Software Converts Project Data Into Spoken Languages

ByDoug Bartholomew It had to happen. Sooner or later, someone was going to figure out a way to use a computer to translate data into something understandable to 21st Century humans. Meet Project Reporter 2.0 from CoGenTex Inc., an Ithaca, N.Y. software firm. Issued in September, Project Reporter's latest release generates text from project data, automatically converting computerized information from status reports into well-structured, easily readable documents in English or other human languages. Unlike simple report generators, this text generator incorporates knowledge of the grammatical and semantic rules of a given language, and rhetorical rules enable it to construct coherent paragraphs and documents. Project status reports generated by Project Reporter can be viewed by anyone with a Web browser. The software, which uses data from Microsoft Project or other compatible project-management software, comes with an administrative module that lets the project manager load multiple projects and decide which users have access to which information. What's more, the software can be downloaded from the Web at www.cogentex.com. Prospective customers can visit the Web site, try out an online demo, and download a 30-day trial package.