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Asia/Pacific Computer Services

The home of NotesTracker ... again!

This website is a work in progress
notestracker.net
(being redesignrf)

NotesTracker returns to Asia/Pacific Computer Services in 2023

Announcement date: 25 September 2021

NotesTracker was originally developed by Asia/Pacific Computer Services (APCS) starting around the turn of the century. In 2013, AGE Computer Consultancy (AGECOM) took over the sales and support of NotesTracker, up until 2021 when they ceased operations.

Since NotesTracker offers unique value to the HCL Notes/Domino application development community, APCS has decided to resume sales and support of NotesTracker in order to fill this gap in application design tools. We will work during 2022-2023 towards making the NotesTracker's unique capabilities available again to the Notes/Domino community.

This new website (notestracker.com) is a work in progress until the formal re-release of NotesTracker, and this home page is merely a placeholder.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about NotesTracker then please send an e-mail to notestracker@asiapac.com.au (all spam will be ignored).

For an introduction to NotesTracker, you may like to read the existing NotesTracker User Guide (PDF) or NotesTracker User Guide (EPUB)


What is NotesTracker?

NotesTracker goes to the very heart of your organization's Notes/Domino operations, by enabling in-depth usage tracking of your applications for compliance and effectiveness monitoring.

It works natively and seamlessly across databases on your Domino servers for your applications that are accessed from a Notes client or a Web browser.

Usage tracking also operates seamlessly with databases that a user accesses locally, in disconnected/offline mode. Each user's NotesTracker offline audit trail documents will get replicated automatically to your Domino servers whenever the Notes client goes online again.

NotesTracker records usage tracking data in an easily-understood fashion, in ordinary Notes documents, on any platform that supports Notes and Domino -- Windows. Macintosh, UNIX/Linux, i5/OS (OS/400), z/OS.

NotesTracker is not an application in its own right that users directly interact with. Rather, it is a software development toolkit (SDK) carefully designed to be easily integrated selectively into the designs of your applications to meet your specific usage tracking and monitoring needs.

NotesTracker does not require any prerequisites. It operates in a completely standard Notes/Domino environment. NotesTracker is written in standard and straightforward Notes languages (Formula Language and LotusScript) and using everyday Notes/Domino features (views, replication, Notes mail, and so on).

NotesTracker was designed deliberately to avoid the need to install any non-standard plug-ins, and does not force you to learn any special new development, administration or security management skills. NotesTracker just slips easily into your regular Notes/Domino environment, and users should not even notice that NotesTracker has been added to any of the applications that they access..

The focus of NotesTracker is to profile the application usage of your HCL Notes databases, in a unique and consistent way across both Notes and Web environments, providing a common up-to-the-minute reporting mechanism via regular Notes views.


What can you do with NotesTracker?

NotesTracker can be used in all sorts of ways and provides all sorts of benefits, some of these being:

  • Generate comprehensive document history trails
    Creates, Reads, Updates, and Deletes of individual documents, as well as document pastes and mail-ins.
  • Analyze all the active users of your Notes databases
    Determine the high-value contributors (those who create or update content) versus the passive users who are only viewing existing content.
  • Field audit trails
    Determine who made what changes to individual field values in each document.
  • Discover what sort of document content is most popular, or "hottest"
    You can see the percentage usage of each document in your database, which could be highly valuable for such things as sales tracking or product monitoring.
  • Determine which documents have low usage rates and thus are good candidates to be promoted if they are being overlooked by users, or to be archived or purged if they are no longer relevant or needed.
  • Mail Tracking
    NotesTracker can be applied to any sort of database, but one popular application is the tracking of activities occurring in users' Notes Mail databases – typically for compliance, data secrecy or privacy reasons (e.g., when a user's mail is delegated to any other person).
  • When and where did it happen?
    Examine the date, time and server for each document "hit" (create, read, update, delete) if needed, after a database's design has been enhanced by adding NotesTracker to it.
  • Identify usage patterns and trends
    Over a period of hours, days, weeks, months or years, in easily-understood categorized Notes views. Equally valid for Web-based Domino applications or Notes Client access.
  • Determine detailed user navigation patterns
    How and when each user shifts from document to document, and database to database, giving unique insights into application effectiveness or workflow bottlenecks.
  • Application performance effects
    Are specific databases, or even documents within a given database, contributing most to Domino server loading?
  • Track "special" documents
    You can designate specific documents as being particularly interesting and/or important for some reason, and be notified against those documents.
  • Activity Alerts
    Get notified via e-mail as soon as documents are updated, deleted, when particular important data fields that you select are created or updated (such as a sales or a support request).
  • Track "generic" events
    You can handle diverse events and otherwise untrackable application actions, such as button clicks, with minimal design/coding changes. This seemingly minor feature of NotesTracker enables your developers to add quite powerful capabilities to your applications, not just for tracking and monitoring but also for all sorts of event-driven actions that might be difficult to implement by other means.


