O’Reilly & Associates is now
shipping WebBoard 4.0, the newest edition of the forums and chat software
for Windows.
The upgraded software includes features to customize boards,
or forums, and scale up when site traffic requires it. WebBoard is also
designed to be easy for end-users to understand and navigate.
Top new benefits of WebBoard 4.0 include:
- Customize with Open Scripting -modify or replace built-in WebBoard
operations using a scripting language (such as JavaScript, PerlScript or
VBScript). Custom Schemes are pre-defined color and graphic styles included
with WebBoard that let Web administrators and board managers change the
look of their boards with a few mouse clicks.
- Two database options: WebBoard 4.0 includes Microsoft Data Engine
(MSDE), a local data storage engine, as well as support for Microsoft SQL
Server 6.5/7.0.
- Choice of four communication approaches: WebBoard participants can read
and post messages using email, a newsreader, Web-based chat (synchronous),
Web-based forums (asynchronous).
- Redundancy: A single copy of WebBoard can live on multiple systems.
- Attention: Messaging lets end-users direct other users’ attention to
specific messages.
WebBoard 4.0 has a suggested retail price of $1199, with upgrade discounts
for owners of previous versions. A single WebBoard license provides 255
virtual boards, with unlimited users for each, plus live chat (IRC-based)
for up to 1,000 simultaneous users.