Technical FAQs

Question

How can I verify that the services are running and healthy on a headless server?

Answer

You can use curl to make some simple GET requests to the endpoints that report service health:

curl -s http://localhost:18681/PCCIS/V1/Service/Current/Info

curl -s http://localhost:3000/health

curl -s http://localhost:3000/servicesConnection

If curl is unavailable you can use wget:

wget -qO- <URL>
Question

Why is the viewer not rendering my PDF?

Answer

Please check the developer console of your web browser to troubleshoot issues with documents not rendering, our product will report all errors and debugging information there.

Question

How can I verify that the services are running and healthy on a headless server?

Answer

You can use curl to make some simple GET requests to the endpoints that report service health:

curl -s http://localhost:18681/PCCIS/V1/Service/Current/Info

curl -s http://localhost:3000/health

curl -s http://localhost:3000/servicesConnection

If curl is unavailable you can use wget:

wget -qO- <URL>

accusoft diversity

As one of Accusoft’s core initiatives, diversity and inclusion has always been top-of-mind for our leadership and our teams. With recent events, it is crucial for us to reflect as an organization and as human beings on what we can do to better serve our community and provide a safe space for our employees to share ideas.

In response to the heightened awareness of non-inclusive behavior throughout societal structures and communities, it is our responsibility to continuously promote an inclusive community and to celebrate diversity within our organization.

As an ongoing initiative to incorporate more of our core values into our everyday work routines, several diversity and inclusion initiatives have been implemented to help our teams grow and learn from each other. Some of the most recent initiatives include an activism Slack channel, a monthly discussion on educational resources, celebration of Juneteenth, and more. 

“I believe that every one of us has some work to do when it comes to changing the societal norms,” states Jack Berlin, CEO of Accusoft. “At Accusoft, we are committed to being an active ally in that change and consistently making our work environment an inclusive place, where diversity is celebrated.”


A Celebration of Juneteenth

In celebration of Juneteenth, Accusoft hosted an information session to provide insight into the reason for the holiday, traditions, and local or virtual events in the area. It was an opportunity for employees to come together to learn, ask questions, and understand each other. 

The meeting was hosted by an Accusoft team member who put together a presentation to share the history of the day and how it can be more widely acknowledged in our society. During the discussion, several team members took part in the Q&A session, providing information and resources about related topics, asking questions, and sharing thoughts about current events. 

“Most of us still have a lot to learn so it’s important for us to create a safe space for our employees to share their thoughts and feelings – even on difficult topics. As leaders, we are committed to lead by example and be vulnerable and open in this dialogue,” says Megan Brooks, V.P. of Marketing. “As an organization, we are committed to improving the diversity and inclusion of Accusoft’s team members and continuing to grow in our approach to this core value.”


Activism Slack Channel

One of the many great initiatives that Accusoft has implemented is an activism Slack channel for any employees who want to share news, resources, and events happening in the community. The channel is booming with new ideas, providing a safe way for employees to communicate about current events and share thoughts on how these situations impact them on a professional and personal level.

“The activism channel was created to give people a place to freely express their views, learn from one another, and figure out ways to help our community,” says Christine Hairelson, Sr. Director of Human Resources. “We were hearing that people wanted to get involved, but didn’t know how to help. This channel provides a platform for us to discuss, share, and learn about ways we can take action at home, in our workplace, and throughout our community.”


Educational Resources & Discussions

In addition to the Juneteenth meeting and the activism Slack channel, Accusoft is raising awareness around diversity and inclusivity by providing a safe community for resource sharing including books, podcasts, movies, music, and more. Once a month, the community meets to discuss these resources.
“When we first started planning these meetings, we wanted to choose a resource that would help us talk through some of the difficult topics that we are facing as a society,” shares Tracy Schlabach, Sr. Manager, Product & Customer Marketing. “The book, Blind Spot, was chosen to be the first resource we share together because it explores our innate biases with an Implicit Association Test. In our first meeting, we discussed the test and our results. We explored how we each felt about those things and are working to be more aware of what we encounter on a day-to-day basis. It’s really eye-opening.”