Who should use NotesTracker?

NotesTracker can benefit virtually anyone in your organization who has an interest in some sort of user activity tracking and reporting of Notes and Domino applications.

Examples include:
  • Executive sponsors who are keen to ensure their organization's Notes applications are being used effectively.
  • IT management who are concerned with the best deployment and efficient operation of the applications.
  • Security consultants or auditors who need to carry out in-depth investigations of database activity. Detect and prove eavesdropping, data tampering or outright deletion.
  • Notes/Domino developers and administrators, seeking technical database usage information otherwise hard or impossible to obtain (such as view usage).
  • Compliance analysts who need to know when and how a particular database's content was generated, viewed, modified and deleted ... forensics at both a broad and a very detailed level.
  • Help Desk staff, who can use NotesTracker reports to determine where users are having any difficulties with your applications (such as when a particular document was deleted, and by whom).


Application Requirements

NotesTracker works with all versions of Notes / Domino version 6.5x or later.

NotesTracker Repository supports the following configurations only.
  • Notes client release 6.5x or later
  • Domino server release 6.5x or later
Note that Notes / Domino release 5.x or earlier is not supported. Other configurations/browsers may (or may not) work but are currently not supported.

Only 32-bit version of Domino is supported.

Supported operating systems: Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012

The provided NotesTracker application examples all have the .NSF file extension, and should open successfully in Notes / Domino version 6.5x or later. If you're unable to open the sample applications due to an incompatible database version please contact us and we'll provide you with a compatible set of databases.


Current Release Information
Version Number: 6.07
Release Date: February 2018
File Size: 12.87 Mb

Release Notes
New in this release
  • New option now available in NotesTracker Configuration settings to specify a custom email address to send error logs to.
The full product update history can be found by opening the NotesTracker Repository database in your Notes client and selecting 'Help' from the Notes menu bar then select 'About This Application'.


Software Usage Terms and Conditions

Asia/Pacific Computer Services ("AsiaPac" or "APCS"") reserves the right to make modifications to these terms and conditions from time to time. The latest terms and conditions are available on the APCS web site for viewing prior to the downloading and installation of the Software and will take precedence over any other form of the terms and conditions. Such modifications shall be effective immediately upon posting of the modified agreement at this Web site and will apply to all purchases and upgrades of the Software on or after the posting date. You agree to review the agreement periodically to be aware of such modifications and your continued use and/or downloading of software available to you hereunder shall indicate your acceptance of the modified agreement.


Copyright and License

The "NotesTracker", "APCS Document Usage Tracker", or "AsiaPac Document Usage Tracker" Software is owned by APCS and is copyrighted and licensed not sold. The term "Software" means the original program plus any and all whole or partial copies of it. A Program consists of machine-readable instructions, its components, data, audio-visual content (such as images, text, recordings, or pictures), and related licensed materials.

The entity that purchases the license ("you") and all its officers, employees, contractors and other associated persons to whom you give access to NotesTracker will be subject to this license agreement.

The evaluation form of the Software is provided with hidden design and you shall not modify, translate, disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer the Software. The licensed form of the Software is provided with unhidden design so that its design elements may be incorporated into the designs of your own Notes databases either without modification or modified and adapted by you to meet your specific usage metrics requirements. For both forms you may not remove, alter or deface any proprietary notices on the Software.

You acknowledge that APCS  owns all right, title and interest in and to the Software or portions thereof, including without limitation all Intellectual Property Rights. "Intellectual Property Rights" means any and all rights existing from time to time under patent law, copyright law, trade secret law, trademark law, unfair competition law, and any and all other proprietary rights, and any and all applications, renewals, extensions and restorations thereof, now or hereafter in force and effect worldwide.

The Software and documentation are proprietary to APCS. By installing and using the Software, you agree to comply with these terms and acknowledge that the Software and documentation contain valuable trade secrets and other proprietary information belonging to APCS that is confidential between you, APCS. You also agree to not remove, obscure, or alter copyright notices, trademarks, or other proprietary rights notices affixed to or contained within the Software.

