NiceWatch - Selecting The Correct Edition For The Job
Many customers using business information systems ask the same questions when it comes to printing – how do I enable printing from my environment while still keeping a watchful eye on the bottom line?
NiceWatch is a product that is not only found in NiceLabel Standard Series but also as various standalone enterprise products. Each edition serves a purpose and can be applied to environments that have differing print volume demands. No matter which NiceWatch product you choose, each edition performs the action of linking transmitted data to a predesigned label format that is sent to printers on a printing network.
NiceWatch Products
NiceWatch can be separated into two classes of products: Standard Series and Enterprise Series. The difference between these two classes is the volume that the NiceWatch Enterprise can handle and the types of connections that can be made to the server.
NiceWatch (Standard Series)
The flavor of NiceWatch found in NiceLabel Suite is typically used in environments that have low volume demands for printing. The typical environment will have less than five printers with an average of 1 – 200 labels an hour. It has the ability to accept data from one of five different connections:
- File Drop – Monitoring a folder for a file or range of file types.
- Email Message – Monitoring a POP3 Email account for all incoming messages OR messages with a specific subject.
- COM Port Message – Monitoring a COM port for transmitted data from a scale, scanner, or any device that can transmit data over a COM port.
- TCP/IP Socket – Monitoring a TCP/IP port for transmitted data.
- Database Connection – Monitoring a database for new or modified records placed in a database table.
If the transmitting system has the ability to create a native NiceWatch command file, there are simple actions that can be used to setup printing; however, if the transmitting system does not have the ability to create a command file, NiceWatch has the ability to take incoming data and run it through one of four different types of filters:
- Text Database Analysis – Any file that has a common delimiter to separate data fields.
- XML Database Analysis – An XML structured file or data stream.
- Oracle XML – The ability to trigger label printing through XML sent from Oracle MSCA and WMS applications
- Document Analysis – A Document Analysis can be used to acquire printable data from unstructured data sources such as report files or printer streams.
NiceWatch (Enterprise Series)
The enterprise series of NiceWatch contains two different products:
- NiceWatch Enterprise
- NiceWatch Enterprise Business Connector
Each product contains all features and functionality found in NiceWatch (a module found in NiceLabel Suite); however, the Enterprise products contain more trigger types, filter options and can be adjusted to accommodate high-demand printing environments. The NiceWatch Enterprise products fit into any environment that has more than five printers and has demands for high speed printing. Below are some of the advantages that come with each edition of NiceWatch Enterprise.
NiceWatch Enterprise
NiceWatch Enterprise Edition offers the same connectivity options as the Standard Series of NiceWatch. In addition, NiceWatch Enterprise provides high demand labeling environments with labeling software capable of meeting the requirements of speed, bi-directional status, monitoring and alerting. NiceWatch Enterprise includes the web-based Enterprise Print Manager that provides a complete view of all print activity, status and system health form a single, accessible portal.
NiceWatch Enterprise Business Connector
NiceWatch Enterprise Business Connector Edition offers all of the connectivity options, throughput power and web-based management as the NiceWatch Enterprise Edition. In addition, NiceWatch Enterprise Business Connector Edition includes the following advanced connectivity and filtering options:
- HTTP Service Trigger – Accepts incoming data from applications that can transmit using the HTTP protocol. This trigger type also has authentication enabled so that a username and password could be included in the data transmission.
- Web Services – Web service triggers provide a SOAP interface into NiceWatch on which clients can call web methods.
- SAP AII Trigger – This SAP Certified Interface uses a specifically formatted XML command message from a SAP Remote Function Call (RFC). This specific type of format is part of the SAP Auto ID Infrastructure data transmission.
- HL7 Filter – HL7 messaging is a unique, delimited, structured message that is used for interoperability of Healthcare Information Systems.
Conclusion
NiceWatch can be used to enable printing in environments that are typically challenging for adding label printing systems. Whether it's a UNIX system or any other non-Windows platform, as long as you can connect to NiceWatch through any of the available trigger types, you can enable printing from your system.
To learn more, please review two short short webinars that further explore Nicewatch at:
(These presentations require the WebEx Player. To download the WebEx player, Click Here).
Version 5 Brochures and Flyers
Download brochures and flyers to learn more about the NiceLabel software or forward the .PDF files to your customers.Standard Series
- Brochure: NiceLabel Standard Series-Overview Brochure
- Sell Sheets (flyers): NiceLabel Suite, NiceLabel Pro, NiceLabel Express, Pocket NiceLabel, NiceLabel RFID, Integrating Label Printing with NiceLabel, NiceLabel Standard Series-Technical Specifications, NiceLabel Product Family
- ZIP file (all in one): NiceLabel Single Flyers v5 (.ZIP file)
Enterprise Series
- Brochure: NiceLabel Enterprise Series-Overview Brochure
- Sell Sheets (flyers): NL Print Center flyer, NWatch Enterprise flyer
- ZIP file (all in one): NiceLabel Enterprise Series Brochures and Flyers (.ZIP file)
