Tag Archives: technical writing

Technical Documentation Moves Toward Live Product Content

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The Internet and mobile channels are fundamentally changing how customers expect to find and engage with information related to a company’s products. To provide an outstanding experience for their customers, a company must provide quick access to relevant, up-to-date technical information in compelling forms. By doing so, companies can increase revenues, improve out-of-box experience, increase self-service, drive down call center calls, and ultimately increase repeat buying and word of mouth recommendations.

To improve customer experience, companies are moving towards a practice of what might be labeled “live product content”. Live product content offers a number of valuable business benefits that cannot be achieved with traditional documentation. Continue reading Technical Documentation Moves Toward Live Product Content →

Phoenix Tech Pubs Update: April 2012

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Time to catch up on documentation! Many of our clients put technical documentation on hold during the economic slump and are now facing a daunting challenge to bring it up to date. With over twenty-five years of experience, Phoenix Tech Pubs is providing efficient and cost-effective support to clients such as General Dynamics, Applied Materials, and Cepheid as they update their documentation.

XML/DITA

We are completing a major transformation of documentation for a leading semiconductor company from static PDFs to fully searchable, customizable XML and DITA based online-technical content. Check back soon when their site is up and running!

See our blogs “An Introduction to XML and DITA” and “Technical Documentation Moves Toward Live Product Content” for more information.
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ROBOTICS

Autonomous motorized devices grow in popularity for both military and commercial use. We recently completed a doc set for an exciting new robotics device for a Silicon Valley start-up.

CONSUMERIZATION OF IT

Bring Your Own Device is the newest trend in corporate technology use. Phoenix Tech Pubs recently wrote a white paper for a IT software company about their solution for mobile device management.

See our blog “BYOD and FIYS – The Consumerization of IT” for more information.
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Phoenix Technical Publications has provided complete technical writing and documentation services in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years.

Maria’s Alcatraz Swim, September 2011

Maria's blogs, PTP Outdoor Adventures,
Me and Jim, ready to swim. My daughter Nina and husband Andy are behind us.

A few years ago my brother Jim convinced me to sign up for the Alcatraz Invitational Swim. A swim event (it may be a race for some but not for me) which consists of taking a ferry to just off The Rock, jumping off, and swimming as fast as you can back to Aquatic Park. Lest you think my brother was hoping to increase the size of his inheritance, he was actually looking for company. Jim had done the event a couple times with our niece Nina and assured me it was good fun. Continue reading Maria’s Alcatraz Swim, September 2011 →

Jim’s Alcatraz Swim, September 2011

Jim's blogs, PTP Outdoor Adventures, ,

This was my final event of the year, The Alcatraz Invitational Swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park. It’s about 1.25 miles if you swim straight. In the past I haven’t been so lucky, either because of the currents, the fog, my crappy swim technique, or all of the above. This time conditions were ideal: beautiful day, minimal current, slightly improved swim technique. I was hoping to improve on my time of 1:01:57 from last year. I again had the company of my sister, Maria, and my niece, Nina, as well as quite a few friends at San Jose Swim & Racquet Club in my Willow Glen neighborhood. And this time I stopped to take plenty of photos, using a $20 disposable waterproof camera. Continue reading Jim’s Alcatraz Swim, September 2011 →

Ironman Canada, August 2011

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This is the third of my four events this year. I was exhilarated after completing the Boston Marathon and the California Death Ride. I felt comfortable that my training would get me through the event: My speed work was done while training for the Boston Marathon and my endurance training was done while training for the Death Ride. And most important, I’d gotten through all my training without injury. But I must admit that I was feeling the fatigue from training that had started before Christmas last year. When it came time to tapering for this race, I had no problem taking it easy. I was glad to have the training behind me and looking forward to the reward of racing.

 

Continue reading Ironman Canada, August 2011 →

Biking to Lunch in Mountain View from Willow Glen, July 2011

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Cool pedestrian bridge on Stevens Creek Train

I’m very excited that the Bay Area trails are starting to create pathways to fun places all around the bay, without having to leave protected bike trails. In July I rode from my house in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose to have lunch in Mountain View, taking the Guadalupe River Trail to the San Francisco Bay Trail to Stevens Creek Trail. I only had to use surface streets three times, all for very short distances with little traffic. Continue reading Biking to Lunch in Mountain View from Willow Glen, July 2011 →

Death Ride, July 2011

Jim's blogs, PTP Outdoor Adventures,
Jim signing the board at the top of Carson Pass.

So I completed the second of my 4 events for the year – the California “Death Ride“, so named because it covers 129 miles over 5 mountain passes, totaling 15000 feet of climbing, all at high elevation! It is not a race: there were no timing mats to cross, no split times. In fact, there were numerous rest stations where the riders took the time to get off their bikes to rest and eat and chat with other riders. But with all those miles and all those climbs, finishing before the cut-off would be my challenge. Continue reading Death Ride, July 2011 →

GE, NCR Lead “Reshoring” Trend

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GE GeoSpring™ Hybrid Heater

Faced with rising costs, General Electric moved production of a new energy-efficient hotwater heater halfway around the world – to Kentucky. CP Lab Safety moved manufacturing from China to California to cut costs. Tesla moved final assembly of its battery packs to California to minimize delivery delays to customers.

In a recent blog, I discussed some of the drawbacks of offshoring manufacturing jobs (“Boeing 787 Illustrates The Dangers of Offshoring,”). Today I am writing about a growing trend in manufacturing: “reshoring” jobs back to the United States. Continue reading GE, NCR Lead “Reshoring” Trend →

My Life in Bands, Part Three

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The Night Shift Band (back row: Dana, Phil, Carlos, Odys, David; front row: John, Tiffany, Gayle, Joe)

I love to see people dance while I’m performing on stage. And if they’re cheering and calling for an encore, it’s so gratifying that I almost feel famous. (This is what happens when a shy kid gets a lot of attention.) Cover bands often get that kind of reception, which makes them fun to play with. Over the last several years I have been a full time keyboardist for two popular cover bands that mainly play R&B and pop hits. Continue reading My Life in Bands, Part Three →

Hunter-Liggett Under Blue, Blue Skies

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Abandoned tank at Fort Hunter Liggett

I had a great bike ride on Friday, June 10, from Mission San Antonio to Highway 1 and back, through Fort Hunter Liggett. I’m training for the Death Ride on July 9, so I needed to get in some long hilly rides. I was on my way to my folks house in San Luis Obispo – recently rated one the happiest places on earth! – so I stopped at Hunter Liggett. Because it’s an army base, you can’t park just anywhere. Mission San Antonio, however, is just across the road. Continue reading Hunter-Liggett Under Blue, Blue Skies →