Reaching a Base of Diverse Applicants

While Accusoft has always valued diversity, there is room for improvement in scoping out a wider talent pool. Accusoft is reviewing its resources for talent sourcing and exploring new ways to bring in a more diverse talent base. Whether those initiatives mean getting involved with universities to inspire and motivate women to pursue careers in technology, or widening our reach to offer more flexibility when it comes to working remotely in different parts of the country, Accusoft is currently reviewing its options for increasing diversity on its teams. 

“Accusoft has always prioritized diversity and inclusion in its hiring processes. With recent events, we wanted to explore what we could do better to expand our pool of diverse applicants and identify diverse panelists for interviews, says Khristina Jones, Corporate Recruiter at Accusoft. “We want to make sure that our culture is not only inclusive, but representative of our core values and beliefs.”

At Accusoft, we value diversity and inclusion as one of our core values. We are consistently working to improve our policies, procedures, and involvement in our community as we evolve. We remain committed to providing a safe environment for our employees and standing alongside them as we all advocate for a better future.

 

spreadsheet XLSX

 

Spreadsheets remain a standard tool for many organizations, and despite increasing adoption across cell-based competitors such as Google Sheets, Excel still owns the market. As noted by research firm Robert Half, while the use of XLSX formats is on a slow decline, almost 70 percent of finance firms say Excel remains their spreadsheet software of choice.

Fundamentally, this comes down to familiarity; 62 percent of users surveyed find this common format easy to use, making it their go-to option when entering financial data or performing quick calculations. The only problem with this is that this spreadsheet tool introduces significant security issues. According to recent Cisco data, 38 percent of the most prevalent, malicious file extensions use Microsoft Office file formats — including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel — to compromise corporate networks.

Accusoft is now offering a more secure, web-based solution for spreadsheet needs. PrizmDoc Cells offers a web-based spreadsheet viewing and editing alternative that makes it possible for independent software vendors (ISVs) to easily incorporate XLSX functions into corporate applications without increasing security risk. Here’s how the newest part of the PrizmDoc Suite can help companies streamline processes while maintaining security.


Web-Based Spreadsheet Security

Common spreadsheet practices come with significant risk. As noted by ZDNet, for example, a new malware group is using the Excel file format that creates malicious spreadsheets that bypass security scanners and — thanks in large part to their format familiarity — are opened by end-users. This creates a self-sustaining problem. With single-source spreadsheets still the norm for many financial firms, attackers just need to spoof corporate email addresses and attach familiar XLSX files to compromise corporate networks.

For ISVs, this presents an opportunity. The market needs a secure way to view and edit spreadsheets in-browser and they need to be able to control the way the formulas are viewed and manipulated. By delivering browser-based spreadsheet viewers and editors within their own applications, ISVs can streamline their clients’ processes while maintaining security and controlling data sharing. PrizmDoc Cells integrates with ISV’s applications to enable easy spreadsheet viewing and editing functions. This integration allows administrators to lock down spreadsheet access by making them read-only or disallowing downloads, while also permitting protected sharing so that users can perform calculations without compromising the original source.

 


Value-Added Version Control

Collaboration is critical for effective spreadsheet use, especially among highly regulated industries like finance. From sharing key data around lending, credit, or investment applications to completing profit and loss calculations, spreadsheets remain a staple of efficient and effective financial transactions.

As with any industry, version control is a challenge for any third-party file collaboration. As noted by Beta News, the still-popular process of downloading spreadsheets to end-user devices comes with multiple versioning issues, including:

  • Loss of Visibility When files are downloaded onto end-user devices, information security teams naturally lose sight of how information is used, changed, or shared. Not only does this make it impossible to deliver consistent version control, but it puts organizations at risk of regulatory non-compliance.
  • Data Discrepancies Once data is downloaded, it is instantly out-of-date. Replicated across multiple users, this scenario creates substantial subsets of data that are all slightly different and require significant analytical effort to create some semblance of reliable version control.

