The work is accomplished
Egg, November 18, 2019: As announced several months ago in these blogs, the future ArchivistaBox is based on the technology of AVMultimedia. All the more reason to be pleased to announce today that the ArchivistaBox can now be delivered on the basis of AVMultimedia. The following blog shows why this is central and follows a real milestone in the company’s history.
Once upon a time there was an ArchivistaBox
The previous ArchivistaBox serves our customers as a business server for web-based document management systems (DMS). On page 2011, the ArchivistaBox will also be available as a server for virtualization and ArchivistaERP is even a browser-based ERP solution.
All our competitors offer nothing comparable. Although there are now web-based DMS and other business solutions, there are no box-based, fully configured solutions that can be delivered at these conditions. Nevertheless, over the last few years the decision has matured that the ArchivistaBox might not meet the requirements of the future.
Now it was/is not the case that customers had expressed dissatisfaction. However, when the ArchivistaBox was presented to interested parties, it became clear at times that the sparse user interface of the ArchivistaBox was no longer perceived as up-to-date, no matter how quickly it could be used.
This is not surprising, since the ArchivistaBox interface (i.e. the desktop) was created between 2004 and 2007. For all those who do not have access to the ArchivistaBox interface, the figure above shows the desktop of the previous ArchivistaBox.
That’s why the new ArchivistaBox is needed
With the current release 2019/XI, the new ArchivistaBox is now available to customers for the first time. A brief image of the desktop of the new ArchivistaBox is also available here.
At first glance, you will probably notice that the box is “more modern”. Apart from the fact that this is undoubtedly true, however, this is not the central point. A chic background and new icons, it would have been soooo easy.
So why does it take almost two years before the new ArchivistaBox can be presented? As I said, if it had only been a “brush innovation”, then the new ArchivistaBox could have been presented years ago.
This is the new ArchivistaBox
The outfit of the new ArchivistaBox is not the most important point. For us and (probably also for) our customers, however, the following (non-exhaustive) points are decisive:
Basic multimedia package: The new ArchivistaBox requires about 1.4 GB of data as an ISO file. Compared to the 0.5 GByte of the previous release, this does not seem to be an advantage at first. And anyone who has read these blogs from time to time knows that there was no joy here when software becomes more extensive without offering more functionality. The situation is different here. The new ArchivistaBox is no longer just a Spartan server, but now also a multimedia and mobile control centre in one. In short, the entire “substructure” of AVMultimedia is now available.
Notebooks, tablets and servers in one: The new ArchivistaBox runs on the very latest processors just as it does on previous devices. The new ArchivistaBox offers support for mobile devices, touchscreens, WLAN and, of course, for sound and moving images (videos). But that’s not all, the new ArchivistaBox also offers the corresponding tools directly on the box for all these technologies. Currently this is about 4 GByte of software.
Fast as never before: The ArchivistaBox was originally created because the goal was to implement a server solution with less effort than was possible with other systems (Linux and Windows) at the time. An installation of approx. 10 minutes was sensational at that time. In the year 2012 the RAM mode (main memory) was introduced, with which the installation was abolished. This reduced the setup/boot time to about 2 to 3 minutes. New are still approx. 10 to 20 seconds. necessary, in order to set up an ArchivistaBox completely.
More performance with 64 bits only: The previous ArchivistaBox was available for 64 bits and for 32 bits (OCR and ARM). Focusing on 64 bits initially means that the old OCR technology will no longer exist. However, the new OCR is now much more powerful. The ArchivistaBox Bachtel will also no longer exist in this form, as it is ARM-based. Customers of the ArchivistaBox Bachtel can migrate to the ArchivistaBox Dolder for a flat rate of 120 francs until 31.6.2019. Because the entry-level model Bachtel is “missing”, the price of the ArchivistaBox Dolder will be lowered; for CHF 330 it is now possible to enter the world of ArchivistaBoxes.
Good to know…
Support: The current ArchivistaBox was introduced in 2016, with a support period until the end of 2021. Nothing changes with the introduction of the new ArchivistaBox. From now on, however, all ArchivistaBox systems can be purchased on the basis of the new technology. The current technology will cover the years 2019 to 2024.
Upgrades from the existing to the new ArchivistaBox can be carried out at any time. It should be noted, however, that due to the change from legacy boot to UEFI, any settings must be made in the BIOS. Therefore, an upgrade without assistance is only recommended for experienced customers. All others benefit from low upgrade costs. It goes without saying that there will be no exorbitant upgrade costs if the new ArchivistaBox is booted for another 10 to 20 seconds.
New Buld system: Until now, four computers were required to create our solutions (Development, ArchivistaVM, ArchivistaDMS/ERP and Buld computers). This process now takes place on one computer. This leads to significantly shorter test and release cycles (currently approx. 10 minutes to create new systems). Whereas previously four different instances had to be maintained and tested, this process now takes place on a single computer.
This brings the future…
The development of the new ArchivistaBox was much more demanding and time-consuming than expected. The complexity of a multimedia desktop and server from a single source was or is demanding. Unfortunately, many outstanding tasks had to be postponed.
Over the next few months, it will be a matter of clearing up these pending issues. After that, the new ArchivistaBoxes will receive new features that would never have been possible on the previous ArchivistaBoxes (keyword archiving of images and sound). An upgrade to the latest technology can therefore be warmly recommended to all customers today.
That’s why the new ArchivistaBox is a milestone
In addition to the fact that the new ArchivistaBox is chic, modern and quickly set up to set a world record, the new ArchivistaBox offers above all what many solutions fail to do today. Be honest: How much software is there left that runs autonomously or does not require updates? This is and remains the heart of the ArchivistaBox, because the ArchivistaBox then continues to run 100% or always 100% autonomously, without ever having to be connected to the network.
Admittedly, such autonomy is more difficult to achieve today. But to deduce from this that such autonomy has long since become outdated (as certain Internet tech companies mantra-like “blow” through the web) is far too short-sighted. What use should someone who is dependent have? Ultimately, a dependency is only lucrative for those who have sovereignty over it.
Companies (by the way also we as society) are well advised not to (too firmly) get involved in it. If business solutions run in the cloud like this or have to load data from the cloud in order to remain operational, then we should not be surprised (sooner or later) if the business migrates to the cloud faster than is even noticed. Which cloud provider guarantees that he or a third party (authorized or unauthorized) will not gain access to the services and data?
The challenge is not to outsource data; this is easy to do (and has long been feasible with any ArchivistaBox on demand). The art of (business) solutions today is rather to have modern technology so easily available on site that the question of where and when (i.e. the cloud) does not even arise — and this with 100% autonomy of the solution (here ArchivistaBox).
The new ArchivistaBox is technologically radically simple and offers a level of performance that has not been available on the desktop and mobile ready-to-use so far. And that’s why the new ArchivistaBox is a milestone.
