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Partner Solutions to Allow Thin Client Access to InfoPath Forms

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 This is a straight dump of my ongoing OneNote archive of partners that offer thin client access to InfoPath forms.  It's disorganized, but so is the market, and when Office 12 comes out many of these solutions will be obsolete.

 

What is VisionForms?

InfoPath is a component of the Microsoft Office System for gathering and sharing information inside an organisation by creating rich, dynamic Extensible Markup Language (XML) based forms. Business users can more easily collect, access, and reuse information with InfoPath allowing more informed decision making. InfoPath however does not allow forms to be published via the web (all users must have InfoPath installed on their local machines). This poses a dilemma for organisations wishing to use InfoPath to collect information from a heterogeneous external user base.

VisionForms is a set of tools extending InfoPath to external parties and applications. The solution allows the power of InfoPath to be tightly integrated with custom applications allowing a "single user interface" experience and allows InfoPath forms to be viewed within the context of a line of business application.

How can VisionForms be applied?

VisionForms can be integrated with an organisation's CRM application to allow the InfoPath forms to be created (e.g. customer satisfaction surveys or market research) and accessed / completed from within the application.

The forms can also be completed via Internet Explorer without requiring InfoPath to be loaded on client machines.

The forms can be viewed and updated from within the context of a particular customer or product record.

How does VisionForms add real business value?

. All the benefits inherent to InfoPath.

. Extends InfoPath functionality to a broader audience.

. The forms can be used for both internal and external applications, reducing development costs.

. Faster time to market (web forms can be created faster than traditional development methods).

. Allows forms standardisation within an organisation.

. Easy accessibility and use.

. Leveraging InfoPath to create web forms

 

Pasted from <https://www.nvisionit.co.za/VisionForms/default.aspx>

https://www.nvisionit.co.za/Default.aspx?tabid=108

 

Australian Company that has an InfoPath Forms converter

 

https://infoview.uniqueworld.net

 

 

Here’s the link to the web site for the InfoPath viewer . . .  I haven’t looked to see if they’re an official Microsoft partner, nor have I heard any feedback on this product yet. 

https://www.infoscope.co.kr/eng/main/main.aspx

 

 

https://www.businesswebsoftware.com/AO/anon/default.aspx/AO2.1/View/?Doc=3215&Site=689

 

Putting InfoPath online with AchieveForms

InfoPath is a component of Microsoft Office that enables users to design and fill out electronic forms using the InfoPath client. InfoPath integrates with the other components of the Microsoft Office System and allows users to collect, process and share data within the Office environment.

With the introduction of the InfoPath Import module for AchieveForms, organizations will be able to leverage their investments and extend their InfoPath forms to the web. Using AchieveForms, an InfoPath form can be published as a web form inside SharePoint or on the Internet using MCMS 2002. By implementing AchieveForms, InfoPath can become a part of a portal strategy based on the Microsoft platform.

 

Organizations that have implemented InfoPath as a part of their business processes can realize immediate benefits from web-enabling their forms using AchieveForms:

  • Investments made in forms creation can be extended to the web
  • InfoPath users won’t need to be retrained in order to produce web forms
  • Internal data entry can be replaced by validated self-service via Internet, intranet or extranet
  • Form data can be made available to InfoPath users for analysis, or integrated directly into back-end systems
  • The layout of InfoPath forms can be changed to suit web-based delivery
  • Forms can be branded to fit seamlessly in to the corporate identity of the web site

Easy web form creation

Importing an InfoPath form into AchieveForms is a simple process. Just insert an AchieveForms Designer Web Part into your SharePoint page, click on Import InfoPath Form and select which View you would like to publish to the web. AchieveForms will create the form and make it immediately available to users of SharePoint, even if they don’t have InfoPath installed on their PCs. By publishing the AchieveForms form to an external AchieveForms server, the form can be made available on the Internet using MCMS 2002.

 

Sharing of form data

The data submitted through the AchieveForms form will be made available in SharePoint. It’s also possible to import integration actions defined in the InfoPath form or set up new ones using AchieveForms to ensure that data from web-based forms are made available to InfoPath users. A real-world example of how this can be put to use is online surveys. An InfoPath user can create a survey using InfoPath, publish it on the web using AchieveForms and MCMS 2002, store the data in SharePoint and analyze it using InfoPath and other Microsoft Office tools such as Excel.

Technical specifications

AchieveForms can import the majority of functionality supported by InfoPath:

  • Email notifications
  • Form validation
  • Repeating tables and sections
  • Date Picker Control
  • User file uploads

Some of the additional features that are made available by AchieveForms include:

  • Easy editing of form layout
  • Ability to present form in conditional sections
  • Form branding
  • MCMS 2002 integration
  • SharePoint integration

 

There is a very simple ActiveX control for viewing InfoPath form to Web browser. It fully support managed code.

 

You can find the demo and test your own form on their website as below; https://www.infoscope.co.kr/

 

Thanks Tim. Les Jordan suggested Verity LiquidOffice. https://www.verity.com/products/bpm/liquidoffice/index.html

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