When an ISV integrates PrizmDoc Cells within their application, the functionality reduces version control challenges by allowing spreadsheet owners to remove visibility into underlying logic, such as proprietary business formulas or calculations, as required. It also eliminates the need for client-side installs or downloads, which adds another level of security for comprehensive version control.

 


Reducing Human Error in Spreadsheets

Errors remain a common spreadsheet concern. As noted by Computer Weekly, “Several research studies have found that up to 70% of spreadsheets contain errors which would result in serious miscalculations.” This creates both productivity and security risks. If calculations create inaccurate outputs, organizations may find themselves struggling to find the source of equation issues or computation concerns. If the problem persists, staff may share the affected spreadsheet in hopes of quickly finding a resolution, in turn potentially exposing documents to increased risk.

PrizmDoc Cells solves this problem with browser-based spreadsheet viewing and editing functionalities. Files display as they would in native applications but can be embedded across any website, CMS, intranet, or portal, allowing staff to securely view and manipulate spreadsheets based on permissions. While it’s impossible to eliminate the potential for formula or format issues, it’s imperative to keep data safe in a secure environment, and sharing these spreadsheets securely makes finding and solving any error more efficient.

 


A Secure Browser-Based Spreadsheet & XLSX Integration

Excel-based spreadsheets cannot stand up to the security and data sharing needs that companies need to scale. When it comes to sharing sensitive data and manipulating formulas, there is both complexity and corporate risk. Without the right permissions and controls in place, data could easily be misrepresented, costing the company revenue.

With PrizmDoc Cells, ISVs can provide the capabilities end-users need for secure spreadsheet viewing and editing. With the ability to independently import, edit, and export XLSX files, securely embed spreadsheet data anywhere, reduce error rates with secure collaboration, and streamline version control, it’s worth opening the door to new spreadsheets capabilities. Discover the next generation of spreadsheet solutions. Try PrizmDoc Cells today.

 

NEWS PROVIDED BY

TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2021 — The Tampa Bay Software CEO Council, founded by Tampa Bay Tech, selected Tampa Bay Area non-profit Computer Mentors as the recipient of the group’s annual fundraising efforts. This month, they presented Computer Mentors founder and Executive Director Ralph Smith with a check for more than $10,000.

“Every year we look for a local charity to connect with and the work Computer Mentors is doing to promote tech with area kids completely aligns with our mission,” said Jack Berlin, CEO of Accusoft. “The work they’re doing to empower kids to pursue careers in tech is instrumental to the future of Tampa Bay as a growing tech hub.”

Computer Mentors works to build opportunity through expertise for the underserved youth of the community. By establishing and building upon a fundamental skillset covering programming, entrepreneurism, public speaking, and more; Computer Mentors gives its students the tools and talent they need to become savvy, self-starting achievers in a tech-centric world.

The Software CEO Council comprises the area’s premier businesses, executives, and entrepreneurs of Tampa Bay’s technology community. Its mission is to create the largest communal ecosystem for tech startups in the state of Florida and put Tampa Bay on the map as a beacon for innovation and success, to foster talent and fuel growth. Council companies include A-LIGN, Accusoft, AgileThought, Bond-Pro, CrossBorder Solutions, Digital Hands, Geographic Solutions, Haneke Design, MercuryWorks, Sourcetoad, Spirion and SunView Software.

https://www.tampasoftwareceos.com/

“Tampa Bay Tech’s Software CEO Council represents several of our area’s most innovative, growing companies, and we are honored to be the recipient of their generous gift to our kids,” said Smith. “Donations like this help fund much-needed programs to help level the playing field for our kids and develop the next generation of talent right here in Tampa Bay.”

About Tampa Bay Tech:

Tampa Bay Tech is a 501(c) 6 non-profit technology council that has been engaging and uniting the local technology community for 20 years. Through their membership and partnerships their mission is to build a radically connected, flourishing tech hub where opportunity is abundant for all. With over 125 companies representing thousands of tech employees – as well as thousands of students within the area’s colleges and universities – Tampa Bay Tech provides programming and initiatives to connect the community, provide development opportunities, and support Tampa Bay’s growing workforce.

