IETP

Over the last 15 years, the development of word processing and desktop publishing technology has revolutionised technical publications.  Now, the interactive electronic technical publication (IETP) represents another seminal event in the world of data management.

An IETP typically consists of an electronic publication that takes information from a common source database, often in a neutral format such as SGML, to build a fully interactive electronic publication, or answer specific information queries.  With further development, the IETP allows queries to and from external applications, thereby enhancing its practical applications in, say, a repair and maintenance environment.

Once converted into an XML-based interactive electronic technical manual (IETM), the versatility of documentation is dramatically enhanced by the high level of interaction between text, graphic content and databases (typically hyperlinking, hotspotting, search and filtering capabilities).

A specialised viewer is used to view the information contained within the IETP.  The Piper and BAE SYSTEMS-developed trilogiView system, currently deployed by the UK Ministry of Defence, is a leading example of such a device, using the latest technology to view XML-based IETPs and allowing distribution on CD/DVD or, over the Web.