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IBM is offering a free online service that simplifies users daily Web experiences by automatically processing repetitive tasks.
CoScripter, introduced Sept. 26, records the step-by-step processes that Web users do on a regular basis, then automatically runs those processes, eliminating repetitive or mundane tasks for the user, officials with the Armonk, N.Y., company said.
IBM is making the CoScripter service available on the IBM AlphaWorks site. IBM personnel at the companys Almaden Research Center created the technology. AlphaWorks is IBMs online community that provides early adopters with access to new and emerging software technology from IBM research and development labs around the world.
IBM officials said CoScripter enables users to go to a Web site, capture their actions as a “script” that can automatically perform those tasks, and share that information with other users.
CoScripter simplifies repetitive common daily processes on the Web, such as checking e-mail and flight arrival times and status, or searching for Wi-Fi hot spots in an area. IBM officials said the CoScripter service also uses a technique called “programming by demonstration” to capture the steps of a process by watching people perform tasks and recording those steps into a script. The scripts are integrated with a wiki, so they are easily shared with other users, officials said.
Click here to read about IBMs free software tools for creating and sharing documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
IBM officials said that although the CoScripter technology was created for a consumer audience, it is also applicable to business use, particularly companies seeking to be competitive in the Web 2.0 marketplace, where repetitive and complex searches are commonplace.
According to IBMs estimates, people spend an average of eight hours a day online, and the majority of this time is spent conducting the same searches and tasks over and over again. CoScripter helps alleviate the need to repeatedly perform the same actions, officials said. In addition, the service requires no technical skills, making it simple for all users to apply, they said.
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