Jill St Thomas
Tampa Bay Tech
jill@tampabay.tech

About Accusoft: 

Founded in 1991, Accusoft is a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. From out-of-the-box and configurable applications to APIs built for developers, Accusoft software enables users to solve their most complex workflow challenges and gain insights from content in any format, on any device. Backed by 40 patents, the company’s flagship products, including OnTask, PrizmDoc™ Viewer, and ImageGear, are designed to improve productivity, provide actionable data, and deliver results that matter. The Accusoft team is dedicated to continuous innovation through customer-centric product development, new version release, and a passion for understanding industry trends that drive consumer demand. Visit us at www.accusoft.com.

Accusoft has been remote since March 2020. The executive team is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its employees during this time. While these measures are necessary, they come with different challenges for team communication and bonding. Over the past seven months, Accusoft’s leaders have gotten creative, finding new, virtual ways for their teams to connect, not only about work but personally as well. Here are some of the unique ways Accusoft has kept its employees engaged, informed, and connected while operating remotely.

Company-Wide Town Hall & AccuTalk

Accusoft’s executive team hosts a company-wide, virtual town hall once a month to give updates on the company’s performance during COVID-19. Leaders share updates and answer questions about the state of business. The meeting helps provide clarity about what’s going on at Accusoft during the pandemic. It alleviates some of the uncertainty about how this situation is impacting normal business operations.

“We know it’s crucial to keep our employees informed about the business,” states Jack Berlin, CEO of Accusoft. “While it’s difficult to be out of the office, especially for me, I know it’s what’s best for our team. While we are remote, we need to ensure that employees are informed and understand how we are handling this situation from the top down.”

AccuTalk, formerly Chalk Talk, is held once a quarter on a virtual platform. This company-wide meeting highlights the accomplishments of each department and their goals moving forward. During AccuTalk, the leadership team shares information about the successes and challenges of the team’s quarter and what they can do to meet their new goals in the following quarter.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Accusoft is committed to upholding its core values, including diversity and inclusion. Over the past several months, there has been social unrest on important issues related to this core value. Accusoft recognizes how this has impacted its employees and aims to provide a safe space for individuals to share thoughts, ideas, and feelings around the subject in a productive way. Individual team members have contributed to the activism Slack channel, which discusses trending news stories, ways to be a better ally, and community events to get involved in. 

Team Celebrations and Gatherings

In addition to informational meetings and activism groups, team leads and managers have hosted team bonding events including everything from Zoom lunch celebrations for team member’s life events to virtual gaming parties. 

The PrizmDoc team has a monthly birthday happy hour and a weekly lunch meeting where they play GeoGuessr. The marketing team has even gathered for a socially distant happy hour in-person to support a team member’s family food stand. 

“It’s important that we get together in a safe environment to reconnect with each other. We can easily forget that the human on the other side of the screen, whether visible to us or not, is a colleague that we once interacted with closely in person,” says Christine Hairelson, VP of Employee Experience at Accusoft. “We are all facing different challenges during this pandemic, and it’s vital that we connect with each other on a personal level as well as a business one.”

Virtual Events and Holidays

In addition to the team-specific events, Accusoft’s Event Ninjas, a group of dedicated volunteers from all teams, has put together several virtual events for the company to participate in over the past seven months. The team has planned a trivia night, ice cream social, beer and cheese tasting, and a virtual Halloween party. The goal is to keep everyone connected and engaged. 

“While we may not be able to all gather together safely, we can still connect with each other and share milestones, celebrate holidays, and help each other through this challenging time,” states Megan Brooks, VP of Marketing.

Want to work for Accusoft? Explore all of our open job opportunities on the Careers page, and apply to join our team.

development team
It doesn’t matter if you are a small startup or an enterprise giant, or if you have in-house development teams or contractors. The effectiveness of your tech teams is an integral part of your business success and strategic growth.

