Infodata Systems

Infodata Systems developed in the software market that emerged around the management of machine-readable text and structured information in the 1970s. Based in Northern Virginia, the company built Inquire, a database system intended for information collections in which full-text retrieval and document organization were central requirements. The product was developed from the early 1970s through the late 1990s and became the company's best-known offering. Inquire differed from the relational database systems that later became the dominant commercial model. Its underlying architecture used inverted lists, a structure well suited to indexing terms and locating text across document collections. The system included a non-SQL query language designed for searching and manipulating stored information. Although it was not a relational DBMS, it was described as a fully functional database management system and was used in publication storage, litigation support, and other text-heavy applications. The product was well regarded and widely used during the 1970s and 1980s. Its commercial position became more difficult as competing database vendors entered the market and relational technologies became increasingly important to enterprise computing. By 1990, investors reportedly believed that Infodata's performance was deteriorating. The company subsequently broadened its business model rather than remaining solely a database-product vendor. During the 1990s, Infodata added consulting services for enterprise content management, primarily involving Documentum. It also developed Virtual File Cabinet, a document-sharing system intended for use on enterprise intranets. This work reflected a transition from text-database technology toward the wider management, distribution, and collaboration of electronic documents. In 2001, Infodata created AnnoDoc, which integrated Adobe Acrobat with Documentum for document annotation. It later marketed related Acrobat products called Compose and Signet. In 2005, Infodata sold those Acrobat-related products to Image Solutions and was acquired by McDonald Bradley. The available references do not provide enough information to determine the company's precise post-acquisition operating structure or whether the Infodata brand remained active, so later status is not stated as fact.

• 2005

  Product sale and acquisition

  [1]Infodata Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  Image Solutions acquired Infodata's AnnoDoc, Compose, and Signet products, while McDonald Bradley acquired Infodata.

• 2001

  AnnoDoc introduced

  [1]Infodata Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  Infodata created AnnoDoc, an Adobe Acrobat and Documentum integration for annotating documents.

• 1990

  Strategic expansion into content management

  [1]Infodata Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  As competition affected the database business, Infodata expanded into enterprise content-management consulting, particularly around Documentum.

• 1970

  Early development of Inquire

  [1]Infodata Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  Infodata began developing Inquire as a text-oriented database system during the early 1970s.

• 1970

  Inquire gains use in text-intensive applications

  [1]Infodata Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1970s and 1980s, Inquire became known for applications such as publication storage, litigation support, and other document-heavy information problems.

Infodata Systems was positioned initially as a specialist provider of text-oriented database technology and later as an enterprise content-management software and consulting company. Its historical differentiation came from applying database techniques to large, text-intensive collections, followed by integration and document-management work around Documentum and Adobe Acrobat.

• Text-oriented database management system

  Inquire

  Inquire was Infodata's principal database product and one of the early systems designed specifically for text-centered information management. It used an inverted-list architecture rather than a relational design and provided a non-SQL query language. The system supported document retrieval and storage for publishing, litigation support, and other applications involving large bodies of text. It was developed from the early 1970s through the late 1990s and was regarded as an important part of Infodata's identity during the company's earlier decades.

• Enterprise content-management software

  Virtual File Cabinet

  Virtual File Cabinet was Infodata's own content-management system for sharing documents across an enterprise intranet. It represented the company's move beyond database technology toward internal document distribution and collaboration. The available reference describes it as an enterprise document-sharing solution but does not provide detailed information about editions, technical specifications, or commercial availability.

• Document-management integration software · 2001

  AnnoDoc

  AnnoDoc integrated Adobe Acrobat with Documentum to support document annotation. It connected PDF-oriented document work with an enterprise content-management repository, addressing workflows in which users needed to mark up or comment on managed documents. Infodata created the product in 2001 and later sold it to Image Solutions in 2005.

• Adobe Acrobat-related software

  Compose

  Compose was one of the Acrobat-related products associated with Infodata's later document-software portfolio. The available source identifies it as a product sold to Image Solutions in 2005 but does not describe its feature set in sufficient detail to characterize it further.

• Adobe Acrobat-related software

  Signet

  Signet was another Acrobat-related product in Infodata's later portfolio. It was included in the 2005 sale to Image Solutions. The available reference does not provide additional product specifications or a detailed account of its customer use cases.

• 2005

  Sale of Acrobat products and acquisition by McDonald BradleyM&A

  Background

  Infodata held several products connected with Adobe Acrobat and enterprise document workflows.

  Action taken

  Infodata sold AnnoDoc, Compose, and Signet to Image Solutions and was acquired by McDonald Bradley.

  Aftermath

  The transactions ended the documented period of Infodata's independent corporate development, but the sources do not establish the subsequent status of the Infodata name or all of its operations.

  Source

• 2001

  Launch of AnnoDocProduct launch

  Background

  Infodata was working in enterprise content management and had experience with Documentum-related systems.

  Action taken

  The company created AnnoDoc, integrating Adobe Acrobat and Documentum to enable document annotation.

  Aftermath

  AnnoDoc became part of Infodata's Acrobat-related product portfolio before being sold to Image Solutions in 2005.

  Source

• 1990

  Expansion into enterprise content-management consultingStrategy

  Background

  Infodata's position in database software weakened as more vendors entered the market and relational systems became more prominent. Investor concerns about declining performance formed the background to a broader business strategy.

  Action taken

  The company expanded into enterprise content-management consulting, focusing primarily on Documentum, and developed Virtual File Cabinet for enterprise intranet document sharing.

  Aftermath

  Infodata diversified its activities beyond its earlier text-database business, although the available sources do not quantify the financial or market results of the shift.

  Source

1. 1Infodata Systemsen.wikipedia.org