twb.in 3 3

6. Conclusion
 Price Competitive Growth in the PC and Server Industry: Growth of companies in the PC and server
industry is driven by providing latest technology at an affordable price. The PC and server manufacturers
portray a global presence and need technical publications that can be used in different geographies.
Marketing these products require supportive business collaterals and product documentation.
 Value of Technical Publications: Technical Publications are very essential for transferring product
knowledge to end users. Provisioning of proper material to use the technology and products enables the user
to accept and efficiently use the product. Faulty assumptions about documentation lead to inaccurate and
hard-to-understand material. This also decreases the chances of marketing the products in the global market.
 Role of Documentation Outsourcing: Companies that want to reduce product development costs have
outsourced their documentation needs to well-establish Technical Publications Solutions providers.
Outsourcing the documentation work has helped companies cut costs and at the same time deliver their
products with quality documents.
The Writers Block www.twb.in 4

7. TWB Services
TWB is is India’s leader in technical communication outsourcing and education. TWB offers complete suite ofof services that
TWB India’s leader in technical communication outsourcing and education. TWB offers a a complete suite services that allow
our customers to effectively publish their technicaltechnical knowledge with their people and processes. TWB’s customers range
allows our customers to effectively publish their knowledge with their people and processes. TWB’s customers range from
Global Globalincluding Cisco, Accenture, McAfee, LG, Samsung, Citrix, SAP, Siemens, AOL, Intel; Indian technology majors –
from 500 – 500 – including Cisco, Accenture, McAfee, LG, Samsung, Citrix, SAP, Siemens, AOL, Intel; Indian technology
including – including Infosys, Wipro; Global defense majors - Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, DRDO,exciting technology technology
majors Infosys, Wipro; Global defense majors - Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, DRDO, HAL; and HAL; and exciting startups.
TWB's expertise in technicalin technical communication ranges from IT Products and Outsourcing, ITES, Banking,Aerospace,
startups. TWB's expertise communication ranges from IT Products and Outsourcing, ITES, Banking, Financial, Financial,
Defense, ShipDefense, to Hi-tech Manufacturing, and Discrete and Process Manufacturing.
Aerospace, Building Ship Building to Hi-tech Manufacturing, and Discrete and Process Manufacturing.
TWB’s services include:
TWB’s services include:
Technical Marketing Technical Product Documentation Quality
Solutions Documentation Management
 Datasheets
 Administrator’s Guide
 Datasheets  Copy Editing and Proof Reading
 API Document
 Cheat sheets  Managing Writing
 Configuration Guide
 Solution Briefs/Solution Brochures  Editing Services
 Functional Specifications Document
 Presentations –  Layout and Design
Products/Corporate Profile  Installation Manual
 Creating SLAs
 Brochures and marketing collateral  Interface Document
 Web content  Interactive Electronic Technical Business Documentation
Manual (IETM)
 Audio and video scripts
 Maintenance Manual  Business Proposals
 Press releases
 Online Help  Legal Disclaimers
 Direct mail
 Operation Manual  Policy Manuals
 Newsletter design copy
 Product Demo  Style Guide Design
 Sales catalogues
 Product Specifications Document  Template Design
 Sales sheets
 Product Overview Document
 Quick Reference Guide
Business Communication Content Management
 Release Notes
 Short Reports  Requirement Analysis Document
 Single Sourcing
 Proposals  SDK Document
 File Version Control
 Case Studies  Troubleshooting Manual
 Document Naming Conventions
 Lab Reports  User Manual
 Consistent Document Formatting
 Memos  Open Source Documentation
 Data Transformation
 Progress/Interim Reports  Programmers Guides
 Writing for Electronic Media  Functional Specifications Document
 Use Cases Web site Development
Illustrations  Online Help /Context Sensitive Help
 Web 2.0 development
 Troubleshooting Guides
 Graphic Designing  Web content

 Info graphics  Web applications
Qualitative Analytics for
 2D & 3D animation
Decision Support Translation and Localization
 Line drawings and illustrations
Services
 Economic Business Research
Process Documentation
 Industry Analysis  Software Translation Services
 Workflows  Market Opportunity Analysis  Document Translation Services
 Standard Operating Procedures  Competitive Business Analysis  Localization (L10N) Testing
 ISO Documentation  Company & Prospect Profiling  Internationalization (I18N) Testing
 CMM Documentation  Reporting Solutions
 Assessment of Unmet Market Needs Records Management
Deployment and Support  Status and Potential of Technologies
 Document Management Solutions
 Benchmarking of Strategies Vs
 Record Management Storage and
 Installation and Configuration Competition
Retrieval
Guides  Forecasting
 Operations Manual  Sales Force Effectiveness
 Market Assessments
 Competitive Intelligence
 Opinion Leadership
 Emerging Markets - evaluation and
research
The Writers Block www.twb.in 5 5