We live in a world driven by technology, and technology is changing fast. Companies can’t escape this reality. It’s either evolve with technology or become extinct. Don’t take my word for it. Think about the evolution of technology in industries like transportation (Uber), retail (Amazon), and video (Netflix). You can try to escape reality, but you will probably fail.

One of the first things that comes to mind when talking about software development teams is to ask if teams are absolutely necessary. Can’t we rely on individual tech professionals instead of teams working for our companies? Maybe the whole is not more than the sum of its parts?

The fact is that, in general, teams outperform individuals. When people work in a team toward a common goal, they combine their skills. In a team, individual performance increases, and people are able to solve more complex problems, efficiently and effectively.

My name is Joshua Candamo. I’m a technology leader with a PhD in computer science. My background is pretty diverse, and includes considerable experience programming as well as over 14 years of technology leadership.

I am currently a Director of Development for Accusoft, a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. My engineering group collaborates with about 40 people including in-house software developers, offshore contractors, technical writers, product management, quality, marketing, and sales professionals.

I want to share what I’ve learned from my personal experience of building development teams over the last 14 years, and a few useful tips to doing so successfully.

Without further ado, let’s talk about the three simple things that I found can make or break development teams.

To get started, let’s point out the obvious. Don’t fight nature; embrace it.

If you try to plant a rose in the middle of the desert, it will most certainly die.

You can’t fight nature. However, if you understand nature, you can embrace it and make decisions that align with it.

You can simply build a greenhouse in a harsh environment and succeed at growing a rose pretty much anywhere. Using the same logic, there are some foundational pieces that you have to anticipate in order to build a successful team. Avoiding basic considerations of team building will likely make your development team fail or underperform.

Team building is a broad and complex topic. And, it’s also a topic that I’m passionate about. Not everything around team building is complicated. However, most initiatives require a methodical approach to correctly execute them.

I’ll go over three ideas that are straightforward to implement, and don’t require major capital investment. Learn more in the rest of my article here.

 


 

Josh Candamo, Director of SDKs

Josh Candamo, Director of SDKs

Joshua Candamo, PhD, Development Director for the SDK product group, oversees the development and maintenance of 22 of Accusoft SDK imaging products. He believes that your most valuable intellectual property has nothing to do with patents or technology, but everything to do with your people. He is passionate about team building and creating the right corporate culture to develop amazing software products. Josh joined Accusoft in 2015 after a career in software development that included technology leadership, entrepreneurship, consulting, and both back-end and front-end development. He holds a PhD degree in Computer Science from the University of South Florida, specializing in pattern recognition and image processing.

Question

With a fully-running PrizmDoc environment (version prior to v10.5), I’m noticing times where the system becomes unresponsive. That is, at some point, it no longer processes requests being made to the backend and I have to restart PrizmDoc in order to alleviate it. What could be causing this?

Answer

Prior to version 10.5, PrizmDoc used ProxyServer as its image processing system. Our Development Team eventually began seeing that the ProxyServer exhibited architectural problems that lead to a multitude of issues, such as unresponsiveness.

Starting in version 10.5, the Development Team created the Prizm Content Connect Imaging Service (PCCIS), which is far more stable.

To resolve this issue we suggest upgrading to the latest revision of PrizmDoc. Please see the product page for more information found here: https://www.accusoft.com/products/prizmdoc/overview/

Question

With a fully-running PrizmDoc environment (version prior to v10.5), I’m noticing times where the system becomes unresponsive. That is, at some point, it no longer processes requests being made to the backend and I have to restart PrizmDoc in order to alleviate it. What could be causing this?

Answer

Prior to version 10.5, PrizmDoc used ProxyServer as its image processing system. Our Development Team eventually began seeing that the ProxyServer exhibited architectural problems that lead to a multitude of issues, such as unresponsiveness.

Starting in version 10.5, the Development Team created the Prizm Content Connect Imaging Service (PCCIS), which is far more stable.

To resolve this issue we suggest upgrading to the latest revision of PrizmDoc. Please see the product page for more information found here: https://www.accusoft.com/products/prizmdoc/overview/