CS Odessa Newsletter                

There is a boundary to men's passions when they act from feelings; but none when they are
under the influence of imagination. Edmund Burke

Here it is September and you can see how busy we have been here at CS Odessa. In this newsletter we are introducing Project 4 and ConceptDraw 7.3.Two very important releases for us. We are serious about bringing our customers high-value products and this is well born out when you look at the changes we made in these two important products of ours.

I would like to also point out that you can also use our additional communicational tools to be kept up-to-date with ConceptDraw information. We welcome you to share your experiences with ConceptDraw products and discuss different topics with other users at our User Forum, find out about CS Odessa projects and activities on our Corporate Blog, or get fast support response to your requests with our web-based Trouble Ticket System.

ConceptDraw Project 4 is coming!

On September 13th we are planning the release of completely upgraded ConceptDraw Project 4.

Project 4 is designed to plan and track a wide range of projects simultaneously and to accurately allocate and manage any shared resources between all managed projects. Look at the following 5 changes in version 4 that bring you these benefits:

• Resource Usage View, gives an accurate view of resource loading and task allocation for each available resource;

• Extended resource control with the "Common Resource Pool" report, this is very important for multiple projects management;

• Easy Project Schedule changing, when there is a new start date;

• New user interface provides quick navigation between projects and different status views, making operations easier and faster for both beginner and experienced users;

• Many ways to customize the user workspace and adjust workflow to meet your requirements;

For one week, till September 12th you have an opportunity to order this upgrade for only $79.

To see how new version looks and order it now please click here.

ConceptDraw 7.3 - New Release Presents Business Graphics.

Release 7.3. of ConceptDraw 7 is scheduled to be available for shipping on September 18, 2007.

Below is brief description about what is included:

• Presentation Mode - create slides as separates pages using versatile drawing tools and more than 10000 pre-made shapes;

• Dynamic Help, now available for both Macintosh and PC versions;

• Improved HTML exports for PC;

• Adobe Flash export;

• Improved MS Visio compatibility for Macintosh.

ConceptDraw 7.3 will be available as no charge update for all registered users of ConceptDraw 7.x.

To see more, please click here.

CS Odessa Corporate Licensing Program

Stepping forward to new business opportunities and company growth, you might have demand for additional software for your employees. We would like to attract your attention to our new Corporate Licensing Program. Our corporate licensing program is designed to meet the requirements of organizations that need multiple units of our ConceptDraw products and/or are interested in buying a mix of our products. Read how you can benefit from this program.

Mind Mapping is a great technique for open thinking and capturing of non-linear information. It promotes creativity and flexibility, which makes it a great tool for the activities during software development lifecycle.

With a ConceptDraw MINDMAP you can capture information associatively, move it around, group it and divide it into different concerns. This means you can use it while talking to the customer, talking to developers or attending a meeting, and end up with a more coherent view of the information you gathered.

In what areas of Software Development project ConceptDraw MINDMAP helps?

• Investigation and Feasibility, taking quick notes of customer requirements;

• Analysis of technologies and future development process;

• Design - Flexibility is crucial in the initial stages of creating the design. At these stages, you frequently change aspects of your design. Every new idea you have might introduce some overhead on technical details;

• Testing - The customer usually describes the system as they see it, from a user point of view, but this view rarely reflects the system's structure. Similarly, the input we can gather from the developers is probably not structured in a manner which is easy to work with and analyze;

• Implementation/Integration needs explanation and presentation of software solution by looking at different aspects for end-users and system administrators;

• Preparing help materials and other documentation;

• Planning and Managing Software Development project (using ConceptDraw MINDMAP and ConceptDraw Project).

ConceptDraw MINDMAP can be an essential tool for any Software Development team, helping to gather customers' requirements, plan the development process and manage all stages of the project.

Click here to see an example map in ConceptDraw Gallery. If you have maps, that demonstrate your experiences of using ConceptDraw MINDMAP for software development, and you would like to share it with other customers, please let us know. Thanks for your help.

The recent macCompanion September issue contains the review of ConceptDraw Project 3.4 by Robert Pritchett, giving it a rating of 4,5 stars out of 5.

Robert in his review says, "I have no hesitation in the least recommending this product. CS Odessa has been actively updating it along with the other applications they make for business. They listened to our concerns, and have met them with improved products. And after starting in Odessa, Ukraine, they now have an office in San Jose, CA, in support of their ever-growing client base."

Read the full review at
http://www.maccompanion.com/archives/September2007/Software/Project3.htm