8. TWB Software Tools Expertise
Our technical proficiency inin software and authoring tools includes:
Our technical proficiency software and authoring tools includes:
Unstructured Content XML Structured Editors Multimedia/Authoring
Development
 Epic  Adobe Flash®
 Microsoft Word®  FrameMaker+SGML  Adobe Dreamweaver®
 Adobe FrameMaker®  X-Metal®  Microsoft FrontPage®
 Adobe InDesign®  Adobe Captivate®
 QuarkXPress® Macromedia Captivate
 Adobe PageMaker® Graphics/Animations
 Multimedia/Authoring/
Illustrations  Adobe Flash® Supporting tools
 Adobe Photoshop®
 Adobe Flash CS4 Professional  Adobe Fireworks®  Adobe Flash®
 Adobe Illustrator CS3  Adobe Flex®
 CorelDRAW Online Help  Adobe AIR®
 Microsoft-Expression Graphic  Adobe Dreamweaver®
Designer  Adobe Acrobat®
 Xara Xtreme (Windows & Linux)  JavaHelp
 Microsoft Silverlight®
 CuteDraw  Adobe RoboHelp 7.0
 Adobe Authorware®
 Publisher3D(for animation)  HelpScribble
 Adobe Director®
 Sketsa SVG Editor (for vector  WebWorks Publisher
 Adobe Captivate®
graphics)  PowerCHM
 Trivantis Lectora®
 Techsmith Camtasia  Doc-To-Help
 ASP.NET
 Arbortext IsoDraw (technical  WinCHM
 JSP
illustrations for 2D and 3D)  HelpSmith 2.1.1(Windows)
 JAVA
 Fast-Help
 MadCap Flare Standards
Graphics/Animation  Help-Server
 NVU Help
 SCORM 1.2 / 2004
 Adobe Flash®  AICC
XML
 Adobe Photoshop®  W3C
 Adobe Illustrator®  Section 508
 Adobe Fireworks®  XMetal®  QTI XML
 Microsoft Silverlight®  Microsoft Word 2003®,
 Microsoft Word 2007®
Databases Development and Publishing
tools
CMS/ LMS
 Microsoft Access  XSLT/XSL
 Microsoft SQL Server  EDD
 Sharepoint®
 Moodle
Flowcharting  Joomla,
 WordPress
 Microsoft Visio  Media Wiki
 iGrafx  CMS Builder
 EDraw  Author-it (formerly AuthorIT)
 RFFlow  Alfresco
 Flowbreeze
 Smart Draw
The Writers Block www.twb.in 6

9. Business
 Datasheets
Communic
 Administrat
ation Guide
or’s
 API
Industries Served
Document
 Configurati
on Guide
 Functional
Specificatio
TWB services a wide range of technology and knowledge-driven industries, helping them meet their markets better. These
ns
include:
Document services a wide range of technology and knowledge driven industries, helping them meet their markets better, these include:
TWB
 Installation
Manual  Banking, Insurance and Financial Services  ITES/ KPO/ BPO
 Interface  Consulting and Business Services  Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Document  Defense, Aerospace and Hi-Tech Manufacturing  Process Manufacturing and Allied Industries
 Interactive Education and Learning  Steel, Ship Building, Construction and Aviation
Electronic IT, ITES  Telecom and Digital Communications
Technical
Manual
(IETM)
TWB has been the preferred technical documentation outsourcing company for:
TWB
 Maintenanc has been the preferred technical documentation outsourcing company for:
e Manual
 Online Help
 Operation
Manual
 Product
Demo
 Product
Specificatio
ns
Document
 Product
Overview
Document
 Quick
Reference
Guide
 Release
Notes
 Requireme
nt Analysis
Document
 SDK
Document
 Troublesho
oting
Manual
 User
Manual
 Open
Source
Documenta
tion
 Programme
rs Guides
 Functional The TWB Building US Office:
Specificatio No: 4062, 19th Main Road, TWB
ns
Document
HAL 2nd Stage, 11701 Norwegian Wood Drive
 Use Cases
Bangalore – 560008 Austin, TX 78758
 Online Help
India.
/Context Landmark: Behind Carlton Towers
Sensitive
Help
 Troublesho Telephone: Telephone:
oting +91.80.40741400 / +1.512.586.8357
Guides
+91.80.41256367
Corporate Enquiries:
corp@twb.in
The Writers Block www.twb.in 7 7