You may copy the Software only for purposes of backup including multiple archive backup copies or incorporation into the design of your Notes databases provided that each and every copy must contain all of the original Software's proprietary notices. You may not distribute the Software for free or for sale nor rent, lease or sub-license it. You agree to hold the Software in confidence and undertake not to pass or allow to be passed copies of it whole or in part to another party outside your organization. You are not permitted to share the Software with other organizations and doing so will entitle APCS to immediately terminate this license. If you distribute, rent or sell Notes applications to any other organization you will not include the Software or any derivative or adaptation of it in these Notes databases until such time that the receiving organization has purchased the appropriate NotesTracker license from APCS.

You will ensure that anyone who uses your copy of the Software does so only for your authorized use and in compliance with the terms of the license. Unlicensed evaluation software may not be used for production purposes. You are responsible for communicating the terms of this agreement to your employees and contractors and for ensuring their compliance with the terms of this agreement and any company policies and procedures you might have surrounding use of the Software. You must report to us, as soon as possible after you notice it, any suspected misuse arising from your possession of the Software including counterfeiting, piracy, disclosure to non-licensees or other copyright infringement in the Software.

APCS grants you a nonexclusive license to use the Software when you lawfully acquire it.

APCS cannot and does not give credits or refunds for charges already due or paid. Prior to purchasing the Software you must make every effort to evaluate it in order to establish that the Software meets your requirements. APCS will provide you with information and guidance to aid your efforts but the final decision is yours alone. You agree and acknowledge that you will thoroughly inspect and test the software for all of your purposes prior to its purchase and commencement of your use.

This license may be modified from time to time at the sole and absolute discretion of APCS. Each new download of the Software after such modification constitutes your acceptance of any revised terms and conditions accompanying the download.

Information contained on this website constitutes an invitation to treat. No such information constitutes an offer by us to supply any products or services.

The Software is licensed as stated above. The license does not constitute ownership of the Software, only the right to use it. APCS reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the Software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. Licenses are not transferable.

If you do not agree to or cannot comply with any of the terms and conditions, do not attempt to access or use the Software. By purchasing the Software you agree to these terms and conditions. If you do not agree to all conditions set forth by this license you may not use the Software, because only APCS as the product’s owner can give you permission to use it. If you decide not to purchase the Software or on expiry of a lease to the Software you agree to destroy all copies including backup copies in electronic or any other form. This license shall be valid indefinitely and APCS may terminate the License only for material causes. APCS may terminate your license if you fail to comply with the licensing terms and conditions. You agree that you will not continue to use and will delete the design and code of the Software or any derivative or adaptation of it in any of your Notes databases or elsewhere as soon as practicable after the license expires and will not continue to use the Software for evaluation or production purposes.


Limited Warranty

This license entitles the user to hold the source code of the Software in escrow and to run the Software, but not to disclose or sell it to other parties either in its entirety or any individual components of its design and code including internal documentation.

APCS has used reasonable care and skill in providing the Software to you. The cost or guarantee of support is not included in the license except that APCS will make reasonable effort to fix any problem in the original Software and there will be no charge for fixing any reported problems. However APCS reserves the right to charge for enhancements or new versions and for all repair or maintenance of the Software arising from your modification of the original design or code of the Software. The Software is designed to be applied without change to the design of your organization's Notes databases but you are free to modify the Software and adapt it as you see fit for incorporation into your databases however any such modifications or adaptations and the effects pursuant to them are not part of free support by APCS under the warranty.

Subject to any statutory warranties which cannot be excluded, you bear the risk of using the Software. APCS shall not be liable for material, equipment, data or time loss, caused directly or indirectly by proper or improper use of the Software or for the effects of any modifications that you make to the Software. In cases of loss, destruction, or corruption of data, APCS shall not be liable. APCS does not take any other responsibility. APCS makes no other warranty.


NotesTracker Evaluation

The NotesTracker evaluation package contains a fully functioning NotesTracker Repository database and the following sample applications in which NotesTracker has been implemented:
  • NotesTracker Repository - Contains the log entries created as a result of monitored activity in the sample applications.
  • Customer Database - Simple application for keeping track of customer contact information.
  • Domino Directory - Standard Domino Directory (public address book).
  • Phone Book - Internal phone directory for keeping track of employee contact information.
  • Discussion - Standard Domino Discussion database.

Just by opening and using these sample applications and performing normal activities (reading, editing, deleting, documents, etc.) you'll start to understand NotesTracker functionality in a short period of time.

NotesTracker User Guides are available as a separate download from the following page:
https://www.agecom.com.au/notestrackerguides


Additional Freeware Applications

You may want to consider downloading the following additional freeware Notes applications which also have NotesTracker built into them:

SDMS (Simple Document Management System)
Simple document management application providing document storage in a familiar, simple hierarchy. You can control publishing and viewing if documents as well as gather & analyze comprehensive document usage metrics. SDMS documents can be viewed in various useful ways. Also supports storage of attachments and DocLinks.
https://www.agecom.com.au/sdms

CAPTURE (Customer Relationship Management) - Customer And Project Tracking with Usage Reporting Extensions
A simple yet adaptable CRM application (CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management).

Use CAPTURE to track marketing and project activity between you and your customers, and the resources allocated to the customers. The term "customers" could be any sort of organization (not necessarily commercial entities), but typically include those people and/or organizations who have already purchased your products or services, prospects who might purchase them, and also your suppliers and business partners who provide you with products or services or who market and support them.
https://www.agecom.com.au/capture

Apart from SDMS and CAPTURE being valuable to you in their own right for what they do, they will also assist you at no cost to evaluate the capabilities and benefits NotesTracker prior to making a purchasing decision.


Purchase Product License

The NotesTracker product license provides you with the unhidden design of the NotesTracker application (Software) and comprehensive developer's guide. Its design elements may then be incorporated into the designs of your Notes applications either without modification or modified and adapted by you to meet your specific usage requirements.

You should read the full product license agreement before purchasing this application. We draw your attention to the following points in the license agreement:
  • The Software may not be distributed for free, sold, rented, leased or sub-licensed.
  • You are not permitted to share the Software with other organizations.
  • APCS cannot and does not give credits or refunds for license fees already due or paid. Prior to purchasing this Software you must make every effort to evaluate it in order to establish that it meets your requirements.
  • APCS will provide you with information and guidance to aid your efforts but the final decision is yours alone.
  • This license does not constitute ownership of the Software, only the right to use it.

License Type

Cost per License
NotesTracker application with full source code and developer guide. New pricing mechanism and structure - to be determined during 4th quarter 2021

Delivery

NotesTracker application with unhidden design is sent electronically as soon as your order has been processed. An evaluation version of the software is also available for download from our website.

Software Upgrades

Under review during 4th quarter 2021.
All licenses include lifetime (minor release) upgrades for the version of the application you are purchasing. Major upgrades (new versions) are available at discounted rates.

Support

Complimentary product support and how-to advice for using NotesTracker is available to licensed users. Note that this does not include directly making modifications to your Notes/Domino applications (see the More Information section below).

Pricing Notes

Non-Profit Organizations
Contact us about possible discounts for non-profit organizations (such as charities and research institutes) and educational institutions.

Applicable Taxes and Duties
Goods and Services Tax (GST) is payable by organizations based in Australia.

Orders from outside Australia may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are levied once a shipment reaches your country. When ordering from this site, you are considered the importer of record and must comply with all laws and regulations of the country in which you are receiving the shipment.


More Information

Pricing includes e-mail support from APCS for setting up NotesTracker in your first Notes database, to the point where NotesTracker is logging usage correctly for this database. This should allow your Notes developers and administrators to gain the skills needed to install and support NotesTracker in the remainder of your databases. Existing users have reported that this works well, due to the comprehensive documentation provided and the ease of using NotesTracker to modify their existing database applications.

We provide NotesTracker as a software development toolkit (SDK), with the expectation that NotesTracker can and will be incorporated "as is" in your Notes databases. Our aim is to support you to the full by providing adequate advice and guidance regarding the way your Notes developers should make database design changes and your Notes administrators deploy NotesTracker for the first database and ensure that NotesTracker is operating correctly on the first one or two of your Domino servers, to the point where NotesTracker (in the form distributed) is correctly tracking usage for that database.

Our initial support does not constitute an open-ended offer to carry out for free any design and coding changes that represent complex, time-consuming departures from NotesTracker as designed and distributed. We do recognize that for certain of your databases you may have special usage tracking requirements which need non-trivial changes or extensions to the NotesTracker design, and will happily provide you with a quotation for use of our professional services to carry out any such modifications for you.

Defect correction and release upgrades within a single version (for example, from V6.0 to V6.1) are included in the price for that particular version of NotesTracker.